By Jenna Smith
El Independiente
To some, the library is a place to gather information and learn. To the homeless in South Tucson, the Sam Lena Library provides a safe refuge from the sometimes-harsh environment outside.
"Sometimes the number of men in here is determined by the weather, like when it is really hot or cold, but there are at least a few in here everyday," said Ramona Grijalva, the branch manager.
The South TucsonÕs library recently underwent an addition that almost doubled the size of the library, providing a lot more room for people to occupy the facility. The increase in size also increased the number of homeless people that gather at the library daily to escape the conditions outside.
"On days like this (rainy and cold) places fill up fast and we have nowhere else to go," said an unidentified homeless man. "The library almost always has its door open and its dry and warm inside, so we go there."
Grijalva, who has been the branchÕs librarian since 1986, explained that this situation happens to libraries everywhere, but in South Tucson it is more of a regular occurrence because of the homeless services and shelters surround the library.
"Casa Maria, Gospel Rescue and Primavera are all right around here but run into problems providing a place to eat or sleep for all of the people that use their services," said Grijalva.
The groups, which primarily consist of men, come to the library to pass the time in between feedings and to escape the weather conditions.
"The homeless are not coming to the library to inform or educate themselves," said Police Chief Sixto Molina. " They are coming to escape the elements they live in, which is not what the library is intended for."
The problem is that, for the most part, these people are doing nothing wrong Grijalva said. They are simply taking up space and deterring some from coming to the library with their children and families. However, Grijalva said the majority of kids usually come right after school and are not accompanied by their parents. She says that most children never notice their presence.
Even though the staff is sometimes forced to ask someone to leave because he or she is intoxicated, has fallen asleep or the personÕs body odor is offensive to others in the library, the library visitors usually play by the rules. Because the homeless have nowhere else to go, most stick to the rules to ensure they will not be asked to leave.
MolinaÕs attention was brought to this matter a few weeks ago when Grijalva called. Molina was the one who answered the call.
"I think Chief Molina was surprised when he walked into the library and saw how many homeless were hanging around," said Grijalva.
"We have not encountered many complaints concerning this topic, but I brought it up at the Weed and Seed meeting in order to get feedback from the community about it and what suggestions they may have," said Molina.
A lawyer present at the meeting told the group that "legally that there is not much that can be done, because the homeless are not violating any laws or breaking any rules."
While there has not been any sort of violence or dispute on the libraryÕs grounds, Molina said he fears the situation holds the potential for problems.
"Our public library has turned into a homeless shelter, I want to get the kids back in it. And in order to do that, I need to get the homeless out," said Molina.
The first course of action will be to speak with each shelterÕs director and work with them on a way to discourage the homeless from congregating at the library. Molina said if that does not work, he might try to gather the homeless and speak with them himself.
Because the homeless are breaking no laws while using the facilities at the library, the police are limited in their actions. "Honestly, this situation does not bother my staff or me, but if it is deterring people from coming to the library, something needs to be done," said Grijalva.
However, Grijalva fears that there is not a solution unless the organizations that help the homeless are moved to another location, which is unlikely.
Molina said he is counting on voluntary compliance from the shelters and the homeless to be the quickest fix, while still respecting everyoneÕs rights.
"I would like to make this a win-win situation involved for everyone, especially the children of South Tucson," said Molina.
Molina said he plans on making this one of his top priorities and will begin campaigning to the local shelters about the problem within the next couple weeks.