Libraries and the Homeless

Libraries are considered to be a safe space for many people, especially the homeless population. Homeless people and families seek refuge in the library for many reasons. The library is a comforting and safe place where they can take shelter during the day, especially when weather conditions are bad. At the library, homeless people have access to the internet and many other resources. However, libraries serving the homeless population has been somewhat of a controversy in the past. Whether this is because libraries deal with an overwhelming amount of homeless people or the stigma that surrounds homeless people, specifically mental illness and drug abuse among the homeless population, it is still the libraries job to serve homeless people. Patrick Grace states: “Homeless people are not stereotypes; they are members of our society. They are men, women, and children. They come from all national and ethnic backgrounds. They are native-born and immigrant. They are families, single men and women, and children on their own. And they have a right to visit and use our nation's public libraries.” Many libraries have started offering programs and services specifically for homeless people in hopes to help and better serve this group of patrons. A great example of a library working to help the homeless population is the Dallas Public Library. They have many programs for the homeless community in Dallas including music and art classes, a podcast, and a H.E.L.P desk where homeless people can go for guidance on looking for jobs, sheltering, etc. Here is a about the services the Dallas Public Library has for homeless people : 

                                                       https://youtu.be/oBQrihuxit8

It's important to remember that homeless people are human too. They want to seek the resources at the library just like we do and have every right to. Homeless people are some of the most loyal library users and I think the initiative libraries have been taking to support and advocate for this group is great and is a step in the right direction that our society needs.

References :

Grace, Patrick. “No Place to Go (Except the Public Library). (Cover Story).” American Libraries, vol. 31, no. 5, May 2000, p. 53. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=3072708&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

 “Homeless Engagement Initiative - Dallas Public Library.” YouTube, 7 May 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBQrihuxit8.

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Libraries and the Homeless

Here in San Diego, like in many other cities, libraries and the homeless community often intersect. A library can be one of the few places the homeless can go and feel welcome. But sometimes the needs of the homeless can overwhelm library staff, especially when they don't feel able to provide the services and resources individuals may need. In addition, it can also be a challenge to ensure they are creating a welcoming space for all while still keeping the safety and comfort of their staff and other patrons at the forefront. At the Central Library in downtown San Diego, more or less the epicenter of the homeless and mental health crisis in San Diego, the library has teamed up with San Diego County Health and Human Services to open a department on the third floor where those who need help can access information to resources and referrals. The services offered by this program include emergency housing referrals, referrals to doctors, and food distribution referrals. Creating partnerships with local programs that help the homeless can be very beneficial to a library and help take some of the burden off the shoulders of staff. For example, in 2008, the San Francisco Public Library became the first in the nation to hire its own full time psychiatric social worker (Ruhlmann, 43). The intersection of homelessness and libraries can be a complex issue, but creating awareness, proper training of staff, and providing access to much-needed resources are a few small ways to help those in need.

                      San Diego's Downtown Library Keeps Homeless Warm and Dry -- KPBS


Works Cited:
Ruhlmann, Ellyn. “A HOME to the HOMELESS.” American Libraries, vol. 45, no. 11/12, 2014, pp. 40–44., www.jstor.org/stable/24603545. Accessed 28 Apr. 2020.

Libraries and the Homeless

Libraries are a public space for all in which access to information is paramount. Understandably, many unsheltered people take refuge in public libraries because they are safe, comfortable, welcoming, and climate-controlled, in addition to having valuable services, programs, and endless sources of information. But there are opportunities for libraries to not just include the homeless as patrons, but enable better access and services for this underserved population.

The homeless population of several cities has greatly increased over the last few years, and many public library systems have stepped up to the challenges of keeping their libraries accessible to all patrons, or becoming so if they weren't already. In Library Journal, Editor-in-Chief Rebecca T. Miller discusses barriers of access to information that the homeless face, and ways that those barriers can be eliminated or reduced. Two of the services mentioned are facilitating better access to showers and restrooms and enabling parents and caregivers to use computers for job seeking while their children play nearby. Making the library more usable for all helps remove the barriers to access to information. Miller suggests that it is not enough just to search for gaps in access, but that library staff need to go beyond and think of limitations of access as not just a challenge for patrons, but for public institutions to address and attempt to overcome (8).

The PBS report “Quiet Comfort” introduces us to the United States’ first full-time library social worker. This is another way that the San Francisco Public Library has assessed the needs of its patrons and adapted its staffing and services to help the community have maximum access to information.




How has your public library changed its services and programs to better meet the needs of your community's unsheltered population? What services do you think would be beneficial at your location? Tell us in the comments!

Works Cited

Miller, Rebecca T. “Real-World Barriers.” Library Journal, vol. 140, no. 16, Oct. 2015, p. 8. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=109996174&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

“Quiet Comfort: Library Social Worker Helps Homeless Seeking Quiet Refuge.” YouTube, PBS, 28 Jan. 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOeBLhs5Jko.