+72 Homeless People Have Ruined Public Libraries, amirite?

by Mercedes21 2 days ago

I just miss libraries being quiet. Where did you go, my sweet silence?

by Sweaty_Bad 2 days ago

I do the same thing while I'm working. But sometimes I do find when I'm on a walk it's really nice to just listen to the ambient sounds. Especially at night when you're going to be able to hear a lot more of the nature sounds.

by Lueilwitzclaudi 2 days ago

I totally feel that. Sometimes it is nice to not have so much noise going on

by Millsethel 2 days ago

I am no longer able to drive, but when I was, I rarely had the radio on. It was my time to think and to discuss things with myself, if you will. I enjoyed the quiet time. I had five kids at home, so that half an hour of quiet from work to home was priceless. These days the kids are grown and I get a lot of quiet time, but there was a day when there wasn't so much. I needed that down time!

by Anonymous 2 days ago

There is nothing like our Saturday and Sunday walks in the woods with the dog in the middle of the city we live in. No one would dare to have anything playing out loud. It is truly a sanctuary…between 7:30 and 10 am. After that, all bets are off.

by Repulsive_Station_52 2 days ago

Honestly I don't think what people do during work defines them as much as what they do outside of work. Are you constantly stimulated outside of work?

by BicycleEcstatic 2 days ago

I prefer to start my day with silence. I might turn on some music or a podcast a few hours into the work day but I desperately need the quiet at the beginning of the day

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Yes and it's a huge pet peeve of mine. Like it's impossible to watch a movie or show without grabbing your phone to scroll through random nonsense because it's just that hard to not have your attention divided 3 different ways by default.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Main character syndrome

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I live for the power going out so I can enjoy truly sweet silence. Its easy to forget how much noise electronics make, even when turned off, until the power is out completely.

by Signal_Drama 2 days ago

Same! Often when the power goes out you realize how loud the world actually is.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I went to the library near my place the other day because I felt over stimulated at home and there was a group of girls being super loud and laughing like a bunch of hyenas. Security did nothing didn't even give them a warning

by Optimal_Gift_6513 2 days ago

It's a mixed bag. The standards have apparently relaxed, but I'm still vaguely honked off years later about laughing once and getting told off by the security guard.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I've been a librarian for going on to 17 years. I was told the first month there to not to hush anyone or mention the sound - especially if it's kids. Due to it being offensive and possibility of complaints.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I'd hush the damn person who told you that.

by Hefty_Salamander_366 2 days ago

Everything is so loud these days, too many cars, landscaping, music. It sucks.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

My local library is fairly quiet. Is that not the standard now?

by Minute-Cod 2 days ago

I had a certification i was doing to try and get a job while unemployed. I went to my local library for a quiet place to study. I go to a room specific for quiet study with multiple stations inside. After about an hour some kind of meeting starts up in a bookable room next door, they are extremely loud and they are doing some kind of song and dance. All adults, no children. Even with noise canceling headphones I can't study. I lodge complaints to the front desk and they shrug them off. Happened on three separate days. I had to find somewhere else to go. Libraries should be quiet.

by Ok_Match1916 2 days ago

I worked at a library for a short time and let me tell you the horrors I have seen. The war crimes I have seen in the bathroom would make Stalin blush. I wish people would have some self respect and some respect for their community.

by BunchVisual222 2 days ago

Kinda curious if you want to share a story

by NoContribution 2 days ago

not unless you have a scat kink you're not

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I do not, have a nice day.

by NoContribution 1 day ago

I worked at a library in the late 80s. We had a flasher, I got hit on at 16 by several older men. People would use the private study rooms like a hotel, even though there were windows. The homeless were always there, but regular people were a problem, too.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

There was a library in a town in Colorado that was closed due to meth contamination

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I'm so happy you had a safe soace. I saw a lady who used to go to my church who became homeless. She was at the library reading and I went up to catch up. I hope she's doing better now.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I hope so, too. I read many wonderful books during that time and it's a positive I take from the experience.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Thanks for sharing your experience. I think it helps highlight what's really going on- more homeless people using the library is a sign society is failing for many people. The rise of honeless populations should be a canary in a coal mine to us

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Should be, but in the US at least, a large number of people believe homelessness (and unemployment) is entirely a moral failing instead of a complex set of circumstances that are sometimes out of your control.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Not only in the US. Empathy is rare nowadays.

by gerdapagac 1 day ago

This 100%.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

"That want ever be me!"

