What kind of services supply to the poor? A survey directed toward homeless

Abstract

PurposeThe Bibliothèque Publique d'information (Bpi), a large public reference library, located inside the Centre Pompidou in Paris, welcomes visitors from students to professionals and including the homeless community. In order to precisely diagnose the situation, the Bpi asked the French sociologist Serge Paugam to conduct a study of all these poorly housed or homeless users (refugees, migrants, people with mental health issues, etc.). This paper seeks to address these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe study was based on participant observations and in‐depth interviews throughout a six‐month period of time.FindingsPaugam looks upon social downgrading as a process and he distinguishes three steps he calls “Fragility”, “Dependency”, and “Rupture”. His hypothesis stated that the three stages of this process should be observed in the library. This was proved to be true. Moreover, the survey finding showed there are links between the stage of the process where people happen to be and their uses of the library.Originality/valueThis is the first French study directed toward homeless library users. It shows that although a public library welcomes everyone, social inequalities do not disappear. The survey finding confirms the diversity of the public, even among those users with poor living conditions, and the difficulty to offer services relevant to everybody, in a large public library such as the Bpi. Should the library offer the same set of activities to all those it serves? Or should it target specific groups of users and operate programs to meet their specific needs?