When the library reopens, which is scheduled for June 25, Cobun says the homeless outreach hours may continue and expand at the Open Shelter. Demand for the outreach services is high at the Open Shelter, just as it was at the library. The need is great to help people find appropriate housing. Sometimes they're reading, but often it looks like he or she is just resting.' Then we may approach them respectfully to talk to them about a better place to stay." "They might tell us, 'This particular person seems to be here regularly and seems to stay for long periods of time. The library's staff, Coleman says, provides a strong assist. The goal in working with the library and the Downtown improvement districts is to find permanent, supportive housing for those using the library as shelter. Maryhaven and the library are longtime partners, says Paul Coleman, Maryhaven's president and CEO. "With the library closed, that's been a little more out of reach." "It has tons of job help, help with writing resumes, those kinds of services," he says. healthcare services, Mount Carmel Community Outreach and Street Medicine program and the Coalition for Homelessness and Housing in Ohio.īill Cobun, a homeless outreach specialist who works with the improvement districts, sees how meaningful the library is to those living on Downtown's streets. When the library closed for construction last April, its homeless outreach services moved to the Open Shelter on East Mound Street, a few blocks west of the main branch.įor two hours a day Monday through Thursday, outreach services connect the homeless to emergency food, shelter and clothing, employment programs, health care providers, permanent housing and substance-abuse treatment, says Lisa Defendiefer, deputy director of operations and advocacy for the special improvement districts.Ĭommunity partners include Maryhaven, Health Care for the Homeless, Southeast, Inc. So a coordinated effort with the Capital Crossroads and Discovery special improvement districts-which cover 80 square blocks Downtown-sought a temporary location for the outreach resources the Downtown branch had provided.
Zenitsky says library officials anticipated the hardships the library's approximate 16-month closure could cause for the homeless. Beyond that, the library offers access to computers and a dedicated space for resources to connect the homeless to emergency assistance, medical care and housing options.Īlthough job-help centers are also available at the library's branches-including its Parsons, Northside, Martin Luther King and Franklinton urban branches-"we realize that getting there is not always an option for people in the homeless community," says library spokesman Ben Zenitsky. The draw? The availability of simple necessities-a warm place, a bathroom, a drinking fountain. Often, they line up at the library's entrance, waiting for it to open. Many of the homeless are regulars at the library on South Grant Avenue, heading there after spending the night on the streets or when Downtown's overnight shelters empty in the early morning. None, perhaps, felt it more than the homeless population. When Columbus Metropolitan Libraryofficials decided to close the main branch Downtown during its $35 million renovation, patrons were sure to be put out. Columbus Metropolitan Library is a member of the Central Library Consortium, which enables its 17-member library systems to share a catalog.With the main Columbus library closed until June, the homeless around Downtown have lost a valuable resource. CML also jointly operates the Northwest Library in cooperation with Worthington Libraries. The branches are Canal Winchester, Driving Park, Dublin, Franklinton, Gahanna, Hilliard, Hilltop, Karl Road, Linden, Livingston, Marion-Franklin, Martin Luther King, New Albany, Northern Lights, Northside, Parsons, Reynoldsburg, Shepard, South High, Southeast, Whetstone, and Whitehall. The library consists of the Main Library and 22 branches located in neighborhoods throughout Franklin County.
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