Homelessness in Public Libraries by Yi Ling Wong

The author approached the problem of homelessness in public libraries by first asking some fundamental questions to determine the aspects of the problem at hand and why it is considered a problem in the first place.

The first is, “Why is it considered a problem for homeless individuals to use the library?” Libraries have long been considered a place for all users regardless of race, religion, or social background to come together and learn in a safe and stable environment. They are havens that offer equal access to all. The author points out that while the homeless population are often thought of as being dangerous, smelly and disruptive, “regular” patrons are just as likely to exhibit these behaviors. The information needs of this population are often underserved because their right to obtain a library card and gain full access is in question in many libraries. At the same time she points out the dilemma of offering more services to the homeless while at the same time ensuring that the library is a safe and pleasant place for staff and other users. Serving the needs of all users without compromising the rights of anyone is a delicate balancing act.

Second, she asks, “Who are the homeless?” This author used the following definition:
“According to the Stewart B. McKinney Act (1994), a homeless person is
one who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence . . ..”
The author also included statistics on homelessness from the national Coalition for the Homeless that indicate that it is not an issue restricted to any one gender, age, race, or ethnicity.

Third, the author asks, “Why are these individuals homeless?” The reasons that she cited include but are not limited to: bankruptcy, divorce, unemployment, substance abuse, domestic violence, decline of public assistance, and mental illness. Basically, people lose control of their lives for one reason or another and can no longer pay their bills.

Fourth, she assesses the information needs of the homeless patron and the barriers many libraries have . While some individuals come to the library for a safe, quiet place to rest in a comfortable environment, others wish to access news, find information on government programs, look into housing or even just connect with family and friends. For the part of libraries, they have policies regarding patron behavior, and acceptable use that are prohibitive to homeless patrons in many cases. Some libraries enforce these policies unequally and inconsistently, wishing to err on the side of equitable access for all. There is little to no collaboration between libraries and social agencies. Administrators are reluctant to offend to offend “regular” patrons by being more accommodating or leave the library open to lawsuits by being less accommodating to the homeless populations.

Finally she offers solutions to the issues she raises to light. By writing a comprehensive and clear library policy governing patron behavior and regulating library access and ensuring that policy can and will be enforced consistently, the library can uphold the Library Bill of Rights and offer truly equitable access for all. By ensuring that the library staff have ample access to adequate training and professional development, they can gain the skills they need to not feel intimidated or threatened by disruptive patrons. They can also learn to set their personal biases and prejudices aside when interacting with library users and enforce library policies fairly. By strengthening library collection and adding the resources that the homeless population are likely to need, the library can assist in helping these patrons improve their lives and maybe get off the street. By working collaboratively with various social organizations, libraries can raise community awareness and be proactive in serving the needs of an underserved population.

         Yi Ling, Wong. "Homelessness in Public Libraries." Journal Of Access Services 6, no. 3 (July 2009): 396-410. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed January 23, 2018).