why the heck is our library system hiring a social worker?

Since they can't exactly kick out homeless (aka "vulnerable") people, they have to have a social worker instead of a security guard.

2. Works with Library administration, staff, and security to resolve challenging customer behaviour issues and to provide appropriate assistance.
3. Provides immediate short-term assistance, resource coordination, and referral to resolve situations and provide support to vulnerable individuals.
4. Conducts research in the area of professional expertise and provides information, reports, and statistics related to vulnerable customers.
5. Provides training for Library staff and security working with vulnerable customers.
6. Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with other support agencies, departments, and organizations that provide service to vulnerable customers.

Not the cities responsibility.
this one especially is troubling...
" Provides immediate short-term assistance, resource coordination, and
referral to resolve situations and provide support to vulnerable
individuals"

soo.... I want a hot meal I just need to cause a disturbance at the library? The city got out of welfare and should stay out.

also.. they kick people out of the library all the time. A couple of weeks back the one security guard was even taking pictures of all the kids hanging out in front of the library and DEMANDING that they go stand on the public sidewalk instead of the sidewalk up against the library out of the way where they were.

This is what the socialist society we've created begat in Manitoba. Our elected politicians can't seem to stay focused. The net results is the redundant services provided by all levels of government and the independent agencies.

Now we know why government in Manitoba has their hand in our pockets in perpetuity.

They can kick people out that are making a disturbance or causing problems.

However they can't exactly kick someone out for smelling bad and loitering quietly in front of a book at a desk.

At the end of the day their goal here is to help the "vulnerable" people find places OTHER than the library to stay warm so that normal people don't have to smell them.

who cares what their goal is. ITS NOT A CITY RESPONSIBILITY

its a provincial one. AND what right do they have coming up to someone just because they smell?

Deank wrote:who cares what their goal is. ITS NOT A CITY RESPONSIBILITY

its a provincial one. AND what right do they have coming up to someone just because they smell?

Their goal is to keep the downtown library a place where (non-homeless) people actually want to go. Part of that is keeping the library clear of vagrants (who aren't necessarily causing problems).

The issue is that the library is a public building and you can't just kick someone out because they are homeless. So they hire a social worker to help them find other places to go.

The library and the city are caught between a rock and a hard place on this matter. I think the way they are handling the issue is fine with me.

Not sure why your panties are in a knot over it.

Because its money we dont have and should not be spending.

We should not be doing this. ESPECIALLY the providing short term support. This program will grow substantially once people realize they have yet another avenue for support. We need to keep stuff like this under one umbrella.


If the same people walked into city hall.. would they counsel them or boot them out? Same thing.

sputnik wrote:

Deank wrote:who cares what their goal is. ITS NOT A CITY RESPONSIBILITY

its a provincial one. AND what right do they have coming up to someone just because they smell?

Their goal is to keep the downtown library a place where (non-homeless) people actually want to go. Part of that is keeping the library clear of vagrants (who aren't necessarily causing problems).

The issue is that the library is a public building and you can't just kick someone out because they are homeless. So they hire a social worker to help them find other places to go.

The library and the city are caught between a rock and a hard place on this matter. I think the way they are handling the issue is fine with me.

Not sure why your panties are in a knot over it.

So, in this vein, there might also be a fire in there. Should the library hire their own firemen? What if someone is hurt or sick? Hire their own paramedics? Lawlessness reigns? Hire their own police?

We need to stick to our knitting. If social workers are needed from time to time go to the provincial social worker store and borrow one.

grumpy old man wrote:So, in this vein, there might also be a fire in there. Should the library hire their own firemen? What if someone is hurt or sick? Hire their own paramedics? Lawlessness reigns? Hire their own police?

We need to stick to our knitting. If social workers are needed from time to time go to the provincial social worker store and borrow one.

If there were a few fires every day in the library a full-time fireman might be a good idea.

Notice how the social worker is only required for the Millennium branch and not any of the other libraries around town. Could it be that the downtown branch has needs that the others do not.

I don't consider this "social worker" to be serving the same purpose as a provincial social worker working in the CFS/welfare world. If anything it just has an unfortunate job title. Comparing this job to a social worker in the provincial system is unnecessary.

