<p>Have you noticed a change in who uses your local public library?</p>
<p>At mine, I see primarily stoners (who appeared to be stoned / high on something), homeless who need a place where they can stare off at nothing), and folks playing online gambling on the library computers. </p>
<p>I feel like with the advent of internet, fewer people go to the library for researching books, and it’s been a change in the typical library patron. </p>
<p>I have no issue with anyone - including destitute folks - reading and researching in a library. But I’m not thrilled at the half dozen people who sit and stare and do nothing. </p>
<p>But I’ve moved around a fair bit and don’t know if that change is more reflective of the town that I live in today.</p>
<p>Yes. Our downtown library has probably always had some of this type of population (either using the computers or more often, just dozing in chairs) but I have definitely noticed an increase in our neighborhood branch - in fact, our neighborhood branch now has a security guard at all times - in our location this kind of floors me. </p>
<p>I would also say because of the change in patrons, I have changed the library location that I usually visit because honestly I didn’t always feel comfortable in and around the parking lot of the one closest to my home - again, this is in a decent neighborhood.</p>
<p>Also there is a significant increase in the number of children there late in the afternoon. This is not a bad thing of course, but clearly these are children who come from the elementary down the street and wait at the library to be picked up by a parent after work - so, the library kind of becomes the latchkey - and most of the time, these kids are only using the computers. So…this is all still fine, but I still question the actually book checking out/usage with this increase in various “groups” of people.</p>
<p>Seattle built the most expensive homeless shelter in the US. Good luck even finding anything in that maze. I used to use the old one weekly. Have not gone in years as the new one is a disaster for actual library use.</p>
<p>At the branch I use, which I’m told is the busiest branch in the state, there’s a wide variety of people, from parents with small kids to seniors. Because you need a car to get there, it doesn’t attract the homeless. There are lectures, book discussions, childrens’ story times and various workshops on a daily basis. The biggest change over the last 10 years is that many of the patrons are there to use the computers, but since I don’t look over their shoulders, I have no idea if they’re gambling or wasting time in other ways. I do notice that the “hold” bookshelf, where you pick up books that you’ve reserved online, always seems to be filled (there are long waits for best sellers), and the parking lot is always full. Unfortunately, as the result of recent draconian budget cuts, each branch is closed a couple of days a week, which makes them especially crowded on the days they are open. During the lively debates that surrounded the decision to limit hours, one argument I never heard was that the change was justified by decreased usage.</p>
<p>Not at all in my suburban town. Our library is wonderful and our community actively supports it. They also offer wonderful programming for toddlers, young kids, tweens, adult and seniors. The library’s budget is voted on every year at the same time we vote on our school budget and it has never failed to pass in the 21 yrs I’ve lived here.</p>
<p>Definite change in our downtown library. I even find it a bit scary in the garage. I tend to go more as a tactical strike than to go as a place to hang out. It’s not just the library it is the loitering on the sidewalk outside the library to smoke. If I want to hang in a library I go to the University. It is also a public library but has enough of a different vibe that it isn’t as appealing to a lot of people, I think.</p>
<p>I’m not homeless, and I only use drugs as prescribed. I spend at least several hours a week sitting and staring and “doing nothing”. Sometimes (at least one hour a week) it is at my Quaker Meeting; other times, I am working on my next book. </p>
<p>There are more homeless people in my community these days, especially homeless veterans. Some of them go to the library to try to research their benefits. Others just “sit and stare and do nothing”. Others surf the web to read up on the latest weapons systems.</p>
<p>Excellent use of our library. I applaud any person who wants to research and learn more about anything, and would encourage everyone to use our library.</p>
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<p>I wouldn’t care if it was one or two people. But it was six last night. (there were 10 people in the library). And we have 4 chairs in my library, so two were sitting on the floor. One had almost fallen over. One lady who brought 10 bags with her and had then sitting ontop of books so I couldn’t look through the books. As I started to look at the books that were not covered with her bags, she made no motion to move any of the other bags…just stared off into space…so I carefully kept looking at the books that her bags weren’t covering.</p>
