Margaret Whalen Stec

LIS 770 Management of Library and Information Centers

Issue Paper
May 4, 2015
A Home for the Homeless
More than 610,000 people are homeless in the United States on any
given night, with nearly two-thirds living in shelters or transitional housing,
and the rest are unsheltered (Ruhlmann, 40). This is a staggering statistic,
but does it mean libraries should act as a refuge for these people
experiencing homelessness? According to the American Library Associations
Library Service to the Poor policy statement, the answer is most definitely
yes. The statement explains,
its crucial for public libraries to recognize their role in enabling poor
people to participate fully in a democratic society. The library has to
serve as a uniquely egalitarian place. Moreover, library staffers have a
duty to look out for the needs of poor and homeless patrons and strive
to provide relevant services (Ruhlmann, 40).
This is a complex task for any library manager. How can a balance be
reached between the duty of helping those in need, while appreciating the
rights of other patrons and their differing levels of comfort around
homelessness? To begin the process of reaching that balance, it is imperative
to understand the concept of homelessness.
According to the Stewart B. McKinney Act (1994),

a person is considered homeless if he or she lacks a fixed, regular

and adequate night-time residence; and has a primary night-time
residency that is either provided by a shelter or an institution that
provides temporary living accommodations, or a place not designated
for use as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings
(Wong, 399).
In Yi Ling Wongs article, Homelessness in Public Libraries, she refers to
homelessness as a direct result of poverty and lack of care (400). For many
it is a way of life as well as a hopeless situation. The number of people who
are homeless is difficult to verify because of the variety of circumstances
surrounding the homelessness. The time one spends being without a home
is a critical issue (Hersberger, 200). Those referred to as chronically
homeless primarily live on the streets or in substandard housing. The
largest populations of homeless people are referred to as the periodic
homeless. These are people who have experienced situations that resulted
in a loss of personal housing accommodations. Another type of
homelessness occurs when a home is lost due to natural disaster; this is
referred to as temporary homelessness. There are also those experiencing
total homelessness. These people have lost their shelter as well as other
social supports including family connections or public assistance
(Hersberger, 200).
Why are there homeless? There are numerous reasons. Many people
experiencing homelessness are mentally disturbed, physically ill, or victims
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of substance or domestic abuse. These people cannot help but be

chronically homeless due to the consistent decline of public assistance,
welfare programs and subsidized housing (Wong, 400). This particular group
has no shelter, family support or job opportunities. They also do not know
where to seek the help they so desperately need. Others become homeless
after a life crisis such as suffering from the loss of a loved one or a home
(Hersberger, 200). Tragic circumstances such as unemployment, divorce,
abuse and bankruptcy may also lead to homelessness. People living in
poverty and not able to pay their bills are inevitably on the path to
homelessness (Wong, 400).
Public libraries missions are to meet the needs of various user groups
(Wong, 400). Library directors are constantly in the struggle between
providing a safe environment of access to information for their users and a
haven to those experiencing homelessness. These are indeed challenges for
both the library patrons as well as the staff.
Library patrons frequently have trouble acknowledging homeless
people as a legitimate user group. Many homeless tend to sleep in armchairs
surrounded by plastic bags filled with their personal belongings. Others sit at
a computer for hours at a time, limiting access to other potential users.
Some homeless groups may be challenging to the olfactory senses, overly
loud in their conversations or generally disruptive. This can make users
question if the homeless are utilizing the librarys resources or just taking
advantage of a soft chair and dry air (Ruhlmann, 40). The general
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appearance of the homeless population is usually associated with soiled or

