If libraries were open late they would be filled with homeless people looking for a safe, warm place.
What I'm saying is we need safe warm places for the homeless AND libraries to be open late.
Truthfully, putting the homeless in a safe warm place that enables them to have access to a library at night sounds like a smart combo.
My local library has security guards because people keep shooting up heroin in the bathrooms.
This would exacerbate that
We should absolutely have safe housing for homeless people with UBI and transitional programs. We should also offer mental health and substance abuse treatment -- and in extreme cases humane involuntary treatment for people that are a danger to themselves and others.
And none of this should take place in shared, public spaces for the safety and dignity of everyone involved. This is a failure of society and needs to be treated as such. Placing the burden on individuals isn't the solution. Expecting public spaces designed for other uses to pick the slack of a broken societal safety net is insane.
that's a good point, we should also end the drug war
Homeless people usually don't have the peace of mind required for reading books, they are kinda busy surviving.
Crazy idea : let's use churches to accommodate homeless people since you can find them fucking everywhere, surely they're not used after 8pm, and that's basically the point of them in the first place, no?
As much as I despise organized religion they aren't fully to blame for the situation. Some of them have really made an effort.
Religion even at its very very best can't do that job. That is why we need the government.
That and stressed-out students pulling all-nighters.
BRING BACK THE THIRD PLACE
Examples of third places include churches, cafes, bars, clubs, community centres, public libraries, gyms, bookstores, makerspaces, stoops, and parks.
Gyms, stores, cafes, etc. aren't good third places because you're expected to pay money to be there
Well, first off, "free" is not a requirement for a 3rd place, but even if we accept that the best third places are free, that doesn't make ones where money is involved bad by default.
The difference is between paying admission or membership dues like gyms usually require vs a public space where there's an expectation you will buy something but it's not a requirement for entry, and it's not the only thing to do there.
Stores don't work because the purpose of being there is to buy things, so there's nothing else to do, and no other acceptable behavior beyond maybe some chit chat.
But at a cafe, the seating area is designed for you to just chill and do other things besides ponder what you're going to buy next. The seating areas are open and there's an expectation a purchase is made, but you can order nothing while a person with you orders something, or you can order something small and cheap, and get the same level of access as anyone. That's a very low barrier of entry for a place that is purpose made for social activity.
Same is true of bars. You need to buy something, sure, but the place is designed for social activity, not just reading the menu.
Gyms are absolutely not social places. The where you go if you want to be pissed off by everyone around you because they're hogging the equipment.
the death of 'third place' locations has had a brutal impact on society
There are still a ton of "third places" -- restaurants, bars, and coffee shops are everywhere. They just cost too much money for a lot of people.
In the UK they defunded youth centres. Whatever shady shit we used to get up to at those, it was in a safe-ish place which at least one responsible person not far away in the worst case. Our behaviour/activities outside of those places once they were gone, as bored youths in a town of middle age to old people, was much worse.
After a short while, the library owners would realize that they could make a lot more money if they served alcohol in the evenings.
Just throwing it out there: most libraries do have one late night day a week, there are probably a million people on earth right at this moment that would love to play a tabletop game with you or take a zoom class, every single area has clubs/associations/charities that would love some new faces.
Don't expect the universe to give you companionship. You need to do it yourself
You reap what you sow. you sow nothing you reap nothing.
well said.
I read something about the Carnegie libraries in Pittsburgh basically doing this way back when. Apparently it was popular for people to get off work, go home, clean up, eat, then head out to the library. There was stuff there for kids like story tellers, tutors, art workshops, and more. For adults, quiet places for people who just wanted to read, places for study, areas for people to discuss various subjects, classes on various skills (painting, pottery, carpentry, etc) and the ground floor main area had a general social space. They served coffee, food trucks set up outside, and some inside. It was a popular place for people who didn't want to go to the bar.
That's called a community centre and used to be pretty common. Growing up we had multiple that were run by the local Catholic organizations, and I think there were also some that were run by the youth branch of the various political parties.
But a key component of such a place being success is having a certain kind of open culture. There's countries where if you throw 10 strangers in a room and return an hour later, you'll find 10 strangers on their phone, having not uttered a single word to each other.
You shouldn't talk and socialize inside a public library though.
Maybe a community center for activities would be better. Lemmy is basically a bunch of virtual community centers anyways.
During the day, sure.
After dark, board games, LAN parties, Cards Against Humanity,
The library makes it appealing to me. Most of the time, I would rather just read in the corner, social-adjacent rather than socialization.
Public libraries hold community events all the time, though..? At least the ones near me have conference rooms and such that can be booked. One reason why drag time story hour has been under attack lately. One of the many avenues to further ostracize us
I host late night D&D. Or play team sports. Life is what you make it folks.
But libraries demand silence... You need loud libraries late at night... with live music, and maybe alcohol... wait...
We need BYOB open indoor spaces that don't demand anything of anyone.
In my town, such a space would be destroyed within days, become an impromptu homeless shelter, or both. Likely both.
It would also be useful for people that don't like church, which is the main third place in much of rural America.
Many libraries in Denmark do stay open to 9pm. They even have tables and invite people to hang out there. Although I må not sure if you're allowed to drink or eat there they do want you to just hang out. They have boardgames that you can borrow or play there and they even have boardgames nights where you can play against other guests. Some libraries even have gaming computers and playstation 5 with sofas and all. It's pretty cool! Some of them also let you borrow things like baking forms, instruments, and tools!
No no no. People don't spend money at a public library. You haven't thought of the profits!
As former and probably future homeless person this is a bad idea.
Or we could implement this AND provide decent accomodation for unsheltered people.
Our library hosts lounge night and a game night. Lounge night is lofi music and people enjoying themselves with games, movies, books, larping, and writers sharing. Poetry night and writers block aren't personally my favorite but there's those as well.
I joined a hackerspace/makerspace. Similar in concept, but instead of books; tools and nerds.
methhead at 3am with a stack of chemistry books
I FUCKING LOVE READING
Jesse. We need to read.
Here in Finland a lot of libraries are open pretty late (scan card and PIN to access, free of charge). Some close because of vandals, but it mostly works.
Not much socializing, though. Mostly people choose the drinking in domestic isolation.
Option 3: disregard laws, fuck in the streets
It's a group activity that everyone can enjoy! Get to really know your mail carrier, and learn how to get that 60% discount at the pizza parlor, all in an exciting and lively atmosphere!
Post on a local Facebook page that you'll DM a game of D&D for anyone who's interested. Bam, instant friends.
I might consider learning how to do it first, but yeah. Players are always looking for DMs, and nerds are fun to be around.
Ooh, you could play at the libr-- ohhhh.
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