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<p>Again, great use of the library and I am not talking about people who use the library for what it has to offer.</p>
<p>When I lived in New York City a couple of decades ago, the local library was full of quite a few homeless people–and the staff were constantly going around to tell them that they couldn’t sleep. They could sit and stare, but they weren’t allowed to sleep. It certainly did make it difficult for anybody else to use the library, because they filled up the seats.</p>
<p>Oh, ours offers wonderful programming for all ages and resources galore too! It has many accolades in the state and nationally for usage,etc. But still, as said above, has had a population change and increased “loitering”.</p>
<p>I used to work in an urban public library 40 years ago and even then, we had some patrons who seemed poor or a bit off. The suburban branches did not see too much of this. It seems pretty much the same now.</p>
<p>Typically, homeless shelters don’t let residents stay there during the day. Libraries are open the public, are free, and have public rest rooms.</p>
<p>I live close to a county library that stays quite busy. I volunteer during “patron count” twice a year which entails making a mark for each man, woman, child that enters the door during an hour period. Obviously some hours are busier than others but families seem to be most prevalent. Computer use dominates during certain hours, so those times see a number of young adult to adult patrons.</p>
<p>I love this particular library. Most of the librarians stay up-to-the-minute on good book choices. (The children/young adult librarian served on the Newberry Award committee a few years back.) </p>
<p>Overall, I don’t hang around there so can’t comment too much about other patrons. I don’t think the library experiences too many problems. Perhaps the biggest complaints I’ve heard from the library staff revolves around parents who do not monitor their children. I do know some homeless take advantage of the cool air in the summer. I’ve also heard the head librarian gripe about having to tell someone - multiple times - to get off porn sites. Yes, the librarian restricts sites (pornography) as children roam the area and the homeless leave bags/shopping carts outside.</p>
<p>Only changes I’ve noticed in my local branches…whether it is the one in my old neighborhood or my current one in NYC is that patronage is now spread not only to books, but also multimedia like CDs, DVDs. </p>
<p>I’ve also noticed that the public libraries aren’t as quiet as they used to be…though they still do a good job of maintaining a reasonably quiet reading environment. </p>
<p>On the other hand, I’m disturbed by a noticeably increase in the volume of noise in the NYC area university libraries. </p>
<p>What’s with undergrads who fail to turn off their ringtones, laptop speakers, and/or chat on their cellphones as if they were on the street…and then cop an attitude with the university librarians/security staff when confronted and told to desist or take it outside?!! If undergrads tried that at those same libraries or at my undergrad’s library 10+ years ago…they’d not only be summarily booted out…but also punished by being barred from the library for a period for creating a disturbance and/or being brought before the judicial board for repeated offenses.</p>
<p>I utilize two libraries, one in an urban area and one in a rural area. the urban one has always had some homeless folks hanging out, but I haven 't seen any change in number in the 30 years i’ve been going there. Both libraries have massive library-type use from all generations, and many programs for everyone which are well attended.</p>
<p>Libraries are some of my absolute favorite places in the world.</p>
<p>Only a half dozen homeless? You must live someplace really poor. Our Barnes and Noble has more than a half dozen homeless. </p>
<p>Marijuana is legal where I live, so I am sure the library is full of stoners. We have a gorgeous library with great services, as well as a concert hall and art exhibits and movies and services for immigrants. It is also very hi-tech - at least a hundred computers.</p>
<p>The main library is in beautiful, natural surrounding, where all the stoners and eclectic types hang out. It is surrounded by beautiful outdoor art, including stone art somebody builds in the nearby creek. </p>
<p>There are 3 more smaller public libraries that are also full of people using job seeking services. Down the street from one of the libraries is a public recreation center, that opens early to let the stoners bathe - before the real people come to play. </p>