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I don't think anyone minds a few homeless folks but in some areas it becomes more than the libraries are really set up to handle. Like if the place is just always full it's not really functioning as a library anymore.

by cierra70 1 day ago

I can imagine it's very difficult on the staff who run the libraries to see it around them.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I think the library should be a resource for everyone, until that starts becoming abused by anyone regardless of their housing status. Homeless people who come to read, research, charge devices, just get out of bad weather are not the problem. People, (who largely APPEAR to be homeless, but plenty aren't) that look up soft porn on the library computers, have meltdowns, set up camp and sleep, or ask guests for money should be asked to leave or even banned

by raleigh79 1 day ago

I've never seen a homeless person read at the library. They are usually sleeping, watching porn, or doing something random. Do shelters not exist as "lifelines"?

by Jailyn87 1 day ago

I've never seen a homeless person read at the library. if you go to libraries a lot, you probably have. they just dont look stereotypically homeless. you're only noticing the people whose appearance makes it obvious they are homeless.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Usually the homeless I see are reading the paper in a chair or at a table. I've seen and heard of some depraved stuff happening there but that's not the majority experience

by HeadAd 1 day ago

They mentioned kicking out time. Some shelters are only overnight but you need someplace to go if you aren't working. Libraries are one of the few free places you can just sit and exist while awake.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

As someone who works at the library, a lot of housed people aren't reading here either. People come to print, use the computers, enjoy the air conditioning, study, whether they are homeless or not.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Where I live shelters are not open during the day.

by Meaghan87 1 day ago

No, not really. Shelters are notoriously abusive, either through destroying belongings, not letting people stay for longer periods of times, forcing people to go cold turkey with drugs and not providing proper care which is extremely, extremely dangerous [withdrawal kills], or literally banning sexual minorities [happens most in religious shelters].

by Anonymous 1 day ago

What solution would you like to see regarding drugs?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Same in my city, but I wouldn't blame them because there is not another single place where they can go. I blame the city for not providing a roof or shelter for them

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Yeah, that's the problem. When there's no real solutions being sought, that's when we end up with situations like this

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Are they done shooting up in Denver and boulder libraries now? Hugely disappointed in boulder when I went a few years ago

by Anonymous 1 day ago

They are not done with that.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Not sure! This was 2019.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Well glad you made it out of homelessness. Assuming that happened

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Same for Bremerton. I want to fund the public libraries here but they have turned into homeless shelters and I don't feel safe in what was once a safe space to bring kids

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Even 10 years ago, I could reliably take my kid to the children's section in Portland libraries but it got dicey a few times (with homeless men stalking us through the stacks) when I brought him with me to look for books for myself.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I work at the library and serve a large homeless population. Yes there are people with mental illness and addiction and that can be a challenge, but the most challenging patrons to me are not the homeless ones in my day to day. Libraries are one of the only free places in a crumbling society. A place for free WiFi and free AC. We have homeless patrons that come in every single day that I've built a relationship with. I would miss them if they did not feel welcome anymore. It's nice to be able to make someone's life better, even if just for a little while.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Love this and I adore your take. You're a good person Blue.

by Odd-Time-8906 1 day ago

Certainly. I have never been on the side of refusing homeless people just because they are homeless. As long as they are following the same social contract as the other library users. The issue begins when things become uncleanly.

by Ok-Measurement-1494 1 day ago

Think about the poor librarians! You literally need a masters degree in the US to become one… only to deal with mentally unstable drug addicted people with no interest in books…

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Very interesting, in what ways do libraries mitigate this issue typically?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

My wife is a librarian and I have met many librarians. OPs experience is pretty uncommon. From what I hear, asshole teenagers are ubiquitous

by Anonymous 1 day ago

My dad is a 70 year old librarian and he's counting down the days until he retires

by Anonymous 1 day ago

To be fair, it's the "normal" people too that are sometimes a mess.

by Ill-Key 1 day ago

This made me laugh out loud for real. Well done! So true.

by goodwinpascale 1 day ago

Omg exactly. So out of touch and ignorant quite frankly. The irony is that they think we're ignorant! Lol.

