The Trails Regional Library is a public library consortium for Johnson and Lafayette Counties in Missouri. Over the past month there has been discussion on a social media platform in a community forum dedicated to Warrensburg about unhoused/homeless individuals at the Warrensburg library branch.

There are shelters in the Warrensburg area, but for the most part there are no daytime shelters. For an unhoused/homeless person this can be an even greater challenge in hot, cold, or inclement weather. The public library is a public library – it’s open to all, there is air conditioning or heat appropriate to the season, there is access to the Internet, and it’s a safe space.

Individual(s) brought their concerns to the Trails Regional Library Board of Trustees. The board met on Wednesday night at the Holden, Missouri branch with the concern(s) on the agenda.

Trails Regional Library Core Values

We are kind.
We treat each other and those we serve with empathy and compassion. We see every day as an opportunity to inspire new ideas and make someone smile.

We are inclusive.
The library is for everyone, and everyone is welcome here. We recognize and value diversity and intellectual freedom and believe it makes us stronger. Though we may be different, we always begin each interaction with the belief that others’ intentions are good.

We are open.
We cultivate a space where we can share differing opinions without judgment. We stay committed to each other by trusting, communicating, working through conflict, and being open to feedback. Each interaction is an opportunity to learn, even when it doesn’t go the way we hope.

Advocates and activists for unhoused/homeless individuals attended the meeting. Several signed in to speak at the public comment portion at the beginning of the meeting.

From the public comment portion of the meeting:

“…And in the mean time you’ll make them feel like productive members of society and not outcasts. We want to be welcoming to our housing displaced and provide additional support…”


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“…Librairies are for everyone…”


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“I run the homeless shelter in Warrensburg, one of them. And I am here to defend them all…They are displaced people. But displaced people are not bad people…”


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The speaker on the meeting agenda – on the subject of unhoused/homeless individuals utilizing the library:


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A response from an individual in the audience:

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The lack of sufficient resources in Warrensburg impacts the library branch which by all accounts – to the credit of its staff – tries to meet the challenges with compassion, service, and professionalism.