[Publib] Public park around library property

[Theresa Grieshaber]

    Think twice about this!  In theory it's a lovely concept.  It's SO-O pretty to think of a nice quiet library filled with people who take their books  outside and sun themselves in the park.  

    Here's the truth:  Too many parks are filled with people doing things they shouldn't.  There's the drunk sleeping off his hangover.  There's the gang members doing tagging or fighting.  There's the wet kids who played in the sprinklers dripping  water all over your lobby floor and creating a slip and fall hazard because they just have to use the facilities. There's the pervert doing...well never mind.

    In other words, the lawless, disorderly, nuisance behavior in the park gets dragged into the library.  Once your library gets a reputation for for having a creepy clientele, no one, not staff or customers will want to go there.  You will have to lock the restrooms and spend more on graffiti removal and security guards.

      Just my own opinion.

      Theresa Grieshaber
       Modesto CA