By Dennis O’Neil

As University of Louisville remains a public institution, the homeless have become a consistent presence in Ekstrom Library, and sometimes a source of disruption.

According to Ekstrom Library dean Diane Nichols, a disturbance was reported involving an inebriated man on the third floor of the library on Thurs., Oct. 18. The man was identified by the Department of Public Safety as homeless and escorted out of the building. According to Nichols, the man was subsequently banned from campus.

Desiray Wosochlo, a Tulip Tree Cafe employee, said the homeless have also caused disturbances in the cafe.

She cited an example of a man who was asked to leave by cafe employees because he was harassing a female U of L student. The gentleman left of his own accord after employees threatened to call DPS.

Some in the student body have expressed discontent about these incidents.

“I think it is great that we allow the public to access our resources,” senior English major Scott Zurkuhlen said, “but if non-U of L people are causing disturbances, then things need to be better regulated.”

Wosochlo said that the homeless have become a frequent presence in the Tulip Tree. “Some homeless people are in [the Tulip Tree] all day on the weekend,” Wosochlo said. “Usually, there are at least one or two of them on the computers. They are often here using the computers during the week as well.”

The computer terminals in the Tulip Tree bear signs specifying that computers are reserved for students only, and that anyone using a computer should be ready to show an I.D.

Security is stationed in the cafe between the hours of midnight and 7:30 a.m. making sure only students and staff are allowed in. Outside of these hours though, the computers in the cafe appear wide open for public use.

According to Nichols, since the Tulip Tree employees are employed by Chartwells and not the university, they have no responsibility for policing the computer terminals.

This problem exists in other parts of the library as well. Ekstrom leaves 23 computers open for public use, with the majority confined to the Learning Commons and Reach Learning areas, where a U of L I.D. is required to gain entrance.

According to library assistant Alex Vance, often on the desk of the Learning Commons, non-U of L students still do get through.

“If the person on the desk gets up to go to the bathroom or to help someone, a non-U of L student may walk in and sit down,” Vance said. “Whether or not we ask them to leave depends on the person and the situation. Often we get old students using expired I.D.’s as well.”

According to Nichols, the library does leave many of these instances unaddressed.

“If [a non-UofL student] does break through, a librarian should go over and talk to them,” Nichols said. “Often, if the person isn’t causing a problem, then we don’t really address it.”

Several of the library’s employees echo this as their practice. Library searches assistant Lisa Ortega said she only addresses a patron if they cause a disturbance.

“If someone is being too rowdy, I will ask them to quiet down,” Ortega said. “Whether they be a university or non-university patron, I have to call DPS.”

Nichols said that if a homeless person is on a computer that a student needs to use, the student should find a library staffer and have them ask the homeless person to give up the terminal. She said that this situation rarely arises, though.

“If the homeless are using property reserved for paying U of L students, then obviously something needs to be done about it,” sophomore Jonathan Palmer said.