by ornjaquelin 1 day ago

Yeah this is a valid opinion but OPs issue is with the government, not the people just trying to survive.

by Disastrous-Video 1 day ago

Was coming here to say this. Homeless people are in an impossible situation - there is no where they are just allowed to exist outside of places like libraries. When we present people with few options, we can't fault them for using one of the few options availalbe.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Lots of librarians agree with you

by Tasty_Reindeer 1 day ago

Yeah, I feel the same and I hate it. Haven't been back since a guy followed me around and stared at me the entire time I tried to work quietly.

by Responsible_Wave 1 day ago

Libraries can and should kick people out for bad behavior. However they should allow the homeless in, but can forbid begging or stinking or whatever.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Begging and stinking are the least of the problems that homeless bring to the library. Try open drug use and patron/employee harassment due to unchecked mental illness.

by Least_Principle1902 1 day ago

They can be kicked out for any of that. They just need to call the police and trespass them. I volunteer in a public library.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Older drug addicts/criminals/sex offenders are usually products of the very trauma you speak of. But unfortunately the older one gets, the less effective interventions tend to be.

by ProfessionalJob422 1 day ago

"Going through mind-breaking and soul-crushing trauma sucks. However, don't you dare do (logical by-products and consequences of mind-breaking and soul-crushing trauma."

by Jaedenweimann 1 day ago

"Bum love triangle" could mean two different things depending on whether you're American or British/Commonwealth.

by maximuskris 1 day ago

Lack of social funding and lack of community programming to support homeless people had ruined the library for you, not the people themselves. This is a government issue.

by Bryanafriesen 1 day ago

It's not a choice to be homeless but it's a choice to harass people in a public library. Especially when a lot of them don't take no for an answer.

by Fit-Raise 1 day ago

Money doesn't solve homelessness. California spent $24b between 2018-2023 and homelessness increased by 30k during that time.

by samsonreinger 1 day ago

Because money going towards something doesn't just solve it. It's what the money is actually spent on and used for.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Same with WA and OR. We are missing something.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Houston has a program that actually works. They first hive them free homes (that are completely theirs) and they set up their lives and metal health help from there. I hope our tool mayor here in nyc doesn't win his second term because the candidate want will implement this program.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

California spent 24 billion on band aids for homelessness. California has tried nothing to actually solve it. The solution is so to build housing. But that's not something people in California want to hear.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Come to Portland, they spend hundreds of millions a year giving out free tents and needles. Totally fixed the problem /s.

by Early-Ad 1 day ago

Not true. There is funding and community programming everywhere. Maybe not as much as there should be, but the bulk of homeless folks who loiter in public places have already been linked with tons of services designed to help them. There are tons of dedicated workers who do amazing things to help the homeless. But many of these folks refuse their meds, continue to use drugs and are unable to adhere to rules in community housing settings.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Having worked in social services in my area, this is false. Hundreds of people were asking for services that our government just wouldn't fund. Addiction, mental health, and disability services are incredibly difficult to get in to.

by Ok_Cupcake_1360 1 day ago

While not homeless (or at least not homeless on the streets) my old friend became a heroine addict during the opioid epidemic. They wanted help but only could find minimal help that never truly did anything. I remember they asked me to help look up rehabs in the state they could go to. They were on government insurance and literally no rehab took it. It makes me furious. Eventually they ended up in prison. The prison has a rehab program and therapy. And when you get out of prison they assign you a therapist. They said going to prison is the best thing that ever happened to them because it was the only way they got access to the help they need.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Most of the supports are not long-term, though. Which is another issue in itself. Which results in no stability, which is why they usually don't work.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

They're kicked out of homeless shelters during the day, where are they supposed to go? Private businesses will have them kicked out for loitering.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

A lack of policing by staff and police is what is wrong. The library is there for a reason. If you're not using it as a library, you don't belong there. There homeless shelters and facilitys available. The library is not a homeless shelter.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Homeless shelters often only allow people in during meals and at night

by Anonymous 1 day ago

The government cant fix homelessness no matter how much tax payer money they throw at it.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Define fix, we could certainly reduce it and provide better services for those that still find themselves homeless…. ‘Government can't fix it' ok? So what, just ignore it? The that'll certainly help!

by Sweaty_Jellyfish 1 day ago

you definitely can't fix homelessness, but you can relieve the issue significantly with the right funding.

