Posted on 05/17/2026 4:19:28 AM PDT by Libloather
Los Angeles public libraries are being overwhelmed by violence, drug use and homelessness with frightened families and librarians saying once-safe community spaces are often no-go zones.
Even enforcement measures designed to control disruptive behavior are now buckling under the strain.
Temporary Suspension Letters — which ban unruly patrons from all library branches — have surged nearly 90% from 369 in 2023 to 700 suspensions in 2025.
A California Post review of 911 logs obtained through a public records request found the emergency call outs were for assaults, criminal threats, drug use, theft, mental health crises and trespassing.
And reported incidents at libraries have skyrocketed by nearly 135% — from 979 cases in 2020 to a staggering 2,300 in 2025.
From the flagship Los Angeles Central Library in Downtown LA, to affluent Brentwood Branch Library and South Los Angeles, police officers are being dispatched to arrest the criminals involved.
The Post witnessed the crisis firsthand at Central Library in Downtown LA on Friday.
More than 100 homeless people were gathered inside and outside the building.
Many occupied public computers, while others clustered near entrances, some openly using drugs.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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Well they ARE public libraries! You mean, racist, artist, rich, elitist, misogynistic scumbags!
(/sarcasm) for the impaired.
This is what leftists want for the entire country so they can break it and rebuild their utopia(hell).
Turn the LA libraries into dental schools for the meth-Americans.
Books are cheap downloads in our time
Bingo!
Sounds like Denver.
Was at Lowry AFB back in the day. Used the bus system to get around town. Gorgeous place. Couldn’t breath.
Yes. You can spot ‘em.
The Denver library is in a beautiful old style building. They now spend more on Narcan than books.
The libraries themselves are doing their part. In Massachusetts, pot dispensaries contribute to state revenues. In Western Mass, a very modern showcase branch subscribes to the print version of “High Times” magazine. This library is next to a public grade school and the area’s Catholic high school. I suppose for safety, there are no doors into the rest rooms, just two turns of a corridor, so that sounds of inappropriate activity may be more audible.
After a lunatic set a fire on the 2nd floor of Northampton’s Forbes Library, the management refused to put in security cameras.
Seriously? It sounds like they're far past "unruly" and they certainly aren't legitimate "patrons." Oh Lord, deliver us from the constant politically correct CRAP!
But when you visited or deployed to sea level areas, you could be a superstar pounder of beer for about 5 days.
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