Library Cafe's Extreme Makeover

That space really needs a good cafe. I love the idea of an outside area, but have you ever seen, or should I say heard the front of the library when school gets out? There is a reason why cops are stationed there.

Okay -- I'll play along -- what happens when school gets out?

Church Streeter, you should know what that neighborhood is like when school lets out. It's chaos. When I worked in a shop on Church St, we thought about barricading the doors because the kiddies were too rambunctious and rude.

It's chaotic around the high school in Bloomfield too at dismissal time. But there it's a zombie convention. They clog up the sidewalks.

I want to play too, and show my naivete. What school dismissal are we talking about? High school? Are the kids walking home that way, and then decide to loiter about the library patio while en route? Do they converge on it as a group and wait around to get picked up by the folks later? Or are we talking about 5th graders walking over from Hillside?? No really, I'm just not entirely sure what StL means here.

How about another Bean's-type? Add big comfy chairs, nice lighting and pictures, chessboards, a classical music station in the sound system, and cafe tables where kids can do homework.

We used to go to the library after school. I thought that's where you go. No?

The library had a caf? and now its already gone? Gosh, I haven't been there in so long. I'm holding out for library amnesty day to return the books I took out in 1988 and never returned. Those .10c fines add up quickly when you're ADD.

Has anyone been to the library recently? Is there a wall of shame? Is my picture on it? Outfit at time of offense may have included any of the following: Op shirt, polo shirt topped with button down (both collars up), Jams, turtleneck topped by button down, sweater over turtleneck, multiple Swatches, straw Kenya bag, loafers (no socks) blue eyeliner and anything by LL Bean.

Bluestone Cafe, on Watchung, used to run the cafe at the library. Before anyone goes running with their business proposal, they might want to contact Bluestone's owner and find out why he left, after a very short time.

ackme, thanks for the memory! for me it was Topsiders with no socks. Also had an aqua eyeliner for the days I wore green. with the Op shirt you were probably wearing those lightning bolt shorts and Vans, right? :)

Kay, my daily experience on Church Street was between 1987-1997. Moved to Bloomfield in 1999 where I got to see the Bloomfield Tsunami of Students flooding Broad Street.

It would be great to have a cafe there. It would be great to have a very large cafe.
The difficulty for me in envisioning me hanging out there is that there is such an assortment of smells.

The library acts as a homeless shelter and halfway house many times, which I don't think is fair to tax-paying patrons. There should be places where homeless people can be safe during the day, YES. But the library should be a place of safety.

I shouldn't have to fear I am going to catch something by sitting down.

I am there a LOT too...and it just peeves me that there aren't standards in place. Am I heartless to think that a certain level of cleanliness is mandatory before entering?

cat,

You can't be serious. Are we now going to have a dress code? What about offensive perfume?

Once you start down this (illegal) road, you will end up with no one being allowed in.

But you said:

"I shouldn't have to fear I am going to catch something by sitting down."

Umm, like what? Have you ever seen one of the snot nosed, sneezing kids there? I think you have more to worry about from them than your strange idea that you might "catch" something from a "homeless" person.

You also said: "I don't think is fair to tax-paying patrons."

Huh? Property taxes help pay for the library, which all are allowed to use-- so kids (who don't pay taxes), folks who live in apts. (who don't have a tax obligation) and ALL are allowed to use the library.

Are you suggesting that it be restricted to only tax-payers? Yea, that's not very nice.

Or legal.

So, while your feelings are yours to have, they have no basis in the world we live.

Or the one many of use want to live in.

"The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour then", said Scrooge.
"At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge", said the gentleman taking up a pen, "it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many are in want of common neccessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir."
"Are there no prisons?"
"Plenty of prisons", said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.
"And the Union workhouses", demanded Scrooge, "Are they still in operation?"
"Both very busy sir>"

Cat & Prof: There's a very famous case (Richard Kreimer vs the Morristown Library) that addresses this very issue.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/21/nyregion/21homeless.html

Prof, have YOU ever been stared down by the likes of Richard Kreimer? In the end, Morristown had to pay him off, thanks to one of the most ridiculous judicial decisions ever and the worst sort of lawyer, one with a bleeding heart wed to an avaricious nature and with a complete lack of pity for anyone who actually wished to use the library for research and reading.. And off Kreimer went to, I believe, Florida. Unfortunately, he also eventually came back.

Ordinary, prone-to-bathing patrons really shouldn't hsave to endure some of the crap the "homeless" often pull in libraries. These folks are not usually there to read job ads, after all, and there is quite often an intimidation factor to their baleful glances at others, their use of rest rooms as locker rooms, etc.

We've also had this issue arise before on Baristanet, and I have been verbally flayed by people who stoutly (and dumbly) defended the "rights" of "Kreimer's krewe" to use the library. In response to my suggestion that each one might then volunteer to take on such person home with himself/herself nighttly, however, to, you know, meet the family, I don't recall there were any takers. May I assume you'd change that and volunteer, based on your verbal punting above?