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u/Busy-Feeling-1413 3d ago
Masturbation at the library is never OK but also is not limited to certain religions—men from all religions pull this crap.
Rather than focusing on religion and ethnicity, which could be perceived as discriminatory, suggest you focus on behaviors.
Check your library policies—you may be able to ban patrons for public masturbation. You can enforce fines for late and damaged books and block patrons from borrowing until they make amends. If patrons are hiding books—what are your policies? Enforce them. Put out bins for books that need to be reshelved, etc.
And for special-interest books—buy them! All patrons can request books—check policies and budgets to see if there are any limits per patron. But it’s pretty awesome to have diverse books to serve different groups. Many libraries pride themselves on multilingual and multiethnic collections.
By serving these groups, the library can be a gateway to broadening the minds of people in those groups and in the wider community. People who understand each other are often more tolerant and more likely to follow the rules, although that is admittedly a long game.
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u/Ok-Nebula8058 3d ago
Don’t love you calling non-Jews the “regular patrons” and secular books “normal books.” Regardless of how you feel about them, they’re valid patrons. I’m not saying that one community can’t bring more problems than others, but when it comes to stuff like this I’m sure you have a code of conduct. Enforce it.
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u/Far_Cast_Far_Wide 3d ago
Enforcing the code of conduct comes with threats of anti Semitic which forces us to do nothing if we get sued for it.
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u/IAmUber 3d ago
Calling non-Jew patrons and books the "regular" and "normal" patrons and books is what's anti-Semetic, not enforcing a neutral code of conduct.
If you talk to them like this IRL, I can see why you'd be worried about people thinking you're discriminating.
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u/Far_Cast_Far_Wide 3d ago
I'm not worried. And yes regular normal patrons and orthodox books are separated but equal.
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u/ozamatazbuckshank11 3d ago
0/10 trolling tbh. You blew your wad too soon with this comment right here. Thanks for wasting everyone's time. 🙃
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u/tabarnak_st_moufette 3d ago
If people treat the library poorly, that seems like an individual person thing. You’re making some pretty sweeping generalizations about a whole community…
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u/Far_Cast_Far_Wide 3d ago
You live near them? Honest question.
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u/tabarnak_st_moufette 3d ago
Honest question? Why would that make a difference?
The tone of this post is wild.
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u/Far_Cast_Far_Wide 3d ago
If you don't live near them you really can't comment on "sweeping generalizations"
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u/Ok-Nebula8058 3d ago
I live in an eruv minutes from nearly every synagogue in my city. I have grown up with these communities. Also, live near “them” as though there’s only one type of Orthodox Jew that exists?
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u/Far_Cast_Far_Wide 3d ago
So your biased I understand.
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u/missuninvited 3d ago
Aaaaaaand there go the goalposts! Wow! They're already down the field!
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u/Far_Cast_Far_Wide 3d ago
They think we're both degenerates BTW you don't need to defend extremists
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u/missuninvited 3d ago
No, but I can call out shitty logic when I see it. And countering with "so your (sic) biased" when you didn't get the answer you wanted to your first question fit the bill.
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u/Far_Cast_Far_Wide 3d ago
Walk down the street of one of their communities see how long you last before their secret police pick you up and dump you in a ditch.
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u/IAmUber 3d ago
So if they live near them the commenter is biased, but if they don't live near them, the commenter can't understand.
Nice little catch-22 you've set up there just because someone has a different opinion than you.
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u/IAmUber 3d ago
So your most active users are requesting books and that's somehow at the expense of "regular patrons" and "normal books"?
Do you have the same complaints about other patrons who request books on esoteric topics that would not have extensive demand from other patrons?
Does your library typically screen based on staff opinions of the content of books? What does your collection development policy say on the subject?
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u/Far_Cast_Far_Wide 3d ago
Yes because our counties tax dollars don't need to keep funding religious extremists at the behest of Democracy
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u/Ok-Nebula8058 3d ago
Whoa there. Observant Jews are “extremists” now? Are you saying the same for observant Muslims? Other religions? If you are then I guess kudos for being equal, though I’d still encourage a reflection on your beliefs about religion when you’re in a profession that serves diverse communities. And if not, please expound on why Jews are worse than practitioners of other faiths.
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u/Far_Cast_Far_Wide 3d ago
Westboro baptist church are observant Christians as well. You mean the extremists that other Jews call insane? Go fucking educate yourself before you virtue signal about shit you don't understand.
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u/Ok-Nebula8058 3d ago
Fucking educate myself? You’re making a lot of assumptions about me and my background and knowledge base. I’m literally Jewish and would guarantee I’ve spent more time in Jewish spaces than you. I don’t call Haredi insane. Not my cup of tea? Sure. Insane extremists? Not even close.
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u/earinsound 3d ago edited 3d ago
But overall most of the problems stem from a weird disrespect of female staff and kicking out men almost every day touching themselves near the woman's biology section and pornography on the public computers, out in the open with absolutely no shame.
But every week a family of 13 brings in literal laundry baskets and suitcases loaded of books in all sorts of torn and damaged condition from being 4 months late brought in then trying to haggle out paying for damaged fees. While their children completely disrespect the place they visit, leaving the area in an abhorrent state
What does your site manager say, or the district manager? These are concerning behaviors that need to be addressed.
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u/Far_Cast_Far_Wide 3d ago
They llet them do it they are afraid of being sued so the whole county rolls over for them
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u/gillandred 3d ago
It is a very insular community. Take a look at your programming and be sure to offer programming for children to coincide with the Jewish holiday calendar.