Here's a sobering article on an aspect of homelessness that I hadn't considered: public librarians are finding themselves increasingly involved in dealing with, and trying to care for, the chronically homeless. In many libraries, this is apparently a serious issue, as librarians with no particular experience in social work or counseling are called on to deal with situations well outside the boundaries of their training.
There are numerous political ideas and asides in the article that one might nitpick, but politics aside, I'm intrigued (and more than a bit horrified) by the larger picture painted here. Is this a situation you've noticed at your local library (or at other public buildings in your city)? If you work in a library and deal with this on a regular basis, I'd love to hear your comments.
The article makes little mention of local churches and ministries being involved--for most librarians, their only real option when faced with difficult situations involving the homeless is to call the police. If your church or ministry is actively involved with the homeless, have you considered offering to help out your local library with these situations? Can they call your church before they ring the police? If so, do they know that?
(Via Metafilter.)
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