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The Librarian's Guide to Homelessness: An Empathy-Driven Approach to Solving Problems, Preventing Conflict, and Serving Everyone
Homelessness is a perennial topic of concern at libraries. In fact, staff at public libraries interact with almost as many homeless individuals as staff at shelters do. Empathy and understanding, along with specific actionable advice that's drawn from experience, makes all the difference in working with this group.
In this book Dowd, executive director of a homeless shelter, spotlights best practices drawn from his own shelter's policies and training materials. Filled with to-the-point guidance that will help front line public library staff and managers understand and serve this population better, this resource:
• includes facts about homelessness every librarian should know;
• debunks widespread myths about these individuals, explaining how they see themselves, what issues they struggle with, and how libraries can shift towards supporting them;
• shares de-escalation techniques like showing respect, ways to avoid making things personal, and using proper body language;
• walks readers through dealing with common issues like a sleeping patron, questionable hygiene, offensive behavior, and asking a patron to leave; and
• advises on how to provide backup to a colleague and when to call the police.
Filled with real life stories that illustrate the effectiveness of Dowd's approach, this one-of-a-kind guide will empower library staff to treat homeless individuals with dignity.
In this book Dowd, executive director of a homeless shelter, spotlights best practices drawn from his own shelter's policies and training materials. Filled with to-the-point guidance that will help front line public library staff and managers understand and serve this population better, this resource:
• includes facts about homelessness every librarian should know;
• debunks widespread myths about these individuals, explaining how they see themselves, what issues they struggle with, and how libraries can shift towards supporting them;
• shares de-escalation techniques like showing respect, ways to avoid making things personal, and using proper body language;
• walks readers through dealing with common issues like a sleeping patron, questionable hygiene, offensive behavior, and asking a patron to leave; and
• advises on how to provide backup to a colleague and when to call the police.
Filled with real life stories that illustrate the effectiveness of Dowd's approach, this one-of-a-kind guide will empower library staff to treat homeless individuals with dignity.
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
39 people are currently reading
1347 people want to read
About the author
Ryan J. Dowd
2 books7 followersRyan J. Dowd has spent most of his career as Executive Director of a large homeless shelter near Chicago. In addition, he trains organizations around the globe (including libraries, homeless shelters, and hospitals) on how to use empathy-driven enforcement with homeless individuals.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
December 10, 2020
Ok. I have a lot to say. *Deep breath* Here we go.
The Good
• This book has a lot of really good tips and tricks on problems you may encounter in regards to some patrons who are experiencing homelessness.
• It also does an excellent job of explaining how people who are experiencing homeless may view things in a different way than you (i.e. shorter time horizon, habituation to punishment, etc)
• Dowd writes in an easily accessible and casual style.
• This is a well timed book that all librarians and even most people can benefit from.
• He outlines "empathy-driven enforcement" very well.
The Eh
• There's only so many ways you can say "People experiencing homelessness are humans. Treat them as such." Which, is an important point, but man, do people need to remember that and man, does that get repetitive and sad the more you think about it.
• Sometimes Dowd's writing is almost too casual.
• The tip names are bizarre and often blend together because there's ones like "The Bill Clinton" and "The Wizard of Oz" that often have minimal connection to the actual tip they are labeling.
• The layout: he presents scenarios and walks through tips and tricks on how to deal with them by referring to past and future sections of the book, which results in a lot of flipping because there's no summary of them under the specific scenario and the names meld together.
And the Ugly
• In a section where Dowd discusses empathy-driven enforcement, he gives the example of Luke Skywalker and his choice between the Force and his lightsaber. The lightsaber was a "fire-tool" that forced people to do what he wished with the threat of violence. His use of the Force on the other hand was a "water-tool" that controlled peoples minds to still get them to do what he wanted. Dowd states that the Force is the "tool of choice" and therefore better than the lightsaber. BUT the Force still forces (That's LITERALLY what it's called) people to do what Luke Skywalker wants. It's still a tool of power and oppression that removes choice for the subject in question. It's a minor bone to pick in terms of the allegory but the bigger projection it represents makes it problematic.
Case in point:
• My MAJOR bone to pick: In the tool labeled "La Bibliotecaria," Dowd states that since many interactions between library workers and people experiencing homelessness will probably be women in the former category interacting with men in the latter category based on the nature of the fact that there are more homeless men than women and more women library workers than men. He acknowledges the fact that as a result of this, some female library workers may feel uncomfortable. He then goes on to say "So, if you are a woman, don't worry about your gender. It isn't a problem unless you make it one."
NO.
