Bridges Bay Library Case Summary

This case study presents an incident that occurred in Bridges Bay Public Library. The director of the library, Joseph Calenda, has to decide what should be done about the homeless people, standing in the lobby of the library. Calenda is the manager being graded on in this case study. Due to the cold weather, a group of homeless people stood in the lobby to stay warm. Many of the patrons visiting the library complained about their presence and the director convened a meeting with the department heads to discuss what should be done. They decide to do nothing and the group except for a woman leave when it starts to get warmer outside. The woman left a few hours later. However, the next day she appeared again, with no signs of leaving. A custodian who asked her to leave received a blank stare in response. The patrons’ complaints grew, and another meeting was held. In the meeting, topics such as laws regarding vagrancy and whether to call the police was discussed and debated. The assistant director, Bridget O’Dea, brought up a valid point about the homeless from an ethical standpoint. Her argument is that as a society one should help those who cannot help themselves (). She believes that the library should let the woman stay since she is not doing any

He acknowledged complaints and grievances made by patrons and led a discussion on what to do about the matter. However, an immediate solution was not made which led to an escalation of irritation by both patrons and staff. The patrons did not have faith in the ability of the library director to lead and make a decision. Furthermore, the patrons do not accept the initial decision not to do anything and due to the library’s slow response to the matter, the patrons take it upon themselves to solve the problem. The homeless woman was there for two days but the complaints made by patrons grew rapidly, to the point where calls were made to the