Mia Johnson

Johnston

English 1A

898 words

February 13, 2007

Library Odor Bans: For One or For All?

            It is common knowledge that most public libraries are intolerant of excessive noise or disturbances from patrons, and that loud or distracting individuals will be asked to leave. Now a new issue is under debate in public libraries throughout America: should a similar rule be created for people with bad body odor? While some say that such a rule would be practical for the comfort of the majority of library patrons, others think that it would be discriminatory toward those who either cannot bathe, choose not to bathe, or choose to wear excessive amounts of perfume or cologne. It also raises questions such as: “what is an offensive odor?” And, “who gets to decide if the person is worthy of expulsion?” After examining this issue I have concluded that policies that allow public libraries to evict “offensive” smelling patrons are not unfairly discriminatory, and would be practical in public library environments.

             So what is an “offensive” odor? My definition is an odor that is distracting and inescapable to those within about ten to twenty feet of it, preventing those patrons from using the public facility to its intended potential. I would apply this to strong colognes or perfumes, as well as odors from poor hygiene. Some argue that it is an individual’s right to bathe, not bathe, or wear fragrances as they choose. I agree with this, but I believe that in a public area designated to be peaceful, resourceful and comfortable for a large number of people, that it is  reasonable for individuals disturbing the peace of the others in that space to be asked to leave.

            Who decides that an odor is disruptive, and how? I think most would agree that it is the responsibility of the staff (the librarian, or a security guard) to maintain a peaceful environment in the library, as they do with loud, disruptive patrons. I also think that a person’s expulsion is only necessary after several complaints or after many feel that they must leave the library due to the disturbance. As the director of the Dallas Public Library, Laurie Evans stated, “This is not about seeing how many people we can kick out of the library. Quite the opposite, it’s about trying to see how many people we can get to come into our building.” (“American Libraries Online”).

            Some feel that such policies are directed toward the homeless, and because of the common issue of hygiene among the homeless, this may be partly true, but most libraries are not deliberately trying to keep homeless people out. Many in fact do what they can to help the people who may not have the means necessary for better hygiene. The San Francisco Public Library for example, provides lists of facilities with free showers in their restrooms, and the library administration has created “homeless outreach teams” to help place severely disabled people into supportive housing programs (“Don’t Book ‘Em”). In short, many libraries are trying to provide resources for those unable to maintain better hygiene.

            How should it be handled? Another aspect to most libraries’ policies concerning bad odors is that expulsion due to a distracting smell is not permanent. Those who are asked to leave are allowed back anytime after they go somewhere to clean themselves up.  In addition, similar to the regulations on noise, the distracting individual will receive warnings before they are removed (“Don’t Book ‘Em”). The idea behind this way of dealing with the problem is to come up with a compromise between acceptable behavior in a library, and the individual’s capabilities of correcting their own behavior. I believe this is very reasonable.

            Why is a policy like this even necessary? Some say that today people are simply too concerned with others around them, and should focus on themselves instead. Even if this is true, that such a public concern causes the library to lose customers, then it is of valid concern for the library. As librarian Alexander C. Todd says, “Loud people/groups or people with offensive odors should not be denied service, but they should not interfere with the vast majority of customers trying to get the information they need either. Noise and odor both disrupt service. If either is consistent enough, customers will stop coming to the library.” Another concern regarding intense odors in the confined space of a library is their health effects. Strong fragrances like excessive amounts of perfume or cologne are known to be triggers of health conditions such as allergies, asthma and migraine headaches (“Fragrance: Emerging Health and Environmental Concerns”). From health issues alone a library could lose many customers if they did not respond to complaints. Fragrances are more easily dealt with though, their intensity can be reduced simply by a trip to the restroom.

            By looking into this issue I found that in order for public libraries to maintain an optimal environment for people to learn and study in, they must enforce certain rules against disruptive behavior. Some odors are disruptive, and they should be addressed and dealt with in the most polite way possible. And although I agree that it is a person’s right to dress, smell and act the way they choose, in a cooperative and confined public space like a library, individuals must be aware of others sharing the space with them so that as many people as possible can use the resource fully.