1) Let's just casually dismiss the fact that some women may be uncomfortable confronting men regardless of their housing state in general for whatever reasons (such as prior trauma, safety, etc).
and
2) EVEN IF A WOMAN FORGETS ABOUT THEIR GENDER, THE ENTIRE INTERACTION IS STILL GENDERED. The person with whom the woman is engaging will STILL interact with that woman in a way that is customized to their gender regardless of awareness. Gender is not something you can dismiss or wash out of ANY interaction. (See also: people who claim they don't see race, they see people).
Ok, just writing the above just made me angry. Probably a little more angry than normal due to the recent news cycle, but ugh, these types of microaggressions add up.
---
So here's my overall take: a good starter book with some excellent points and tips but also contains some problematic stuff. I would've liked to see more points and information on people experiencing the homeless who are people of color, LGBTQIA+, and of differing abilities (not just in the potentially experiencing a mental health crisis).
Normally a book that annoyed me this much would get two stars, but I'm leaving it at three because it is a topic that is important and should be talked about and trained around much more.
I'm going to go home and cuddle a cat now.
The Good
• This book has a lot of really good tips and tricks on problems you may encounter in regards to some patrons who are experiencing homelessness.
• It also does an excellent job of explaining how people who are experiencing homeless may view things in a different way than you (i.e. shorter time horizon, habituation to punishment, etc)
• Dowd writes in an easily accessible and casual style.
• This is a well timed book that all librarians and even most people can benefit from.
• He outlines "empathy-driven enforcement" very well.
The Eh
• There's only so many ways you can say "People experiencing homelessness are humans. Treat them as such." Which, is an important point, but man, do people need to remember that and man, does that get repetitive and sad the more you think about it.
• Sometimes Dowd's writing is almost too casual.
• The tip names are bizarre and often blend together because there's ones like "The Bill Clinton" and "The Wizard of Oz" that often have minimal connection to the actual tip they are labeling.
• The layout: he presents scenarios and walks through tips and tricks on how to deal with them by referring to past and future sections of the book, which results in a lot of flipping because there's no summary of them under the specific scenario and the names meld together.
And the Ugly
• In a section where Dowd discusses empathy-driven enforcement, he gives the example of Luke Skywalker and his choice between the Force and his lightsaber. The lightsaber was a "fire-tool" that forced people to do what he wished with the threat of violence. His use of the Force on the other hand was a "water-tool" that controlled peoples minds to still get them to do what he wanted. Dowd states that the Force is the "tool of choice" and therefore better than the lightsaber. BUT the Force still forces (That's LITERALLY what it's called) people to do what Luke Skywalker wants. It's still a tool of power and oppression that removes choice for the subject in question. It's a minor bone to pick in terms of the allegory but the bigger projection it represents makes it problematic.
Case in point:
• My MAJOR bone to pick: In the tool labeled "La Bibliotecaria," Dowd states that since many interactions between library workers and people experiencing homelessness will probably be women in the former category interacting with men in the latter category based on the nature of the fact that there are more homeless men than women and more women library workers than men. He acknowledges the fact that as a result of this, some female library workers may feel uncomfortable. He then goes on to say "So, if you are a woman, don't worry about your gender. It isn't a problem unless you make it one."
NO.
1) Let's just casually dismiss the fact that some women may be uncomfortable confronting men regardless of their housing state in general for whatever reasons (such as prior trauma, safety, etc).
and
2) EVEN IF A WOMAN FORGETS ABOUT THEIR GENDER, THE ENTIRE INTERACTION IS STILL GENDERED. The person with whom the woman is engaging will STILL interact with that woman in a way that is customized to their gender regardless of awareness. Gender is not something you can dismiss or wash out of ANY interaction. (See also: people who claim they don't see race, they see people).
Ok, just writing the above just made me angry. Probably a little more angry than normal due to the recent news cycle, but ugh, these types of microaggressions add up.
---
So here's my overall take: a good starter book with some excellent points and tips but also contains some problematic stuff. I would've liked to see more points and information on people experiencing the homeless who are people of color, LGBTQIA+, and of differing abilities (not just in the potentially experiencing a mental health crisis).
Normally a book that annoyed me this much would get two stars, but I'm leaving it at three because it is a topic that is important and should be talked about and trained around much more.
I'm going to go home and cuddle a cat now.
December 16, 2020
There is a definite blind spot here to the gendered element of women staff members interacting with male library patrons (regardless of socio-economic, mental health, or housing status) which I wish had been addressed. Namely that a lot of the tactics here of providing excellent customer service, being polite, friendly, getting to know people, can be tricky for women interacting with men because so many men have been taught to interpret those interactions as invitations for romantic / sexual relationships.
Regardless, so much of this information is and has already been so useful to me that I can't give it less than 4 stars.
Regardless, so much of this information is and has already been so useful to me that I can't give it less than 4 stars.
