The Medford library is more than a place to check out books, videos and use other resources. For the homeless, it can be a lifeline, a place to get out of the weather and an institution that offers compassion in a town that can be hostile to those who live on the streets.

A week ago, on April 5, for instance, homeless patrons were invited inside two hours before regular library hours to eat donuts and fruit, use library restrooms to clean themselves up, and have their feet soaked and inspected by trainees from the Oregon Health & Science University street nurse program.

Library officials launched a social services program last year, hiring social workers to provide “for children, teen and adult patrons seeking support and referral to resources that address mental health challenges, food or housing insecurity, and more,” according to the Jackson County Library Services website.

Joan Vigil, assistant director of public services for Jackson County libraries, said library staff wish they could offer even more than they do. The library website states that the Medford branch has lowered barriers for patrons to utilize library services in order to create an environment “where we are not penalizing, criminalizing or stigmatizing poverty, which will allow our libraries to be truly accessible and welcoming for all.”

“We try to promote a library that is welcoming and accessible to everybody. Many of our patrons, they come in with their whole life with them at any given time,” Vigil said. “We only wish we had more services we could provide.”

Pull Quote

“The bottom line is that, if this was a private residence or another business, we would be issuing notifications to shut it down.”

—  Brian Sjothun, Medford city manager

Calls for service

While acknowledging the good intentions, police, city officials and library neighbors — including Rogue Community College and the Rogue Valley Transportation District — say the library’s largesse is leading to crime and safety concerns in and around the library, spilling over to the surrounding community and keeping other library users away.

“If this was a private residence or another business,” said Medford City Manager Brian Sjothun, “we would be issuing notifications to shut it down.”

Police say they’ve been called to the library for issues ranging from drug use and sex acts in library restrooms to fires, damage to property, homeless people exposing themselves in front of library windows, and aggressive individuals making other library users feel unsafe.

Medford police Chief Justin Ivens said officers responded to 400 calls for service at the library last year. Between Jan. 1 and March 1 this year, 89 calls were logged, including 14 medical calls and 13 for trespass. Fires and other crime have increased, he said, as have calls for related service from neighboring businesses and residents. Ivens said he was headed home last week when he heard a 911 call for a fire at the library.

“With that being such a big structure and being in the downtown, they dispatched a bunch of fire apparatus down there. It ended up being just a small warming fire up against the building,” he said. “This time it was just a tiny little fire, but to think of what could have happened and the vandalism behind it. In talking to library staff, I found out this isn’t even an uncommon occurrence.”

Ivens said the abundance of calls for police and fire response are taxing on city services and unfair to taxpayers.

“Unfortunately, we’re down there a lot, and it’s become a situation that is tying up a lot of resources from not only the police, but Mercy (Flights) ambulance, Medford Fire,” Ivens said. “When we have a location where we’re seeing an overabundance of calls for service, as a police department, we try to meet with them and say, ‘How can we help you with these issues?’”

Library officials say most of those issues are coming from a small number of the homeless people being served, which they acknowledge cause concerns for both housed and unhoused library users.

Small percentage cause problems

Medford residents Brian Vonhaden and Scott Elam, homeless residents who are regulars at the Medford library, were there April 5 for breakfast and other resources they say make life on the streets feel a little less hopeless.

Aside from the services available Wednesday mornings, such as the foot soaks, homeless patrons have the ability to “check out” camping supplies, pick up extra food or other supplies, or meet with a social worker.

Library officials say they’re trying to strike a balance between providing library services while caring for the community as a whole. On any given day, three dozen or more homeless people hang out inside the library, mostly reading, napping or using their cellphones.

Vigil acknowledged that problems occur and said issues are being addressed.

“I’m relatively new to the area. I moved here in November, but from what I’ve heard, it’s been a ride. There has been an increase in some crimes since the pandemic … and the past few months we’ve seen more of an uprise in incidents around the whole city,” Vigil said, noting that night security contractors check library doors after hours, due to the fact meeting rooms can be reserved after the library has closed.

According to minutes posted on the library website for a Feb. 22 meeting of the JCLS board, library Director Kari May discussed safety issues with board members, including liability of after-hours meeting room use, and new safety measures adopted by Medford Friends of the Library in response to safety concerns for their volunteers.

May, who did not return calls to the Rogue Valley Times, discussed an overall “increase in incidents and concerns about security and safety across the system,” and meeting rooms used for reasons “not strictly in accordance with library policy.”

In terms of drug use in library restrooms — library social workers keep Narcan on hand — Vigil said it was “probably suspected” to be occurring.

“People are doing them all over the city, so it’s very possible they could be in the library, too. We’re definitely increasing our efforts, and our social workers do frequent checks of the restroom,” said Vigil, adding that patrons have mixed reviews about current library operations.

Medford resident Sasha Edwards said the library was putting “homeless services above general library services.” Edwards said she was accosted by a homeless woman in the library parking lot who appeared to be suffering issues related to mental health or drug use.

“She was yelling crazy things at my kids. And I had one of those moments where you just pray that your kids can obey you quickly, because I’m yelling at them to get in the car. At the time, I had a 5-year-old, 3-year-old and a 1-year-old in a stroller. … I put myself between the baby in the stroller and her and just prayed,” Edwards said, noting that it was commonplace to walk through “throngs of homeless smoking weed at the library entrance.”

“One time we found someone passed out in one of the stalls in the bathroom. And we reported it to the front desk. And they told us that we are welcome to use the kids’ bathroom. Which was kind, but also just crazy. … I haven’t been to that location in a long time. Now I go to the Central Point or the Talent one usually, because we don’t have those kinds of problems there. I’ve talked to so many people who just don’t go there anymore.”

