The fact of the matter is there are as many different types of homeless as there are in any other type of group, as LiMieux himself points out. Too often, in the noble effort to be compassionate and to serve all, we entertain the notion that the homeless are merely victims of a cold and cruel society who are being underserved by the public library system(s).

During my 12 years at the library where I work, I’ve helped people locate lost relatives, get social services, get enrolled in school, fill out job applications and copy edit resumes. I’ve forgiven fines, handed out cash (my own, not the library’s), and purchased toiletries and clean clothing for some of the patrons. I’ve bent rules, allowed people to bring in “service animals” (that are obviously not) and catered to the whims of people who seemingly only know how to acquire what they want through intimidation. And every day, I have to be a diplomat, arbitrating childish squabbles at the Internet terminals where our regulars sit all day playing games and watching videos.

My experiences are hardly unique and every staff member I know can tell similar stories of the lengths to which they’ve gone to serve all our patrons.

While I agree, wholeheartedly, that we must combat classism, racism and sexism wherever we find it, we must also accept that people who aren’t mentally ill or disabled are usually responsible for the predictable consequences of their actions. And in the case of way, way, way too many homeless patrons, those actions include abuse of the staff and other patrons and a complete disregard for the needs of others.

No one wants to believe, especially me, that many homeless patrons are happy living the life they do. But the fact of the matter is many of them are perfectly content to spend their days watching music videos and playing games on the computers, while other patrons, anxiously looking for a job or social services, must wait while someone finishes their umpteenth game of Magic Diamonds.

I don’t begrudge the money they make panhandling (which, according to several of the homeless patrons I’ve spoken with, regularly nets them a few hundred dollars a day), nor do I necessarily begrudge anyone for poor hygiene, sleeping or bathing in the restroom. I don’t even resent Richard LiMieux who, by his own admission, was a successful businessman with a country club membership and “a beautiful home on the water, boats, cars, hot tubs and exotic vacations.”

I do, however, resent anyone who feels entitled to treat staff and other patrons with contempt. I do resent the guy who bled all over me (as I was pulling him off a security guard) which led to months of worry and Hep B shots.

And I resent the homeless who circulated the petitions to cut public workers’ pay, benefits and pensions. Thanks in part to their dutiful efforts, new hires in our city will not receive a pension and all city workers have their pay frozen for a total of eight years.

That said, will I continue to treat all patrons with the same respect, dignity and level of service I’ve always provided? Of course. Will I ever feel guilty because, ostensibly, library staff don’t do enough for the homeless? Never.

Kenneth William Williment, It Takes a Community to Create a Library

Brian Campbell, Community-led Libraries Toolkit

“Library officials like Director ************** are quick to say that it’s not homelessness, but behavior, that is the issue.”

Actually, homelessness itself IS the issue and we need to engage institutions to develop successful community partnerships that actually serve the homeless instead of address the “problem” through design or policy.

As I read it, I found myself raising objections. They felt realistic, grounded in the difficult decisions anyone in charge of a budget must make. And then, as I kept reading, you addressed each one of them.

You’re right. What we need to commit to is clear. We also need to understand that, as with other commitments such as Freedom to Read, making the commitment is just the first of many important steps.

Since we like to think systematically here at In the Library with the Lead Pipe, I’ll make two suggestions for some systematic changes that I think would lead to useful changes in library culture.

1. I’d like to see a library school establish a dual-masters degree program with a school of social work. My sister has a social work degree (and, coincidentally, she works at Project H.O.M.E.), as does my wife. As a library director, I’d love to hire a well trained librarian who also had a social worker’s training, orientation, and skills.

2. I’d like to see prominent funders — IMLS or Gates-level funders — sponsor initiatives to study and package the kinds of programs that are working well, such as the ones you mention above. Libraries are really good at collaborating and information sharing, though it seems we often do best when we have great working models to copy.

Thank you for all your posts, this helps put everything into perspective.