February 13, 2020
Wow, this was great. I might need to buy it at some point (or, sooner than I want to because I’ve been reading it on my lunch breaks at work and got something on it, dang it) because it’s a wonderful resource with lots of tips of how to better understand and treat homeless patrons with empathy. The author has worked at a homeless shelter for over 20 years, and I really value the insights he shared. Throughout the book, he promotes water tools (empathy-driven rule enforcement) over fire tools (punishment-driven rule enforcement) to address problems with homeless patrons. And his approach can easily be applied more widely. The book is packed with specific examples, and Dowd has a warm, down-to-earth tone. Any librarian would be enriched by this book.
March 23, 2018
every public librarian should read this book. written in a funny breezy style and great strategies.
its only flaw is that while Ryan acknowledges most librarians are women, he has advice about putting your hands in your pockets when having difficult conversations, to appear non-threatening. This is great advice, if I had more than 8 pants I wear to work that actually have pockets. I imagine other female librarians have similar sartorial limitations.
its only flaw is that while Ryan acknowledges most librarians are women, he has advice about putting your hands in your pockets when having difficult conversations, to appear non-threatening. This is great advice, if I had more than 8 pants I wear to work that actually have pockets. I imagine other female librarians have similar sartorial limitations.
March 27, 2019
Most helpful book I have read for my job, with lessons that apply not just to homelessness but to all customers in the library and, indeed, in interactions with people beyond work. The author is so positive and yet so practical; his enthusiasm jumps off the pages, but he is a realist who understands that not all problems can be solved with good intentions. Actions speak louder than intentions. In particular, I took to heart this reminder near the end of the book:
"Actually, if I was making a list of things library staff could do to help homeless patrons, it would have 1,008 things on it and the first one through 1,000 would be to "treat homeless patrons with respect, dignity, and humanity." I'm not being trite. It really is the most important thing you can do for homeless patrons, by a wide margin" (229).
Of course, that applies to all patrons, but Dowd makes a great case through his examples for why it is especially meaningful for homeless individuals. I'm not going to detail his examples. but recommend that anyone who is interested read the book! Highly recommended.
"Actually, if I was making a list of things library staff could do to help homeless patrons, it would have 1,008 things on it and the first one through 1,000 would be to "treat homeless patrons with respect, dignity, and humanity." I'm not being trite. It really is the most important thing you can do for homeless patrons, by a wide margin" (229).
Of course, that applies to all patrons, but Dowd makes a great case through his examples for why it is especially meaningful for homeless individuals. I'm not going to detail his examples. but recommend that anyone who is interested read the book! Highly recommended.
October 24, 2018
This is a well-written book full of a lot of important information, both about dealing with homeless patrons in particular and with difficult patron situations in general, with a focus on empathy and de-escalation. I would recommend it for anyone who deals with the public in a situation like a public library where maintaining a space that's safe and welcoming for everyone is important. It lines up well with my own experience of working in both public libraries and homeless shelters - except for one thing.
There's a huge focus on building a "positive" relationship with less socially functional customers, including things like smiling, showing interest in their lives, shaking hands. There is zero acknowledgement of the likelihood that for a female-presenting staff member, smiles and friendly interest will result in at least one man deciding the staff member is in love with them and their destined bride. There is, in fact, zero mention in the entire book of dealing with the issues of sexual harassment, obsession, stalking, or inappropriately personal interactions directed at staff members. None.
This makes me strongly suspect that the author is the kind of man who thinks this isn't a problem because his staff know that if they report a problem to him, he won't hear them, so they don't report. And that, unfortunately, makes me doubt other things he has to say as well.
There's a huge focus on building a "positive" relationship with less socially functional customers, including things like smiling, showing interest in their lives, shaking hands. There is zero acknowledgement of the likelihood that for a female-presenting staff member, smiles and friendly interest will result in at least one man deciding the staff member is in love with them and their destined bride. There is, in fact, zero mention in the entire book of dealing with the issues of sexual harassment, obsession, stalking, or inappropriately personal interactions directed at staff members. None.
This makes me strongly suspect that the author is the kind of man who thinks this isn't a problem because his staff know that if they report a problem to him, he won't hear them, so they don't report. And that, unfortunately, makes me doubt other things he has to say as well.
July 11, 2018
Really good and thought-provoking, filled with specific suggestions on how to handle specific situations. The only problem is I feel like I need to constantly read it so I will be prepared when situations come up! I think my biggest takeaway is the reminder that homeless people are rarely treated with respect, so treating them with respect and using their names alone can be tremendously positive.
Highly recommended for anyone who works in a public library.
Highly recommended for anyone who works in a public library.
