Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

8-2025

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

Sociology

Degree Program

Sociology, MA

Committee Chair

Heberle, Lauren

Committee Member

Potter, Debbie

Committee Member

Haynes, Lora

Author's Keywords

Unhoused individuals; public libraries; spatial dynamics; agency; social inclusion; public space

Abstract

This study explores how unhoused individuals navigate and utilize the spatial dynamics of public libraries, with a specific focus on how they assert agency into the public space. Public space is examined at the institutional level and through the influential roles of individual workers. Public libraries serve as both refuge and resources for unhoused individuals, and this study highlights the complex dynamics that arise within them. Drawing on observations and informational informal interviews, I examine how unhoused people utilize and navigate the physical space of a public library in a large metropolitan area. I find that unhoused people adapt to and claim the public space, use disruptive behaviors as forms of agency, and participate in social cohesion based on shared experiences. Additionally, the interviews provided insight into institutional practices such as staff training, community partnerships, policy enforcement, and inclusive design strategies that shape how the library supports unhoused individuals. These findings shed light on how the spatial dynamics and design of a public library can influence unhoused individuals’ insertion of agency and inform my policy recommendations.

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