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A trip to the library: homelessness and social inclusion

2008; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 9; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/14649360802441432

1470-1197

Darrin Hodgetts, Ottilie Stolte, Kerry Chamberlain, Alan Radley, Linda Waimarie Nīkora, Eci Nabalarua, Shiloh Groot,

Latin American and Latino Studies

Abstract This article explores homeless men's visits to a public library. It shows how homeless men identified the library as a space for safety and social participation, at a time when the regional newspaper published an item questioning the appropriateness of their presence in the library. The news report promotes universal narratives that would exclude homeless people, showing the intimate relationship between the symbolic space of news, the material space of the local library, and the lifeworlds of homeless men. We report fieldwork in which we interviewed homeless men, library staff and patrons. In addition, we worked with journalists on follow-up articles foregrounding the positive function of the library in homeless men's lives, and to challenge existing news narratives that advocate the exclusion of 'the homeless' from prime public spaces. L'étude présentée dans cet article s'intéresse aux hommes sans-abri qui fréquentent une bibliothèque publique. Il s'agit de savoir dans quelle mesure les hommes sans-abri ont assimilé la bibliothèque à un espace de sécurité et de participation sociale, à une époque où le quotidien de la région faisait paraître un billet mettant en cause leur droit d'accès à la bibliothèque. On reconnaît dans ce reportage les récits universels par lesquels les personnes itinérantes seraient exclues, ainsi que les liens intimes qui existent entre l'espace symbolique des nouvelles, l'espace matériel de la bibliothèque locale, et les mondes vécus des hommes sans-abri. L'article présente les résultats d'une enquête basée sur des entrevues auprès d'hommes sans-abri, des employés et des usagers de la bibliothèque. De plus, nous nous sommes engagés dans un travail en collaboration avec des journalistes pour publier des articles qui mettent en évidence la fonction positive que joue la bibliothèque dans la vie des hommes sans-abri, et pour aller à l'encontre des récits d'information qui renforcent l'exclusion «des itinérants» des espaces publics de premier plan. Este artículo examina las visitas de los hombres sin hogar a una biblioteca pública. Destaca como los hombres sin hogar identificaban la biblioteca como un espacio para la seguridad y participación social, en un momento en que el periódico regional publicó un artículo que ponía en duda si su presencia en la biblioteca era apropiado. El reportaje promueve narrativas universales que excluyen a las personas sin hogar, señalando la relación estrecha entre el espacio simbólico del periodismo, el espacio material de la biblioteca pública y los mundos de la vida de los hombres sin hogar. Incluimos trabajo de campo en el que entrevistamos a hombres sin hogar, personal de la biblioteca y clientes. Además, colaboramos con periodistas en elaborar artículos complementarios, destacando el papel positivo jugado por la biblioteca en las vidas de los hombres sin hogar y también para cuestionar las narrativas periodísticas existentes que abogan por la exclusión de los 'sin techo' de los principales espacios públicos. Keywords: homelessnesspublic spaceslibrariessocial participationeveryday lifeKeywords: itinéranceespaces publicsbibliothèquesparticipation socialevie quotidienneKeywords: el problema de la falta de viviendaespacios públicosbibliotecasparticipación socialla vida cotidiana Acknowledgements This research was funded by the Marsden Fund of the Royal Society of New Zealand. We thank all those who took part for their time and participation. Notes 1. See Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa, < http://www.lianza.org.nz/news> (accessed 10 July 2007). 2. It is worth noting that exclusionary practices (with reference to the US and UK literatures) are less entrenched in New Zealand and are often combined with efforts to improve the quality of life for homeless people. As Laurenson and Collins (Citation2007: 649) point out, the extent of emphasis placed on exclusion and persecution or inclusion and support in New Zealand is subject to 'political whim'. Nonetheless, the increasing visibility of homelessness in New Zealand cities, and moves towards conservative policies at local and national levels, suggest that an increase in punitive approaches is likely. 3. Indigenous people of New Zealand. 4. Descendents of the early settler group from Europe. 5. The library site is a converted department store with a large loft interior in the heart of the city, adjacent to office buildings, shopping centres and cafés. The main entrance opens on to a large and well-manicured square that has been designed as a recreational space in which citizens can congregate. Some tensions are evident in the locating of services for homeless people within walking distance of the library and square because this brings homeless people into these prime public spaces and into contact with domiciled citizens. 6. A Marae is communally owned land and buildings that serve as a central meeting place for tribal members. 7. A fourth story accompanied the two-page feature, profiling a particular homeless man and his daily routine as a student, hostel resident, and library user. We have not included an analysis of this item here because its core themes are covered in our analysis of the feature story.