November 6, 2022
I watched a Ryan Dowd training for library school, and I learned so much from him. This book was a refresher on a lot of those things from that video training, but he also went into a lot more detail about homelessness itself, advice for managers, and the science of empathy, along with a lot of other things. Highly practical, empathetic, funny, and full of great advice. These principles aren't just for homeless patrons! They are great to use on everyone. Every librarian needs to read this book.
January 4, 2019
Working in a public library I've encountered a wide variety of homeless individuals, and like the different sorts of people who walk through the doors of any library, every one of these experiences was different. Ryan J. Dowd's book, however, gave me an opportunity to reflect upon my experiences and determine whether or not I had actually provided these people with real help.
Dowd's book is not perfect. There are many instances where he provides examples of things that could happen on the job without offering a possible solution. And, it really needs to be emphasized, he makes an argument at one point that being a woman should or would not have any bearing on dealing with male patrons...this is just, not true. I'll leave it to the many female reviewers who have already explained this much better than I could anyway.
For its weaknesses, Dowd's book is a great resource because it does provide plenty of strategies for working with homeless patrons. And most importantly his repeated emphasis on empathy is what makes the book what it is. Homeless individuals suffer a tremendous amount of pain and adversity and Dowd reminds his reader that as librarians and library employees it's our job to help every patron regardless of their living situation. It's when we recognize the humanity of every patron that we perform our best as public servants, and when we offer the homeless a warm, dry place full of books we offer them more than just our service, we offer the chance to see them as people.
Dowd's book is not perfect. There are many instances where he provides examples of things that could happen on the job without offering a possible solution. And, it really needs to be emphasized, he makes an argument at one point that being a woman should or would not have any bearing on dealing with male patrons...this is just, not true. I'll leave it to the many female reviewers who have already explained this much better than I could anyway.
For its weaknesses, Dowd's book is a great resource because it does provide plenty of strategies for working with homeless patrons. And most importantly his repeated emphasis on empathy is what makes the book what it is. Homeless individuals suffer a tremendous amount of pain and adversity and Dowd reminds his reader that as librarians and library employees it's our job to help every patron regardless of their living situation. It's when we recognize the humanity of every patron that we perform our best as public servants, and when we offer the homeless a warm, dry place full of books we offer them more than just our service, we offer the chance to see them as people.
February 15, 2022
I quite enjoyed this book.
As a Goodreads librarian, I don't interact with people, but it was an excellent book on how to interact and help to better the lives of people experiencing homelessness.
As in Vancouver where live, housing is incredibly expensive, and getting worse by the day. So homelessness is on the rise.
Would recommend!
4.2/5
As a Goodreads librarian, I don't interact with people, but it was an excellent book on how to interact and help to better the lives of people experiencing homelessness.
As in Vancouver where live, housing is incredibly expensive, and getting worse by the day. So homelessness is on the rise.
Would recommend!
4.2/5
November 5, 2018
Practical and empathetic. It would be helpful for all librarians and anyone who ever walks through a city to read this book. Highly recommended.
May 17, 2023
Not just for librarians. A great mix of useful, actionable information, and knowledge. This was a surprisingly easy read. There are a few topics I would have liked to have covered in more depth - specifically what to do when asked for money, but other than that, a great book.
December 11, 2018
Dowd brings up one of the most important, and often disregarded facts about homelessness: "Money is not the only resource that matters. Relationships are a resource too. You don't need money if you have friends or family willing to help." He goes on to say "Most people who are poor will never be homeless because they have friends or family who will prevent that" and "You only end up in a shelter when every single person you know has given up on you... you only become homeless when *everyone* you have ever trusted has failed you."
I think this should be required reading for LIS students who are public librarian track. He provides a lot of education around homelessness, as well as skills to use and how to respond to different scenarios. I think a lot of librarians already practicing in public libraries will already have these skills, though, at least if they have compassion. For the ones who don't... well, I don't know if this book will change their minds. I hope so.
On why I gave 2 stars: I wish that Dowd considered that people who have experienced, or are experiencing homelessness might read this book. A lot of what he writes can be distressing for people going through, or who have gone through that experience.
I think this should be required reading for LIS students who are public librarian track. He provides a lot of education around homelessness, as well as skills to use and how to respond to different scenarios. I think a lot of librarians already practicing in public libraries will already have these skills, though, at least if they have compassion. For the ones who don't... well, I don't know if this book will change their minds. I hope so.
On why I gave 2 stars: I wish that Dowd considered that people who have experienced, or are experiencing homelessness might read this book. A lot of what he writes can be distressing for people going through, or who have gone through that experience.
