Public libraries and homeless problem patrons in the wake of Kreimer v. Morristown: Writing patron behavior codes that pass constitutional muster.

Abstract

Homeless problem patrons create difficulties for many public libraries. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals decision in the case of Kreimer v. Morristown, 958 F.2d 1242 (1992) affirms the public library's right to hold all library patrons to certain standards of conduct as a precondition to access, and establishes the public library's status as a limited public forum within which First Amendment activities may be subject to limited time, place and manner restrictions. This thesis offers an overview of public library practices when dealing with homeless problem patrons in the decades prior to Kreimer, a review of the Kreimer matter, and the actual and potential impact of Kreimer on future public library patron behavior codes.