At the end of the day I see it more as a gentler security guard that will be dealing directly with the homeless, addicted and mentally ill that are at the library on a daily basis. For me this is no different than having a chaplain at a prison.

except.... THE CHAPLAIN IS NOT PAID FOR BY CITY MONEY

I dont understand how you can not grasp this sputnik. This is NOT something the city should be doing. Are we going to have a Winnipeg Transit Social worker now? a Central Park social worker? Its not city responsibility and we cant keep expanding into areas that we simply can not afford to.

Don't agree sput. The job description is very clear. Take a look at the QUALIFICATIONS.

They already have security guards. Why not dual-purpose one of the nicer security guards to provide those services and avoid paying for someone with a social work degree.

As to only one library? Haw long before all of the libraries decide they need a gentler security guard?

This is exactly how our bureaucracies became so bloated...

What's next at the Millennium Library? Doctors and nurses?

i think they could save a LOT of money, if they just gave the security guards guns.

screw the hand-holding.

if the guard comes up and says... "people are complaining you stink, you need to leave now"...and you resist...just shoot them.

or...better yet...a tazer...less messy.

loitering is a crime...even in public buildings...and on public sidewalks.

Tazers are more expensive because the cops keep losing the cartridges...

I thought this sort of thing was part of the downtown watch responsibilities.

Outsider wrote:I thought this sort of thing was part of the downtown watch responsibilities.

good point

Spending money on helping people who need help and may be slipping through the cracks (as evidenced by the fact that they hang around in libraries rather than having other places to go like jobs and homes) is better than other things the city and various other levels of government wastes money on (like water parks). They've identified a need to service the clientele that occupies their building and rather than take a "not my problem" antagonistic approach, they are tackling it from the other direction. I think it shows goodwill and I'm happy the city is doing this.

Then if you are the library administrator at the Millennium branch how would you handle this situation.

You have dozens of homeless people that go to the library on cold days and sit there for the entire day reading books, using the computers or sleeping. Their hygiene is terrible and their smell hinders people from sitting within 20 feet of them. Other patrons are getting disgruntled with the smell and their presence and ask you to do something.

What do you do?

Why I would hire someone with a social work degree and several years of social work experience to ask the sleeping "patrons" to move along and ask the stinky "patrons" to wash up.

God knows a security guard should not be asked to do THAT kind of work...

sputnik wrote:Then if you are the library administrator at the Millennium branch how would you handle this situation.

You have dozens of homeless people that go to the library on cold days and sit there for the entire day reading books, using the computers or sleeping. Their hygiene is terrible and their smell hinders people from sitting within 20 feet of them. Other patrons are getting disgruntled with the smell and their presence and ask you to do something.

What do you do?

If they are asleep.. boot them out.
If they are reading books and stinky? Nothing. Unless we are going to boot out the people that use too much perfume and cologne too? They bother me more then anyone else.

There are some workplaces that insist on modest use of cologne and perfume. Why a library should be expected to be any different is beyond me. Therefore, extend the noxious smell decree to everyone that is stinky and offends others.

I don't think it is too much to ask for someone to tone down their stinkyness. God knows why a library patron should have to deal with offensive odours emanating from other patrons.

I bet we install showers soon, and of course a private room for the "vulnerable individuals" who just want to be left alone. Soon a soup kitchen of sorts because.. well golly gee we are spending on average $250 per day on "short term assistance" anyway so we might as well "save money" but just making the food ourselves.

How can we NOT do it? We started providing a resource and now so many people are using that resource we need to expand it......

grumpy old man wrote:There are some workplaces that insist on modest use of cologne and perfume. Why a library should be expected to be any different is beyond me. Therefore, extend the noxious smell decree to everyone that is stinky and offends others.

I don't think it is too much to ask for someone to tone down their stinkyness. God knows why a library patron should have to deal with offensive odours emanating from other patrons.

exactly.. you stink.. get out. Here is the location of the closest resource that can help you with that.

(which quite frankly I fully support there being a place where people living on the street can go to be able to clean up, wash their clothes and try to get back on their feet)

Don't the missions provide those resources? Like Salvation Army? Siloam?