However, I think partnerships with local agencies in the form of information and mutual assistance can help mitigate the circumstances.

Part of what public (and to a lesser extent, academic) librarians have to deal with are these situations. I am 110% for keeping a public library public. I am very aware of the “smells, sounds and behaviors” that potentially attend working here, but we HAVE to remain friendly to the public-whoever they are. After all, they are our bread and butter. There are fewer places for the maginalized to feel welcome and I hope we always remain one of them.

BTW, at the risk of being callous or trite, no one is making a library employee work there and if you know part of what you will experience includes some potentially offensive behaviors because it is a PUBLIC library, one ought to be capable of making a sound decision on whether or not you can handle it.

It aint for everone…

BOCA PROPOSAL A STEP IN OFFENSIVE DIRECTION
Sun-Sentinel – January 17, 1999
Author: JOHN GROGAN Commentary

THE SCENT OF FEAR SILENCES STINK BAN – PROTESTS SQUASH SMELLY -PATRON ORDINANCE
Sun-Sentinel – January 14, 1999
Author: JILL ROSEN Staff Writer

TWO WORLDS COLLIDE – BEHIND THE LIBRARY BANS IS THE STORY OF TWO PEOPLE. A WOMAN ON A MISSION TO RETRIEVE WHAT SHE BELIEVES IS HER LOST LOVE AND MONEY. AND, A MAN ON A QUEST TO ESCAPE WHAT HE TERMS HER HARASSMENT.
Sun-Sentinel – May 7, 1999
Author: DIEGO BUNUEL Staff Writer

BOCA TABLES PROPOSAL GOVERNING APPEARANCE, BODY ODOR AT LIBRARY
The Palm Beach Post – January 13, 1999
Author: Seth Mnookin ; Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

CITY CONSIDERS HYGIENE STANDARDS FOR LIBRARY SOME RESIDENTS OPPOSE THE PROPOSAL THAT TARGETS A HOMELESS WOMAN.
Tallahassee Democrat (FL)Tallahassee Democrat (FL) – January 12, 1999
Author: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CITY RAISES STINK OVER ODOROUS LIBRARY PATRONS
Vero Beach Press Journal (FL) – January 12, 1999
Author: The Associated Press

WILL BOCA BAN BO? COUNCIL TO CONSIDER LIBRARY HYGIENE RULE
The Palm Beach Post – January 11, 1999
Author: Seth Mnookin ; Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

The lady I mentioned is an exceptional case. By that, I mean she smelled like something from another world. I have never experience anything like her and I hope I never do again. I didn’t think it was possible for anyone to smell that bad. I don’t think an “odor” should be grounds for banishment, but after experiencing her, I can honestly say, that there needs to be some kind of limit. I think the Court doesn’t know how to set this limit and that’s why they took the stance they did, it has to be quantifiable and there aren’t any Smell-O-Meters available tat I know of like there are sound level meters.

Page made an argument based on the harm that can be done to other sensory organs but not to the nose. This isn’t logically congruent. We don’t necessarily want people to keep the noise level down so that others aren’t harmed, we do it so that people aren’t “disturbed.” And I submit that smells can be just as disturbing as any other sensation and, therefore, need to be considered when considering other patrons library experience.

That said, legal precedent is already here it ain’t good. Throw someone out for smelling bad, and risk getting sued up the wazoo! How is this not sensory discrimination based on what I outlined above? Any sensory input can be disturbing, so how can we pick and choose excluding one sense over the others? Ugly people can’t help being ugly (whatever that means) and we can always look the other way… But some smells and sounds you can’t escape.

This is a good post… I don’t usually give anything online this much though or effort when I’m not working. Well Done!

An important related issue is that many people are homeless because they’re unemployed. They need access to computers to search for jobs. But many libraries won’t let them use their computers if they don’t have a permanent address, or will let them use them for only for a brief time, such as minutes. How can anybody do a resume, write letters and do the other things you need to do to search for a job in 15 minutes a day?

It is my understanding that the courts have upheld the right of libraries to bar the homeless from using computers, or put severe restrictions on this. And I see why libraries need to have limits on computer use.

But it seems to me that a lot of homeless are trapped. They’re homeless because they’re jobless, and they’re jobless because they’re homeless (and don’t have the means to do an effective search). Thanks for your post.
Jan Harayda
One-Minute Book Reviews
http://www.oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/

1) You could smell as soon as she rolled into the building no matter where you were in the building.

2) While you were subjected to her at a close proximity, your eyes would actually water, and you needed to take shallow breaths or you would feel physically ill.

and,

3) After she left, you could actually “taste” her for the rest of the day. It was a kind of gritty dirt-like coating. I thought that I was the only one effected in this way, until my coworkers told me the same thing.

Anyway, my point being is that, when smell gets to a certain level it’s assault. I would bet money that any judge exposed to the woman I mentioned above for any length of time whatsoever would call it assault. In fact, the cops often wouldn’t arrest her for things they should have (disorderly conduct) because she was so disgusting they didn’t want to be with her in their squad cars.

I’m fairly certain that I have PTSD from being exposed to this lady. Now, whenever I smell potting soil I have flashbacks… I wish I was joking about this.

At my library there is a homeless man who comes in almost every day, usually for a couple of hours. He keeps to himself and I’m fine with that. When he’s at the computer nearest my desk, though, his odor is–shall we say–*pungent*.

However, I don’t want to kick him out, so I usually either suffer with the smell or find some work to do away from my desk. If a patron complains–and no one has yet–I can ask him to leave, but since he’s not hurting anyone, I just let him be.