Libraries and the homeless
By Melanie Gomez
Unfortunately in today's society, “23 out of every 10,000 Americans — 771,480 people — experience homelessness” (USAFacts 2025). Many people don't realize that libraries are frontlines of the homelessness crisis. How so? you may ask. Libraries play a crucial role in supporting people experiencing homelessness by providing safe spaces, access to resources, programs, and a range of helpful services. Libraries are considered a place where people experiencing homelessness can escape cruel weather, utilize public restrooms, access Wi-Fi & computers, and even connect with essential community resources.
Libraries also often partner with organizations that provide additional support to the homeless, such as hygiene kits, food, and information about housing & social services. The following picture shows The Public Library District of Columbia providing the homeless with a food bank service.
Many libraries even “serve the professional needs of the homeless by offering programs that help patrons develop and hone skills to re-enter the workforce” (Roy 2014). It’s important to recognize and understand the expanding roles libraries have to meet the needs of their vulnerable patrons (Garner 434). By providing safe spaces, resources, and partnerships, libraries help address some of the challenges of homelessness and create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all. So how can we be a part of this change? We can support libraries in helping homelessness by donating, volunteering, advocating for supportive library programs, and by partnering with community organizations.
Here is a link that provides librarians with resources that can help people experiencing homelessness.
If you haven't already, I definitely recommend watching the movie, “The Public,” as it is an eye opening and realistic depiction of some issues libraries face in working with people experiencing homelessness
*Watch “The Public” trailer here*
THE PUBLIC Official Trailer | In Theaters Everywhere April 5
Work cited
Garner, Jane. “Public Libraries and People Experiencing Homelessness: The
Experiences and Attitudes of Library Users.” Journal of Library Administration, Taylor & Francis, Mar. 2025, pp. 1–14, https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2025.2475703. Accessed 8 May 2025.
Roy, Mantra. “Public Libraries: A Haven to the Homeless.” WebJunction, 28 July
2014, www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/public-libraries-a-haven-to-the-homeless.html. Accessed 1 May 2025.
USAFacts. “How Many Homeless People Are in the US? What Does the Data
Miss?” USAFacts, 28 Feb. 2025, usafacts.org/articles/how-many-homeless-people-are-in-the-us-what-does-the-data-miss/. Accessed 8 May 2025.
WebJunction. “Resources for Helping Unhoused Patrons.” WebJunction,
WebJunction, 10 Nov. 2022, www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/resources-for-helping-unhoused-patrons.html. Accessed 8 May 2025.
No comments:
Post a Comment