Once a haven for people sleeping outside, after fire, Pittsfield library bans loitering
After a fire broke out Nov. 21, the Berkshire Athenaeum, the public library in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, has changed its policy that allowed peopl...
After a fire broke out Nov. 21, the Berkshire Athenaeum, the public library in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, has changed its policy that allowed people to sleep near the building. Previously, the library had been a kind of haven for those without homes who sleep outside.The library entrance is topped by an overhang that provides some shelter from the elements. That, free Wi-Fi and access to toilets drew people who do not have homes, who sleep outside.In addition, the library did not to require people to leave at night.