WORCESTER—When Marisa Halpin was verbally harassed while browsing the stacks alone at Worcester Public Library, she joined a growing number of patrons who say they have been impacted by disruptive behavior in the city’s flagship library. Her encounter is among hundreds logged in the library’s incident reports — now filling two 4-inch binders for 2025 alone.
The library isn’t sitting idle. Executive Director Jason Homer has been leading efforts to address a growing range of challenges.
“When we begin to map issues and incidents, we can see that our main issues are related to mental health and substance use disorder,” Homer said. “And those problems cannot be solved by technology, they require connection and relationships.”
He added that many with mental health needs tend to head to the library because it remains one of the few free and open public spaces. “We need to be appropriately ready for them when they arrive.”
Recent shelter closures have only intensified the situation. Following the closure of the RMV shelter in 2024, the library saw an immediate uptick in disruptions. The staff were better prepared for the April 2025 closure of the downtown shelter, but ripple effects continue across the city.
City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj, chair of the council’s education committee, said she supports the increased investment. “Throughout these conversations with Mr. Homer and the city manager, I have supported adding additional security personnel, as well as hiring a social worker,” she said. “The WPL is an open and welcoming space to anyone, as it should be.”
Targeted solutions and staff protections
The library’s incident data has helped pinpoint patterns, with the majority of incidents occurring midweek between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. In response, the library has introduced new safety tools:
“We’ve added ‘de-escalation buttons’ to staff service points,” Homer said. “We’ve also installed more phones and walkies so staff can call for assistance quickly. Depending on severity and repetition, we issue warning letters and ‘no trespass’ orders.”
But not all of the challenges are tied to homelessness or mental health.
“We have also seen a rise in entitlement-based harassment of librarians,” Homer said, specifically citing instances of inappropriate behavior toward female staff. “That is unacceptable.”
As part of its expanded approach, the library is also investing in broader behavioral education and citywide coordination.
“As an organization rooted in supporting our community’s right to access to information, which includes their intellectual freedom — coupled with increased trainings and three full security guards (we have never had that much support before) — we are confident our patrons will learn the behaviors that are acceptable in the library,” Homer said. “The rest of security involves an increase in resources and will reiterate my excitement for additional resources outside of the library for all those in need in the community. Our goal is to connect people to resources. Our hope is that the merger of the security compliance resources in the city will mean that we have faster response from the resources that belong to the respective issues.”
Councilor-at-Large Morris Bergman also supports additional security measures. “There has to be an uptick in security, that’s for sure,” he said, adding that the city could look to procedures already in place at City Hall.
Balancing safety and community access
Not all feedback has been negative. Worcester resident Andrew Keefe spoke highly of the library’s welcoming atmosphere, particularly for families like his. “I can’t speak for how welcoming the unhoused, immigrant, or non-English speaking members of our community feel,” he said, “but for Worcester elementary school children, the WPL is especially important since there are no fully functional libraries run by certified librarians in any of our 32 elementary schools.”
Halpin echoed the importance of accessibility. “Libraries are one of the only places where individuals can go without having to pay,” she said. “In times of economic hardship, libraries become even more vital to community well-being.”
The FY2026 city budget includes a boost in library security staff, expanding from one to three guards. But Homer emphasized that personnel alone won’t solve the deeper issues.
“These are not merely library problems that can be solved by our staff,” Homer said. “These are larger, societal issues that will require a comprehensive solution from multiple agencies, as well as resources and commitment from our community as a whole.”
As the library prepares to consolidate its security operations under the Department of Public Facilities, Homer said he remains focused on striking a balance.
“We are immensely excited that we will have three full-time security compliance staff at the library,” he said. “But what’s crucial is that we maintain our commitment to being a welcoming space while ensuring the safety of both our staff and patrons. Every solution we implement must serve both these essential goals.”
Matt Olszewski is a freelance content and news writer based in Boston, MA. In his free time, Matt enjoys running, hiking or skiing. Matt recently graduated with his MPH from Tufts University. He can be reached at mattoskier@gmail.com
