A Neighborhood Improvement Journal - Winter 2010

Comments

First I would like to thank you for writing this article, "Not Your Grandmother's Library". (Summer ’09) Finally, someone is seeing the world as it is. My background is prior Military and Law Enforcement. Presently I work as Security in the public Library in Knoxville, TN. ... Our Library serves as a refuge for the homeless, as well as the alcohol and drug addicted, plus physically and psychologically challenged patrons. Sleeping is not allowed in our library but I do have an occasional dozer. ... The public itself, truthfully, is unable to understand the big picture. If everyone would go to the homeless shelter and live one night or out on the street all night, I am quite sure the big picture would become somewhat clearer. No one really wants to be homeless, or addicted to anything, and given the greatest gift of second chances and sometimes third I am sure they would take it. Mental Illness is a great burden on all states and is the least well funded medical need.   I would love to see this article make the press and the local news. Again I commend you on your article and time invested to make it one of the greatest things I have read in years.  - James Harper

Thanks, James. Hopefully your words, joining those of others, will help speed the day when most people will have come to see “the world as it is”....and care enough to change it.