‘It’s hard on the library’

Eric Dziura, president of the JCLS board, acknowledged in an interview the library situation “is reaching a point that it’s a crisis.”

“It really is a crisis, and I think it has to be treated that way in some respects. I’m very concerned about our patrons feeling unsafe and about the security of our patrons and our staff. And it can get dicey at times,” he said, noting that the Ashland library is having similar problems albeit on a smaller scale.

Dziura said library officials are working to address safety and cleanliness concerns and will increase custodial maintenance and security personnel immediately.

“We have talked extensively about the unhappy and destructive activities and drug use and what role the Medford library may be playing in that. Because of the kinds of services and the way we deal with homeless … it’s attractive for them to be there, but it’s hard on the library and it’s hard on our patrons, and it’s also hard on surrounding businesses and organizations.

Pull Quote

“Because of the kinds of services and the way we deal with homeless … it’s attractive for them to be there, but it’s hard on the library and it’s hard on our patrons.”

— Eric Dziura, JCLS board president

“I would say I don’t think we were completely aware of the scope of the problem, but we are committed to addressing these issues.”

Julie Brown, general manager for the Rogue Valley Transportation District, said issues at the library had “come to a head,” prompting RVTD security to sometimes intervene. Brown, whose district offices and main terminal are across from the library, recently met with representatives from the library, Rogue Community College and the city to offer suggestions.

Brown applauded the intent of library staff providing outreach for homeless people, but she said library staff are not equipped to handle problems that arise.

Brown, noting that RVTD spends $180,000 for security each year, said a no-tolerance approach to loitering and crime is necessary for the downtown and that she’s open to discussing a dedicated Livability Team for the three entities.

“They asked us how we are dealing with security, because we don’t seem to be having as many problems. A big thing for us is we have had armed security for the last several years, on premises and patrolling throughout the evenings and weekends, and when we’re not there. Basically, we do not have people hanging out in our transfer station because we do not allow it,” said Brown, who urged library officials to “take responsibility for what they’ve created.”

“It’s very sad, but the bottom line is that the library has created a situation by having social services. It’s going to be hard to break away from doing those services once they are offered, but I encourage them strongly to do so.”

Nuisance property

Sjothun, Medford’s city manager, said he had heard for the past nine months from residents “reaching out because the experiences they’re having with going to the library … have not been positive.”

“I don’t have anything other than anecdotal evidence, but it seems like the camps that are on the Ninth Street bridge have become bigger since the library started offering these added services,” Sjothun said.

“I don’t believe that the library is operating under the intent in which the bonds were passed to build the libraries. As an experienced person who can somewhat protect myself, I don’t feel threatened going in there, but there is absolutely no way I would let my wife and my grandson go to the public library.”

Sjothun said the library “checks all the boxes” to be deemed a nuisance property.

“We’ll be meeting with the library in the next few weeks, asking that they come up with a plan as to how they are going to reduce calls for service in order to not be labeled a chronic nuisance property,” he said.

“Provide security, not just during operational hours. We have heard from people who went into the restroom and discovered homeless individuals having sex, drug activity taking place in the restrooms. It’s unacceptable. Some police don’t feel welcome inside the library from certain staff members. We’ve heard from staff who don’t feel safe but are afraid to speak out. We’re the largest city in the library district, and I don’t think a lot of our residents feel safe using that library.”

A place to get out of the weather

Sitting inside the library last Wednesday, with rain falling outside and street nurses offering foot soaks and health checks, Vonhaden said he was grateful for services but understands community concerns. Nearby, a restroom was closed for repair after a recent fire, with a sign urging patrons to use spaces “as intended.”

Poor decisions by a small percentage, Vonhaden agreed, “reflect on all of us.”

“This gives us a place to get out of the weather, use the restroom and whatnot. We make sure we get down here on Wednesdays so that the numbers show that we need this, so they don’t take it away,” he said.

“The ones causing problems, you get that in any part of society. You’ll see a camp, garbage strewn everywhere, or problems being caused. Those are the ones up to other things, but most of us don’t live like that. It makes me mad. No wonder the homeless get a bad name. I come every Wednesday. There’s a resource specialist here who helps me. I can network with people, get out of the weather. I know some of the guys take advantage of it for sure.”

Elam, a Medford native who said he hopes to get into a dual-diagnosis treatment program for addiction and mental health, said some services being provided only exacerbate some of the issues plaguing the library.

Pull Quote

“We try to promote a library that is welcoming and accessible to everybody. Many of our patrons, they come in with their whole life with them at any given time. We only wish we had more services we could provide.”

— Joan Vigil, assistant director for public services for Jackson County libraries

“A lot of it is tongue in cheek. They don’t want people to use drugs or have this as a drug hub in the public library, right? But then they enable it by having … those little containers to dispose syringes. It’s kind of like, ‘Which is it?’ Keeping things in a gray area, especially for that specifically, really doesn’t help anybody,” Elam said.

“That’s why decriminalization, it didn’t help. Initially the idea was, ‘OK, we’re gonna do it and then mandate treatment.’ But it just turns out that every time somebody gets arrested or searched … you get a $100 ticket in the mail, but then getting into treatment is like a three- or four-month waiting list — and that’s if you want to go.”

Ivens said he was hopeful some solutions could be found.

“The library is a really special building. It’s one of those buildings you see off of I-5, and I think it represents our downtown. The folks who work there have a lot of pride in what they do and a lot of pride in that building. I think it’s upsetting to see what’s happening with their facility right now. They’re going to have to make some decisions,” Ivens said.

“We’re hoping to try and get this thing turned around. We know they want to be inclusive and open to everyone — and I appreciate that — but at the same time you have to have the ability to turn someone away and say you’re not welcome here. We’re at a crossroads here where we really need to do something.”