Mark_Ockerbloom's Blog

Mark,

I agree with you completely!

I have been to public library's in a few towns/citys where I find not only homeless people, but rude, obnoxious kids/gangsters acting up very loudly and the librarians are too scared to say something. I spoke up on more than one occasion, sometimes it worked other times I got into a stand-off. Security? Absolutely!!

BPLers are too much on the defense so routinely that it turns and can appear as provocative and baiting, or actually be so.

A guide to problematical library use needs to be developed that responds to the major and minor difficulties that inevitably happen for BPLusers.

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Consider greeting everyone or as many people as possible around the buildings.

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Develop a greater variety of mechanisms for BPLusers to submit feedback, suggestions and questions, for example evaluation forms about your experience at the lib or about your Reference Desk transaction at the lib.

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Provide the lib's custodial services with better equipment, tools, materials that are fragrance free nontoxic to people's respiratory systems.

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Maintain sanitary lavatories more frequently and respond immediately to reports for cleanup that occur. Using the lavatories is discouraging, even intimidating.

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Develop a public forum at the lib's website http://bpl.org that users might discuss their experiences at the lib and offer their own hints, tips and pointers along with library professionals' responses.

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In the lib's buildings make available public bulletin boards that are more convenient, rather than the displaced bulletin board off on a far away inconvenient wall.

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Put floor by floor building directories at the entrance and on the lib's website http://bpl.org listing the floor, the departments on the floor and the titles of the department head, curators titles or their names as they would like.

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Offer BPLers opportunities to list their curatorial collections, areas of exper

Mark,
I'm going to have to disagree, and I really feel that instead of an ID, what we need to do
is stop passifing,these criminals,perverts,and whatever.
What we need to do is put our feet down and stand up for ourselves,instead of just bowing down.
This is getting to be a joke, next thing will be an ID to get onto the beach.
The "fearless leaders" we have put in office need to start working for us,instead of doing what's best for themselves.

thezak, The list you lay out was somewhat reasonable to I got to fragrance free environment and clean toilets. When you think of homeless people a little fragrance may help. I don't want to be turned away because I smell like the soap I may have just showered with. Speaking of which, I have seen many a person, (including the occasional business man) washing and brushing their teeth in public bathrooms. And again I don't quite get how a fragrance free person and clean toilet will cut down on crime. A men or women can bop you on the head with or without $100 perfume.

I love to read however I seldom go to a library.. unless my internet is down and I need to check my email.

On this subject, I dont think its right to show ID. There is a reason its called a PUBLIC LIBRARY. What are we going to do have a VIP Library? Libraries are quiet places and you'll hear if some is getting attacked. Thats when you put the library in a lockdown (like a bank does) when the perp leaves call the athourites right away to get fingerprints. Im sure there are cops in the vicinity.