ripped clothing and unpleasant body odor. Many library patrons associate
this appearance with the stereotypical idea of being violent or dangerous to
others. The sense of the library being a safe environment is then
compromised leaving some taxpaying users feeling disgruntled or alienated.
Library management and their staff face various challenges as well.
Many feel conflicted about allowing homeless people in the library. There are
concerns that the homeless population may affect user population in this
especially fragile time of relevance for libraries (Wong, 399). Various
homeless people are mentally unstable, which affects the atmosphere of
comfort the library strives to achieve. Some libraries have reported homeless
patrons bathing in the restrooms and paper products frequently stolen from
washroom stalls. Many times upholstered furniture must be replaced due to
stains or wear and tear from overuse (Woodrum, 56). While library staff feels
they need to respect all users, they also feel management must respect that
social work is not part of their job description. Management is also placed in
a difficult situation, while they must tread lightly on any policy changes that
may lead to lawsuits. The homeless issue is not considered a top priority in
most libraries, as budget restraints and staying abreast of changing
technologies are usually areas that require the utmost attention.
So what courses of action can the library take to resolve these barriers
with the homeless population? First and foremost, librarians must be mindful
of their roles as information professionals. It is their responsibility to provide
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equal access to information for all users. Although not trained in social work,
librarians still have an ethical responsibility to help users experiencing
hardships (Wong, 405). It is not the role of the librarian to judge, but to
provide information to the user. The American Library Association (ALA)
Library Bill of Rights states: a persons right to use a library should not be
denied because of their background or social status (Wong, 404). Public
libraries must uphold the First Amendment right of equal access (Wong,
404). With that said, policies must be written in an understandable format
and clearly posted around the library. Library directors and staff must be well
versed in the access policies so they are better equipped to handle any
challenging patron interactions that might occur. Wong suggests educating
the staff through workshops or seminars that concentrate on improving
library services for diverse user populations (405).
Homeless patrons are often viewed as problems merely because of
their physical appearance. Classifying this class of people as problem
patrons is essentially discrimination and unacceptable behavior for any
library professional (Hersberger, 200). The behavior of a patron is the only
legitimate reason for enforcing library policy. Social status is another issue
altogether. As mentioned previously, people experiencing homelessness are
prone to having issues with cleanliness. There are also problems with vocal
levels and sometimes confirmations of consciousness. Many times, homeless
patrons are asleep in chairs and must be approached by a library staff
member to see if there are health problems associated with their present
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state. Is this a valid reason for excluding a group of users? Consider the fact
that toddlers are a prominent patron group in most public libraries. Toddlers
can also be loud, smelly and, on rare instances, found sleeping in a stroller. Is
this a reason to advocate that they be considered problem patrons who are
unworthy of library services (Hersberger, 200)? San Francisco Public Librarys
creative solution for helping the homeless involved lobbying to have a mobile
shower from a local nonprofit agency placed outside their central library.
Former city busses were retrofitted with private showers including soap,
shampoo and towels (Ruhlmann, 43).
Besides defining itself as a safe haven for the homeless to gather,
libraries can develop into information resource centers for homeless people
providing health-care guides, affordable-housing information, food-kitchen
locations, social service referral information and job-training programs.
Santa Cruz Public Library offers community-information databases that have
links to counseling centers and emergency housing placement (Wong, 406).
Seattle Public Library offers classes in life-skills to assist the poor in entering
back into society. The Tulsa Public Library has facilitated the development of
a community day shelter for their homeless population. It provides showers,
shelter, free clothing, laundry service, health and employment counseling
and a depositary library run by volunteers (Woodrum, 57). Another option is
to bring resources in-house. San Francisco Public Library became the nations
first public library to hire a full-time psychiatric social worker in 2008. Now

public libraries in San Jose, Madison, Philadelphia and Salt Lake City have
followed suit with the social worker idea (Ruhlmann, 43).
Many people experiencing homelessness are highly educated. To reach
these particular users, library directors could consider expanding their
collections to include informational material regarding poverty and dealing
with the issue of homelessness.
Wong explains,
While some homeless people have no particular purpose in libraries,
others go to libraries with genuine everyday information needs. Like
regular users, people who are homeless often have urgent needs to
access information on news, current affairs, finance, health care, legal
matters, childcare, employment, welfare programs, housing,
transportation, or education. The ability to check out books, listen to
music, or watch a movie in libraries may not be anything special to
regular library users, but these free library services are invaluable for
many homeless users (401).
Libraries are an indispensable resource offering free access to computers
and the Internet for those who cannot afford them. For many homeless, the
library is one of the few places where the Internet and email are free and
easily accessible (Wong, 401). Some libraries accept addresses from shelters
when applying for a library card (Ruhlmann, 44). About 2% of all the cards
that Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System issues are courtesy cards for people

