Fascinating article. I used to periodically give free classes at a few of the libraries in my area, and I've always been amazed at the empathy and drive of the staff members. The fact that many...
Fascinating article.
I used to periodically give free classes at a few of the libraries in my area, and I've always been amazed at the empathy and drive of the staff members. The fact that many libraries have pivoted to becoming social service centers, mental health refuges, and safe harbors for people in crisis is a testament to the quality of the people who run them and to the callousness of those whose policies drive that need in the first place.
On the other hand, when I am selfish and really just want to be surrounded by books, I have drive to a nearby university library. A worthy tradeoff.
Every library branch in every city has its own specific issues, but in conversations with workers across the country, the broad strokes of the crisis are the same. Librarians say they’re seeing more people with more complex needs than ever before. In Toronto, the number of recorded “incidents,” a term which includes violent, disruptive, or threatening events, spiked from 7.16 per 100,000 visits in 2012 to 35.74 in 2021. In Edmonton, where librarians are offered training to administer naloxone, 2022 saw ninety-nine opioid poisonings across the system. On Vancouver Island, some workers went on strike for nearly two months over workplace concerns and a lack of wage growth. In a letter to library trustees, they argued that “management has refused to agree to many important proposals—including solutions to workplace violence and mental health impacts.” Library workers across the country report being attacked, spat on, threatened, sexually assaulted. They describe the emotional toll that results from not having the necessary resources to help the people who come to them, day after day. They talk about picking up the phone to call for help and realizing that nobody’s coming.
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These problems aren’t unique to libraries. In every public place, the evidence of a social welfare system that has been chipped away at for decades is on display. In early 2023, a series of violent incidents erupted on Toronto transit. The city’s response was simple: they threw police at the problem. If you barred a certain category of person from the bus, perhaps the larger systemic issues would take care of themselves.
For both ideological and practical reasons, libraries do not have that option. “We can’t lock the door, we’re for everyone. So that is the starting point,” says Åsa Kachan, CEO of Halifax Public Libraries (and chair of The Walrus’s Educational Review Committee). The library’s openness is the best thing about it, but it also creates inherent challenges. “The tension is between genuinely wanting to be a welcoming, open space for everyone. And then, at the same time, keeping staff safe,” says Stevenson.
Fascinating article.
I used to periodically give free classes at a few of the libraries in my area, and I've always been amazed at the empathy and drive of the staff members. The fact that many libraries have pivoted to becoming social service centers, mental health refuges, and safe harbors for people in crisis is a testament to the quality of the people who run them and to the callousness of those whose policies drive that need in the first place.
On the other hand, when I am selfish and really just want to be surrounded by books, I have drive to a nearby university library. A worthy tradeoff.
From the article:
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