On Sep 23, 2026, at 12:21 PM, Brandon Bowman via Michlib-l <michlib-l@liblists.org> wrote:

One thing to keep in mind about those experiencing homelessness is that time works very differently for them. 

Banning them for any length of time beyond a few days might as well be forever, because they operate on a much more accelerated schedule than most people.

We deal with this often here as the county seat, and I would highly recommend taking Ryan Dowd's training courses if you can. They are reasonably priced and have helped our staff learn better ways to deal with our unhoused patrons! 

I'm unsure if you have access to any of the county agencies, but they may have peer recovery coaches who could come in and offer assistance!

On Tue, Sep 22, 2026 at 4:28 PM Joe Zappacosta via Michlib-l <michlib-l@liblists.org> wrote:

Hi Cierra,

We have seen this problem several times, and we consider it a matter of sanitation and safety.

If there have not been any other major incidents and the only reason was that the person could not use a restroom, I would suggest a short suspension of thirty days. However, if the act was intentional, I would recommend a three-month suspension.

I would not connect the action to homelessness. Instead, I would treat it as a response to a biohazard issue that could affect the safety and well-being of staff and patrons.

I hope this helps.  Let me know if you would like to talk more about it.  

Best,

Joe

On Tue, Sep 22, 2026 at 4:04 PM Cierra Bakovka via Michlib-l <michlib-l@liblists.org> wrote:

Hi all,

I've never had to ban a patron for any length of time before. How does everyone else go about it?

We had a patron (who we suspect is unhoused) defecate on the library's front porch. It was after hours, but we can see them on camera. The person has been spending time at the library over the last couple of weeks, but we don't know their name. They already became a bit argumentative when asked to keep their shoes on inside the library, so I am not sure what the best way to proceed. Any suggestions or sharing of similar experiences is welcomed. 

Cierra Bakovka, MLIS                                                     

She/Her

Director

Henika District Library

149 South Main St.

Wayland, MI 49348

269-792-2891 ext. 309

cierra@henikalibrary.org 

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Joseph Zappacosta Director 

Phone: 231.722.8003

Email: jzappacosta@hackleylibrary.org

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Brandon Bowman

Library Director

Mount Clemens Public Library

150 Cass Avenue

Mount Clemens, Michigan 48043

Office - 586.469.6200 ext. 101 

Cell -  810.790.8530

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