February 11, 2026
This book is a very practical resource for public librarians interested in serving their communities holistically. There’s still a lot that I don’t understand about homelessness, and at this point in my life I am lucky enough to not understand first-hand, but I think that this book is a useful written guide to preparing oneself to be a better resource for homeless patrons. As an author, Ryan Dowd has the credentials to talk from a managerial and legal perspective about homelessness, having run Hesed House (a homeless shelter in Chicago) for so many years. He certainly has the ethos to back up what he’s saying and I have already used some of his tips in my interactions with patrons at a large public library (the pool stance is great and his tips on introducing yourself and building personal rapport are too). A lot of what he talks about is common sense but he gives straightforward language and reasoning to situations that might be challenging to handle for someone unsure of the most appropriate or helpful way to respond to tough situations. We all have blind spots we aren’t aware of so it’s worth it to really engage with the content, even if it does seem obvious. He provides suggestions on body language, de-escalation tactics, effective approaches toward rule enforcement, building trust, and avoiding ostracism toward patrons or conflict amongst them/with staff. Dowd also lays out some helpful expectations for how homeless individuals might differ in how they interpret the actions of librarians and library policies, as well as providing sociological context behind homelessness, especially chronic homelessness. I had a lot of misconceptions about homelessness that this book clarified and pointed out.
The biggest faults in the book, like many other reviewers stated, is the overly casual tone and the way Dowd minimizes the impact of gender both for patrons and staff. The way Dowd inserts himself and overly “colloquializes” or “memeifies” his language is really distracting. Not every explanation needs an anecdote with a cheesy joke. I understand the impulse but sometimes it also waters down the topic at hand in a way I found irritating and unnecessary. I think this book would benefit from more analysis of race as well. I work in a really diverse city and see how race, class, and gender show up all the time in library interactions. As much as public libraries may strive in theory to be neutral, egalitarian spaces, there are still lots of barriers and social nuances that come into play for patrons and staff alike.
Beyond providing physical space, protection from the elements, and free resources, libraries are places for entertainment, quiet, and safety in a world that is often very hostile or chaotic for people experiencing homelessness. Reading this book deepened my faith in the necessity of libraries today, as much as I don’t see libraries as an ultimate “solution” to homelessness. I was very moved that many of the residents in Hesed House so adamantly agreed they wanted library cards and then advocated for shelter addresses and IDs to serve as sufficient proof of residence locally (IL). This is also the policy we have at my library and only after I started reading the book have I created a card with a shelter ID. I’m so glad this is an option! I hope this becomes standardized and I see trends in it being adopted more broadly at least in America.
The biggest faults in the book, like many other reviewers stated, is the overly casual tone and the way Dowd minimizes the impact of gender both for patrons and staff. The way Dowd inserts himself and overly “colloquializes” or “memeifies” his language is really distracting. Not every explanation needs an anecdote with a cheesy joke. I understand the impulse but sometimes it also waters down the topic at hand in a way I found irritating and unnecessary. I think this book would benefit from more analysis of race as well. I work in a really diverse city and see how race, class, and gender show up all the time in library interactions. As much as public libraries may strive in theory to be neutral, egalitarian spaces, there are still lots of barriers and social nuances that come into play for patrons and staff alike.
Beyond providing physical space, protection from the elements, and free resources, libraries are places for entertainment, quiet, and safety in a world that is often very hostile or chaotic for people experiencing homelessness. Reading this book deepened my faith in the necessity of libraries today, as much as I don’t see libraries as an ultimate “solution” to homelessness. I was very moved that many of the residents in Hesed House so adamantly agreed they wanted library cards and then advocated for shelter addresses and IDs to serve as sufficient proof of residence locally (IL). This is also the policy we have at my library and only after I started reading the book have I created a card with a shelter ID. I’m so glad this is an option! I hope this becomes standardized and I see trends in it being adopted more broadly at least in America.
April 16, 2020
Dowd's book reads just like he talks. My Library had the great opportunity to have Mr. Dowd come and do a training with us on dealing with folks experiencing homelessness. I could definitely hear him speak through his text, which made the material all that much more approachable. I really liked how he distinguished between water tools (tools that should be used first and don't lead to unfortunate outcomes) and fire tools (tools that should be used as a last resort and can lead to negative interactions). I feel a lot more informed again on homelessness in general and how to negotiate positive interactions with folks who are experiencing that situation. His common sense approach to his work shows through in spades, especially how he lays out all of the tools one can use in the scenarios he presents, like fighting, body odor, sleeping, etc. Since we have access to his webinars, I may make use of those in the coming days/weeks to enhance what I've learned reading this book and to build on what he presented way back when. Overall, it was a nice read.
January 8, 2019
Interacting with homeless individuals is one of the biggest anxieties I have about my profession. I am working to become a better librarian each day and I genuinely believe this book has soothed some worries I carry and given me a bunch of tools that I can use with all of the patrons I interact with.
