EP028: Libraries are for everyone
How to listen on my device? Episode transcript is available here
In every city and town across America, our libraries are loved. I know I smile to myself every time I come through the entry doors of the main branch in downtown Seattle or any one of the other neighborhood branches. I think it’s connected to knowing ahead of time that I’m entering into a special place, similar to walking into a church, or a museum.
Common to these spaces is that there are rules of conduct, ones that ask us to be respectful of others. I’m guessing a good many of our listeners, at one time or another when growing up and visiting the library, were told they were being too loud, that they were disturbing others. By the time we are adults, we know most of these rules of conduct without being told.
For people experiencing homelessness, libraries have always been sanctuaries. They provide shelter from inclement weather and access to water and a bathroom. More recently they offer use of the internet and a place to charge devices. For many, maybe most importantly, they are a safe place to be. A place where they are welcome. As the number of people struggling on our streets increases, this has put a strain on our library systems. We wanted to know how they were navigating the complexities of this issue. I think you are going to be surprised by what we found out!
Excerpt from the episode
I come here every day and do this. And I'm still astounded daily at just how complicated things really are and how the view that you might have when you look at something initially is probably wrong. It's not giving the complexity of people's real life situations, the attention or the merit that it deserves, right?
You might see somebody and be like, Why don't they go to a shelter, right? And then if you dig a little bit deeper, it's because, oh, maybe there's not a shelter that's available, or maybe that person has an animal with them that they love, and they can't take that animal into shelter with them, so you're asking them to choose between being sheltered and being with their companion.
Anytime you find yourself thinking of an easy answer to a question, to pause and be like, I bet it's more complicated than I'm giving it credit for. What is it that would make somebody not accept shelter if it were offered to them? And then how does that then point you towards actions that we could be doing as a society, as an institution, as a city, as a government, whatever it is, what could we be doing differently to make options that are more reflective of what people are actually facing and the complexities of their life and the nuances of their needs so that we can collectively do what it is that we want to do, which is care for each other better, right? I want to believe that. I really do.
-Laura Harrington
Laura Harrington - Senior Community Resource Specialist for Seattle Public Library
Seattle Central Public Library