Urban library or homeless shelter?

April 23, 2014

This morning on NPR, Steve Shafer reported on the decision by the administration at the San Francisco library to have a full-time social worker SF-Public-Library-Mainon staff to work with the library’s homeless patrons. As program host Steve Inskeep said in his introduction, “whether they like it or not, libraries in some cities serve as homeless shelters. People come off the streets to find quiet and warmth. If libraries want to do something about this, they have some choices: They can put homeless visitors back out on the street. San Francisco libraries want to get them back on their feet.”

Listen to the full story, and note the printed version’s listener comments for some thought-provoking responses.

Barbara L.


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