PS: The author of this book is the executive director of the homeless shelter I volunteered at when I was younger, which happens to also be the shelter in the community I moved to this summer. I am so thankful for his work and the work of the local librarians who make our libraries wonderful, comfortable places to be for anyone who needs them.
PS: The author of this book is the executive director of the homeless shelter I volunteered at when I was younger, which happens to also be the shelter in the community I moved to this summer. I am so thankful for his work and the work of the local librarians who make our libraries wonderful, comfortable places to be for anyone who needs them.
August 31, 2018
I did a term paper on homelessness in the library a couple of years before Ryan's book was published, and his video about homelessness for librarians was a big part of my paper. He has written a phenomenal book on the topic and I think everyone in public service, whether they see a large number of "visibly" homeless people or not, should read this. It's an easy and quick read, but it carries a lot of important information.
January 28, 2021
This highly informative and practical book should be called The Librarian’s Guide to Patrons for how useful this guidance is for working with anyone. This is to not demean the purpose of the book at all. It is a highly valuable guide to understanding the lives of people experiencing homelessness. It provides insights one may not find elsewhere. The advice, while tailored to working with this specific group of patrons, is, I believe, of value to the librarian to reorient themselves to work better with everyone, coworkers included. Further, I would suggest this book to anyone who works in a service industry, especially retail and health services.
This is a highly compassionate and empathetic book that carries a core message of treating all your patrons with dignity, respect, and care. Highest recommend.
This is a highly compassionate and empathetic book that carries a core message of treating all your patrons with dignity, respect, and care. Highest recommend.
June 14, 2022
Read this for training at work. Some of the advice was useful and he could be pretty funny too at times lol I watched videos along with it and those were the same way. Didn't necessarily agree with everything, but overall I liked it.
December 30, 2023
Great messages and delivery. I enjoyed the humor and layout of the book. I hope to use what I've learned not just in my profession but in all areas of my life as well. I'm glad this resource exists for everyone. It's empowering and hopeful:)
February 21, 2019
This was an amazing book. I laughed and cried and recommend it to everyone in Library World.
August 4, 2019
An important book for public library employees, but more generally, Dowd’s message about choosing an empathy-driven approach (as opposed to punishment-driven) can benefit anyone in whose work involves serving others.
Dowd is undoubtedly qualified to offer insight. He has worked with people experiencing homelessness for decades. This book is a wealth of information, without being dense. There are lots of cross-references, showing how techniques relate and overlap.
Dowd describes homelessness (and those experiencing it) with nuance. He prepares you for what to do when a situation turns dangerous, but emphasizes that fear is often unfounded and due to stigma. It’s not too idealistic, though. It’s more like he’s saying, “When you do this, you’re making it worse. Do this instead.” The result is a lot of small ways to make any patron feel respected, even as you’re telling them they need to stop and/or leave.
Time for qualms. The constant references to pop culture and public figures are both grating and confusing. There are some points I wish he spent more time covering, and others that grew really redundant. His takes on gender and sex work were bad. I don’t know how else to put that. He was strangely dismissive for a book so focused on empathy (it is literally in the title).
In all, the meat of it is compelling, much more so than my recent read of Crucial Conversations.
Dowd is undoubtedly qualified to offer insight. He has worked with people experiencing homelessness for decades. This book is a wealth of information, without being dense. There are lots of cross-references, showing how techniques relate and overlap.
Dowd describes homelessness (and those experiencing it) with nuance. He prepares you for what to do when a situation turns dangerous, but emphasizes that fear is often unfounded and due to stigma. It’s not too idealistic, though. It’s more like he’s saying, “When you do this, you’re making it worse. Do this instead.” The result is a lot of small ways to make any patron feel respected, even as you’re telling them they need to stop and/or leave.
Time for qualms. The constant references to pop culture and public figures are both grating and confusing. There are some points I wish he spent more time covering, and others that grew really redundant. His takes on gender and sex work were bad. I don’t know how else to put that. He was strangely dismissive for a book so focused on empathy (it is literally in the title).
In all, the meat of it is compelling, much more so than my recent read of Crucial Conversations.
July 25, 2018
About a year ago my library subscribed to Ryan Dowd's web-training module about how public librarians can provide better service to and improve their interactions with their patrons who are experiencing homelessness. It was a remarkably thoughtful and super practical training and many of our staff have found it to be very valuable. So naturally I had to read Ryan's book once it was published.
Because of my prior experience working at a large social service agency at a community information and referral hotline, I have more experience than many of my colleagues when it comes to issues facing people who are homeless, but I am by no means an expert. I found the practical advice about how to stand, how to talk, and how to make eye contact to be super helpful, but overall I found the greatest value in the constant emphasis on the importance of empathy. Empathy-driven public library service will ultimately benefit all patrons, not just those who are unhoused. I think my focus on empathy makes me a better manager and colleague as well.