by Solid_Package 1 day ago

California has poured 24 billion dollars over 5 years into fixing homelessness and guess which state still has the highest number of homeless people?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Makes sense. I'd rather be homeless in February in California than North Dakota.

by Andresherman 1 day ago

California also has the highest population of people so that is expected. Who has the highest PERCENTAGE of homeless? (I genuinely don't know)

by Anonymous 1 day ago

California also has crazy housing expenses. I remember watching an interview with a woman that was a professor but was homeless in California. I have a friend that lives there that is semi popular on the internet. I remember on a live someone asked them what they would do if they got a million dollars. They chuckled and said that's just a month's rent here so I'd need a lot more then a million to do something.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

They can fix it by legislating boundaries on the manipulation of the market. But they won't, as it's lining many of their pockets as well.

by alexandria82 1 day ago

68% of U.S. cities report that addiction is a their single largest cause of homelessness. Source Agree that there needs to be better antitrust legislation, but it's not the primary cause of homelessness.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

There has never been more social funding and programs.

by Agreeable_Spirit2607 1 day ago

Personally, I don't think you should feel guilty for this opinion as long as you support funding better places for them to go

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I have no empathy for someone jerking off at the library

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Agreed. Sounds like communities with crosses on a lot of their buildings should help more.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

And the public transit. And the malls. And the parks.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

maybe it is time for us to do something about homelessness

by Anonymous 1 day ago

My mom works at one and It makes me nervous that there is not security when you have a staff of majority women > 50 years old. Whenever she has an issue with them (looking at porn on the computer in the children's section, making threats, or won't leave) she has to call the main downtown location and wait for them to dispatch the police and then they are usually gone by the time the police get there. Might just be a "my city" thing but I'd be a whole lot more okay with it if there was security protecting the staff on the premises.

by Corenehalvorson 1 day ago

Maybe there's a homelessness problem then...

by Brycen22 1 day ago

"lack of support and services for the homeless have ruined public libraries" -FIFY

by bfeil 1 day ago

I'm gonna assume this isn't a problem for 95% of libraries. This just feels like a problem specific to your library.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Perhaps you are right, but they are right on the money for my cities downtown library.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

It's a problem for basically all libraries. You just notice it in larger cities because there's more homeless

by Level_Carpet_9477 1 day ago

Every library in my county has this problem. I had an art show once and the man setting up my artwork was walking over homeless people because there are so many. Only art show where only 2 people came and they didn't stay long because of it.

by liliana25 1 day ago

Most libraries have homeless people but most of them don't behave how op described because they didn't want to get kicked out.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Homeless People Have Ruined Public Libraries Late Stage Capitalism Has Ruined Public Libraries Fixed it

by ProfessionalJob422 1 day ago

Not unpopular at all. Even the most liberal and progressive librarians lose their patience when having to deal with so many homeless people. And if they were simply looking for a roof over their heads during the day, it could be tolerable. But they often cause disruption and harass other customers and employees.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

That sounds like a very specific local issue. "Libraries" covers a lot of places. There are 2.8 million libraries in the world, are you asserting that all of them are overrun with homeless people? Because I was just at my local library in the last few days and didn't see any homeless people.

by Charming-Fox9063 1 day ago

As others have pointed out, you probably did see homeless at your library, they were just behaving themselves and didn't appear typically homeless. I would assume this is a pretty standard problem in US libraries. My local library (one of many in a large city) has certainly deteriorated in in the last decade over the increase in homeless. People in tattered clothes nodding off in their chairs, spreading garbage on the floor, and wandering around the place screaming.

by Meaghan87 1 day ago

Society has failed so many of us, especially the homeless

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Says a lot more about your own municipal services that the only place homeless people can go is the libraries. Homeless people aren't ruining anything, the complete lack of public services in your area are.

by Significant-You9741 1 day ago

It sucks to lose public spaces but imagine how much it sucks to be homeless.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Not unpopular

by Anonymous 1 day ago

all public infrastructure has taken on this burden. these are symptoms of a deeper systemic problem. there is a bus in SF that runs 24 hours, its nickname "Hotel 22" because at night its just a de facto homeless shelter on wheels.

by Anonymous 23 hours ago

You mean the public jack-off emporium?

