Infopeople Webcast
Homeless People in the Library: Legal Issues
What are the legal rights of homeless library users? What policies are legally permissible for libraries to make? What does the law have to say about balancing the needs and preferences of homeless users with the needs and preferences of your other library customers and staff? In D.C., a homeless man sued a public library, its board of trustees, director, and individual employees, claiming that the library's policy violated his free speech and due process rights. Tune in to this webcast to see how the court ruled.
We will also look at library policies on issues such as solicitation, harassment, bedrolls, and odor, as well as the positive role that libraries can serve by providing homeless users with literacy services, referrals, email, and library cards.
Handouts
- Speaker's slides:
- Speaker's Handouts:
- Agenda and Key Resources doc (Word) 120kb pdf (Acrobat) 28kb
- Just a Little Understanding: A Social-Service Provider's Perspective on Homeless Library Users by John Gehner and Kali Freeman, Monday September 19, 2005
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