A book for all public librarians at any stage of their career, and social workers who want to help public libraries provide better service to people experiencing homelessness.
Because of my prior experience working at a large social service agency at a community information and referral hotline, I have more experience than many of my colleagues when it comes to issues facing people who are homeless, but I am by no means an expert. I found the practical advice about how to stand, how to talk, and how to make eye contact to be super helpful, but overall I found the greatest value in the constant emphasis on the importance of empathy. Empathy-driven public library service will ultimately benefit all patrons, not just those who are unhoused. I think my focus on empathy makes me a better manager and colleague as well.
A book for all public librarians at any stage of their career, and social workers who want to help public libraries provide better service to people experiencing homelessness.
June 23, 2022
Good not great.
Oh no, I’m supper disappointed! This book completely missed the mark when it comes to women (in a woman dominated field!). Many of the suggestions in the book would be very helpful…for men. Unfortunately, many of the suggestions (kindness, TOUCH, even basic customer service skills, etc.) would easily get misinterpreted by men and could lead to harassment or worse. Obviously this behaviour extends to any patron using the library but I would NEVER touch someone and should never be expected to do so.
As someone who is very empathetic and works with knowledgeable, caring, and smart people—we needed more from this book.
This book is not bad and it’s a great place to start but we need more.
Oh no, I’m supper disappointed! This book completely missed the mark when it comes to women (in a woman dominated field!). Many of the suggestions in the book would be very helpful…for men. Unfortunately, many of the suggestions (kindness, TOUCH, even basic customer service skills, etc.) would easily get misinterpreted by men and could lead to harassment or worse. Obviously this behaviour extends to any patron using the library but I would NEVER touch someone and should never be expected to do so.
As someone who is very empathetic and works with knowledgeable, caring, and smart people—we needed more from this book.
This book is not bad and it’s a great place to start but we need more.
August 25, 2017
I read this book as part of a continuing education class offered by the University of Wisconsin and taught by Ryan Dowd (though I should note that it was not the finalized version). I appreciated Ryan's experience in working with the homeless, as well as the tools he offered that apply not only to this group but also to other difficult patron interactions. There were a few tools that aren't a good fit for me or my library, but the majority of the book was very useful, especially the personal anecdotes he offers as examples of both the mindset of homeless patrons and the right and wrong ways to interact with them.
March 28, 2019
Given this one a five-star rating as I know I will read and reference it again and again. I desperately wish the content from this book was made into a class that is required by library school programs. This is the kind of thing I wish I was being taught in school. It is also nice to know that my over-abundance of empathy is good for something. I have spent too much time around people who wield authority like a weapon. I do not present as a figure of authority and thus have been made to feel like I cannot work well with the public.
Thanks, Ryan, for showing me know that letting my empathy solve the problems I encounter is okay.
Thanks, Ryan, for showing me know that letting my empathy solve the problems I encounter is okay.
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May 15, 2019
Such a good resource!!! I'm glad my library system owns a copy of this. I definitely know I'm going to want to go back and re-read some of the tips.
June 19, 2018
Some will read this and say there was just nothing for them. Maybe the beginning sections that detail how someone comes to be homeless and describe what life is like for them offer no new information for you. Maybe you’re already familiar with the techniques Dowd maps out in later chapters, because you're a seasoned librarian or have taken verbal judo classes and the like. I wouldn’t say I didn’t learn anything new from this text, but I wish it had been around when I was in library school and had been integrated into my studies and class discussions. If you’ve been a librarian for more than a few years, you’ve probably learned at least some of what’s in this book the hard way. It would be nice to understand at least some of it before accepting your first professional position.
During the time I was reading this book, a regular patron approached me to chat, and asked me a few questions about the library in general. One question gave me pause: “What about homeless people? Do you let them come in?” I was a little aghast, and knew for a fact that at least a couple of the people sitting at the computers a few feet away were homeless. I just said, “Yes. Happens all the time. Everyone’s fine to come in as long as they don’t break the rules.” I don’t know if this patron thought that people experiencing homelessness fit the stereotype that Dowd references—old men with long beards, therefore they just couldn’t have been in the building at that time, or what. I wrongly assumed that an educated person out of their twenties would realize that the issue is far more complex. For that reason, I’d say a lot of people who work in various jobs that involve serving others in some capacity should read a book like this. Dowd's not necessarily preaching to the choir.
The conversational tone and liberal use of cultural references and analogies helped to make a book about a dismal subject more entertaining to read, and that never hurts. I now know that there’s a book available on Amazon entitled The Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories.