by Anonymous 23 hours ago

You should see what they're doing in hospitals. Imagine this, you take your child to the hospital and while you wait you have someone either high off their ass screaming or shooting up/smoking in the bathroom.

by Chance-Cat 22 hours ago

There are a lot of good homeless people. Some bad but majority are just living their lives and staying in the shadows. I work at a library as security. I got to know many and have good relationships, heck I just bought a pencil drawn art picture from a guy yesterday. Some have problems but majority are just trying to get thru the day. So no they did not ruin public libraries as my library is busier than ever including homeless people.

by Anonymous 22 hours ago

Libraries are sanctuaries for people in need. Libraries should always be open to the homeless and less fortunate. There should also be standards, if someone is harassing others, that's not great, but if they're just existing there, then that's part of the function of a library, to help people in need get services.

by chandler01 22 hours ago

I miss the quiet, clean areas and air. I don't understand how we have given them such a pass in our society.

by DiligentRecording726 22 hours ago

Yeah man. The people sleeping on the streets have it made. /s

by Thurmanmorar 21 hours ago

You aren't wrong, but being annoyed at the homeless for going to one of the few public spaces available to them is misguided. Instead be annoyed by a system that doesn't provide any resources to help the homeless.

by Hairy-Yak 21 hours ago

That's not been my experience with the library in D.C, I go reasonably often and there are plenty of homeless but they seem to just mind their business. Idk if the library police told them they'll be kicked out if they go around asking for money or if it's just an unspoken understanding they have with the librarians.

by Anonymous 21 hours ago

My town library is actually very nice. The have movie rentals and an outstanding comic book collection. I should probably make use of it more.

by lconroy 21 hours ago

If I was homeless I'd also go somewhere air conditioned with free water and bathrooms.

by Anonymous 20 hours ago

I have police stationed full time in my local library.. for this reason.

by pollichmaxie 20 hours ago

Our libraries have cops as security, so while we have transient folk in the libraries, they don't fall asleep and pester anyone. We also have bathroom attendants, so our library bathrooms are really clean, and they have a strict no bathing policy. Honestly, if God forbid I ever were homeless, the library would be the best place to go for access to all the resources and safety, so I get it.

by Tzulauf 20 hours ago

Well don't worry. Trump is going to throw them in the Garbage. Which I'm sure you've heard..strange timing 😏

by Practical-Vehicle 19 hours ago

They've ruined entire cities

by Front-Assumption 19 hours ago

The world is as funny as it is horrible and it turns for all, not just thee.

by Anonymous 19 hours ago

I think the problem is that we allow the problem to exist by simply not funding enough programs to help them or shelter them. Homelessness is a problem that we manufacture, and then we get mad at the people for existing. There currently exists today enough housing for each of those people to have their own spot but we simply would rather keep them on the street as punishment and warning to others. I'm not criticizing you for feeling the way that you do. Houseless people can cause legitimate problems in public spaces. I'm just saying that public transit, parks, libraries, and streets would be far more enjoyable if we got over ourselves and gave them the adequate help they need.

by Anonymous 18 hours ago

Here is a follow up unpopular opinion: I support trump to evict homeless out of all major cities, not just Washington DC.

by UnitedPilot 18 hours ago

We live in a society where working hard has little value. It isn't about being lazy. Drug addiction, maybe - mental health issues, likely. But lazy? You can work your ass off and get nowhere.

by mackbalistreri 18 hours ago

It's not a myth, sadly. It's a common thing nowadays.

by mackbalistreri 17 hours ago

The absolute lowest level of society the homeless person has absolutely no power, they are not the bad guys

by mike95 17 hours ago

That's the thing about free public spaces. Anyone can use them.

by Lost_Country_1125 17 hours ago

Let me fix this, "Cities that have eliminated places for people to be without having to pay to be there have forced people seeking relief from inclement weather to take over the public library." I live in Philadelphia, I use the public library, I understand how uncomfortable this is. Blaming unhoused people takes the city off the hook for providing better services.

by Mammoth-Virus 17 hours ago

We will blame everything on the homeless before accepting and acknowledging we are closer to their position than far. Libraries that support the unhoused and provide resources like: computer help, interview prep, AN ADDRESS TO MAIL THINGS TO, and so much more. It's apparent you've never used the library beyond checking out books because they have ALWAYS been there to help those with little or nothing at all.

by Anonymous 16 hours ago