By Joanne Gamlin Los Angeles
I remember Celia Carroll from her earlier days as the head librarian at the Ocean Park branch library. I recall her as a fair-minded, intelligent and devoted-to-the-job librarian.
Therefore, I was shocked to read of her injuries at the hand of a homeless man named Melvin Winston Hardy. He should have been sentenced to six months, not 60 days.
Librarians have a right to be frightened by persons like Mr. Hardy. And given the “be gentle with the homeless” stance of city officials, they have even more reason to be scared in their jobs.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 4, 2006. Read the original PDF.