The Homeless, Public Libraries, and Outreach Services

Abstract

The problem of homelessness in the United States is very complex. Speaking of the homeless as a homogeneous population is problematic. It is much more useful to focus on the varying sub- populations such as homeless men, women, teenagers, families, etc., and then develop services. As many homeless persons are not library users, outreach programs may gar ner a wider audience, an audience that really needs what publ i c libraries offer to in-house patrons. Attitudes are important in determining how information providers behave towards the homeless, and analyzing our feelings and definitions o f the deserving and undeserving poor is a useful exercise in exposing any previously unrecognized biases. We can then determine if these attitudes are preventing us from serving a specific class of users, which is contrary to the ALA Code of Ethics (Pauline Abidde).