During the time I was reading this book, a regular patron approached me to chat, and asked me a few questions about the library in general. One question gave me pause: “What about homeless people? Do you let them come in?” I was a little aghast, and knew for a fact that at least a couple of the people sitting at the computers a few feet away were homeless. I just said, “Yes. Happens all the time. Everyone’s fine to come in as long as they don’t break the rules.” I don’t know if this patron thought that people experiencing homelessness fit the stereotype that Dowd references—old men with long beards, therefore they just couldn’t have been in the building at that time, or what. I wrongly assumed that an educated person out of their twenties would realize that the issue is far more complex. For that reason, I’d say a lot of people who work in various jobs that involve serving others in some capacity should read a book like this. Dowd's not necessarily preaching to the choir.
The conversational tone and liberal use of cultural references and analogies helped to make a book about a dismal subject more entertaining to read, and that never hurts. I now know that there’s a book available on Amazon entitled The Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories.
December 4, 2018
One would think in our profession with so much to read at our fingertips we would have more books about librarianship written with creativity and candor. And yet, most professional books read as if they were manufactured by robots instead of formed by passionate people. That is why The Librarian's Guide to Homelessness was such a breath of fresh air. I actually ENJOYED reading it, then I learned something, then I kept enjoying myself, then I kept learning on and on in a wonderful circle. God, why couldn't they have assigned books like this in library school? Probably because outside of this book, they don't really exist.
Anyway, this is filed with great content about how to treat ANY patron, not just patrons experiencing homelessness. But the special attention paid to those in extreme poverty broke a lot of preconceived notions I had and helped me refocus on acting empathetically with fairness and dignity afforded to all, regardless of socioeconomic status. Dowd has given me some tools to use in conflict resolution, but I think more importantly he has given me some goals I'd like to bring into my work and tangible things I can do to improve my service and build relationships with my patrons.
I don't mind the casual style as others have (Like I said, I've been dying for a librarianship book that isn't B O R I N G), but I do agree with others that the pop culture reference names for his tools were confusing. I also agree that it would have been nice to lean more about homelessness from the perspective of people of color and LQBTQ, but I think there is more than enough great info that library employees at all levels could benefit from reading this (That is if they want to continue in our wacky profession).
Anyway, this is filed with great content about how to treat ANY patron, not just patrons experiencing homelessness. But the special attention paid to those in extreme poverty broke a lot of preconceived notions I had and helped me refocus on acting empathetically with fairness and dignity afforded to all, regardless of socioeconomic status. Dowd has given me some tools to use in conflict resolution, but I think more importantly he has given me some goals I'd like to bring into my work and tangible things I can do to improve my service and build relationships with my patrons.
I don't mind the casual style as others have (Like I said, I've been dying for a librarianship book that isn't B O R I N G), but I do agree with others that the pop culture reference names for his tools were confusing. I also agree that it would have been nice to lean more about homelessness from the perspective of people of color and LQBTQ, but I think there is more than enough great info that library employees at all levels could benefit from reading this (That is if they want to continue in our wacky profession).
June 30, 2022
I am not a librarian, but I often encounter chronically homeless people outside the grocery store or at a street corner. This can make me feel a bit uneasy about because I don’t feel informed enough about the best way to act, particularly if the person is displaying any type of erratic behavior.
The first third of the book tries to build empathy by describing some experiences that are common among homeless people but that others are unlikely to have, and by explaining how these experiences can lead to different mindsets or challenged.
Later on, there are a large number if practical examples for approaching different scenarios, such as if a library patron is loudly talking to themselves or is bathing in the bathroom. Since I’m not a librarian this was not necessarily practical information, but I still found it really interesting to think about. I do agree with some of the criticisms in other reviews that it may be more difficult for a woman to put these tips into action when interacting with a male patron.
And lastly, this book put it in perspective that the people I encounter who are visibly living on the streets or panhandling (the chronically homeless) are only about 10% of the homeless population.
So - I’m not sure if the advice is good or not, but it was certainly a thought provoking read.
The first third of the book tries to build empathy by describing some experiences that are common among homeless people but that others are unlikely to have, and by explaining how these experiences can lead to different mindsets or challenged.
Later on, there are a large number if practical examples for approaching different scenarios, such as if a library patron is loudly talking to themselves or is bathing in the bathroom. Since I’m not a librarian this was not necessarily practical information, but I still found it really interesting to think about. I do agree with some of the criticisms in other reviews that it may be more difficult for a woman to put these tips into action when interacting with a male patron.
And lastly, this book put it in perspective that the people I encounter who are visibly living on the streets or panhandling (the chronically homeless) are only about 10% of the homeless population.
So - I’m not sure if the advice is good or not, but it was certainly a thought provoking read.
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