4 ms·

Our libraries are more or less homeless shelters now. Good for the homeless, but not so great for getting a book or using it as a third space. Thanks neolibera

Our libraries are more or less homeless shelters now. Good for the homeless, but not so great for getting a book or using it as a third space. Thanks neoliberals.

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
Yes, my experience is the same. The major metro downtown library has been a homeless shelter for years, even in the before-times. There is a decently-sized grass-lawn park right next to it, and every morning in the library, there is a huge row of bags and shopping carts and all sorts of personal junk belonging to people who schlep it in and out every day to escape the elements. My local municipal library has gone back and forth. It is on land which is technically Parks & Rec jurisdiction, and so it's patrolled by uniformed Park Rangers. There are strict rules about bathroom use and there is technically no sleeping allowed inside the library. During the lockdowns, of course, they were able to keep out the riffraff by mandating masks and doing curbside, online-facilitated book pickups. But the whole neighborhood by the library is a mass of homeless hangout, especially the bus stops right nearby, and let me tell you, it's downright scary when bus stops are "owned" and squatted by a group of creeps who are drunk and/or on drugs and/or bent on violence. There is literally nowhere safe to sit in the shade and wait for an actual bus, because nobody at the stop intends to get on the bus at all. And, when you do board a bus, especially the free-fare ones, it's clogged with the same types of weirdos going to/from their daytime hangouts. Personally for me, when I was homeless, libraries were a life saver, and I definitely hung out at libraries, which kept me (1) out of trouble, (2) safe from the weather, (3) connected to friends and family, and (4) occupied and not bored, and (5) no need to spend money. Of course, I was extremely careful about obeying all rules and regulations and not being caught out as homeless. Sleeping was mostly OK, and I didn't need to shower, shave, or brush teeth in the bathrooms, so that also helped.
Moldoteck 3y ago
interesting, what led to this? I know baltics/nordic states have a lot of libraries that look super cool and people gather there mainly to meet each other instead of reading, but those places are thriving, have cafes, cool stuff like 3D printers, free good wifi, clean restrooms
- NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
  Our libraries have all that stuff, and often that is what's attractive to homeless people. They may not be penniless or destitute: a lot of times, people have no home, but they have a cell phone to charge, and they have a few bucks to spend on restaurant food (because they can't purchase/store groceries or cook for themselves). So all these creature comforts and amenities attract people of lower economic class. Often it's really nice to use a lab computer, set your phone down while it's charging, get on the Internet and do some job searches. If there's a café in your library, then you can stay all day without leaving. Even people who do have homes may prefer the library during the day. If they have obnoxious roommates, abusive family members, no A/C or heating, whatever, they can come to the library and enjoy all that, courtesy of the taxpayers.
YellOh 3y ago
Just hung out at my local library this past weekend. Notable experiences were there being 3 police officers standing guard in full gear in this small local library, and me ending up sitting across from a guy who was quietly talking to himself about shooting guns. I can understand why the only younger middle+ class people there were volunteers, though it made me a bit sad.

Our libraries are more or less homeless shelters now. Good for the homeless, but not so great for getting a book or using it as a third space. Thanks neoliberals.

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago

Yes, my experience is the same. The major metro downtown library has been a homeless shelter for years, even in the before-times. There is a decently-sized grass-lawn park right next to it, and every morning in the library, there is a huge row of bags and shopping carts and all sorts of personal junk belonging to people who schlep it in and out every day to escape the elements. My local municipal library has gone back and forth. It is on land which is technically Parks & Rec jurisdiction, and so it's patrolled by uniformed Park Rangers. There are strict rules about bathroom use and there is technically no sleeping allowed inside the library. During the lockdowns, of course, they were able to keep out the riffraff by mandating masks and doing curbside, online-facilitated book pickups. But the whole neighborhood by the library is a mass of homeless hangout, especially the bus stops right nearby, and let me tell you, it's downright scary when bus stops are "owned" and squatted by a group of creeps who are drunk and/or on drugs and/or bent on violence. There is literally nowhere safe to sit in the shade and wait for an actual bus, because nobody at the stop intends to get on the bus at all. And, when you do board a bus, especially the free-fare ones, it's clogged with the same types of weirdos going to/from their daytime hangouts. Personally for me, when I was homeless, libraries were a life saver, and I definitely hung out at libraries, which kept me (1) out of trouble, (2) safe from the weather, (3) connected to friends and family, and (4) occupied and not bored, and (5) no need to spend money. Of course, I was extremely careful about obeying all rules and regulations and not being caught out as homeless. Sleeping was mostly OK, and I didn't need to shower, shave, or brush teeth in the bathrooms, so that also helped.

Moldoteck 3y ago

interesting, what led to this? I know baltics/nordic states have a lot of libraries that look super cool and people gather there mainly to meet each other instead of reading, but those places are thriving, have cafes, cool stuff like 3D printers, free good wifi, clean restrooms

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
Our libraries have all that stuff, and often that is what's attractive to homeless people. They may not be penniless or destitute: a lot of times, people have no home, but they have a cell phone to charge, and they have a few bucks to spend on restaurant food (because they can't purchase/store groceries or cook for themselves). So all these creature comforts and amenities attract people of lower economic class. Often it's really nice to use a lab computer, set your phone down while it's charging, get on the Internet and do some job searches. If there's a café in your library, then you can stay all day without leaving. Even people who do have homes may prefer the library during the day. If they have obnoxious roommates, abusive family members, no A/C or heating, whatever, they can come to the library and enjoy all that, courtesy of the taxpayers.

YellOh 3y ago

Just hung out at my local library this past weekend. Notable experiences were there being 3 police officers standing guard in full gear in this small local library, and me ending up sitting across from a guy who was quietly talking to himself about shooting guns. I can understand why the only younger middle+ class people there were volunteers, though it made me a bit sad.