without a permanent address. Of these, 95% go to homeless people

(Ruhlmann, 44). The idea of access for all certainly rings true in this instance.
Some libraries offer free on-site GED classes to reach unemployed or
underemployed people experiencing episodic homelessness. A report from
the Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness shows nearly 50% of
homeless parents are high school dropouts (Ruhlmann, 44). This GED
opportunity could lead the way to future employment and eventually a life
off the streets.
Another course of action involves branching out of the physical walls of
the library through outreach programs. Community outreach is a great way
for libraries to understand the cultural, social and economic conditions the
homeless face each day (Wong, 407). The idea of e-libraries could be a way
to connect with user groups in remote and disadvantaged areas. E-libraries
are a great resource for the homeless adults and children who are unable to
come to the library itself. San Francisco Public Library offers regular story
times and movie presentations at city shelters for their homeless children;
and Morris Township Library provides a bookmobile service to reach their
young homeless population (Wong, 407). Library managers must continually
think outside of the box and consider what the library can be rather than
what it is (Urban Libraries Council)

The problem of homelessness involves both internal and external

solutions. Internally, libraries need to rethink their management of in- house
resources to ensure fairness in the portions of the library policy involving
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user access and usage. External solutions require persistent soliciting of

support from stakeholders such as funding agencies, users and non-users
and the general tax-paying public. This is crucial to promote an increase of
public awareness surrounding the difficult realities of people experiencing
homelessness.

The issue of homelessness in libraries is a complex one. Libraries

should be considered environments of inclusion, not exclusion. Wong feels
homelessness is a problem because most libraries are not handling the
situation in the most effective way (407). Library directors must wear many
hats and be able to see the inherent shades of gray in situations to help
them proceed in the wisest direction (Sample, 2002). They must be conceptual
leaders demonstrating strategic vision who can articulate and promote the
librarys mission. They must also act as ambassadors to the community and
collaborators who understand the benefits of working together to better
serve the community. Finally, they must be mentors who will help develop
their staff to be highly effective customer oriented professionals in a
communal based organizational culture ("Executive Director - La Grange Park Public
Library," n.d.). Learning how to conquer fear and prejudice towards the
homeless is a vital step towards truly helping the homeless community
(Wong, 408). Homeless patrons have the same right to be in the library as
any other user. It is crucial for libraries to continue to be fair and sensitive to
what institutes acceptable library user behavior while advocating public
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awareness about the genuine hardships the homeless encounter on a daily

basis. Libraries must remember they are social and civilizing agencies,
which advocate equal access to information (Wong, 408). All of this takes
research, networking and creative ingenuity (Ruhlmann, 42). Libraries are
more than capable of this challenge as they strive to be a continuously
evolving resource of information, integrity and inclusion.

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References
Anderson, K. A., Simpson, C. D., & Fisher, L. G. (2012). The ability of public library staff to
help homeless people in the United States: exploring relationships, roles and potential.
Journal Of Poverty & Social Justice, 20(2), 177-190. doi:10.1332/175982712X652078
Berry III, J. N. (2011). The Problem Is Poverty. Library Journal, 136(11), 10.
Executive Director - La Grange Park Public Library. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18,
2015, from http://www.lplibrary.org/jobs/executive-director/
Hersberger, J., & De la Pea McCook, K. (2005). The Homeless and Information Needs and
Services. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 44(3), 199-202.
Peet, L. (2015). Public: Edmonton Expands Outreach. Library Journal, 140(1), 1.
Ruhlmann, E. (2014). A HOME to the HOMELESS. American Libraries, 45(11/12), 40-44.
Sample, S. B. (2002). Thinking gray, and free. In The contrarian's guide to leadership (1st ed.).
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Urban Libraries Council. (2012). Leadership Brief: Libraries Leaders Owining Leadership.
Retrieved from
http://www.urbanlibraries.org/filebin/pdfs/Leadership_Brief_Final_061112.pdf (Links to
an external site.)
Woodrum, P. (1988). A Haven for the Homeless. Library Journal, 113(1), 55.
Yi Ling, W. (2009). Homelessness in Public Libraries. Journal Of Access Services, 6(3), 396410. doi:10.1080/15367960902908599

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