Teen Vogue: “In cities like Los Angeles, activists are working to end contracts between local police forces and public libraries…Cop-free library movements in St. Louis, New York City, and at Ivy League University libraries are similarly calling for police divestment. Libraries for All STL activists pressured the St. Louis County Library to terminate its contract with Hudson Security Services, a private contractor. The group also succeeded in securing full divestment from police and security forces at one particular branch, and a commitment to contract social workers to work within the system. Libraries in Denver, San Francisco, and Dallas employ social workers who connect patrons with services and help handle crises. The effort mirrors a larger citywide effort in Denver to replace police with social workers in “nonviolent” situations. Replacing police with social service workers would follow a larger trend in L.A. too: Following the George Floyd protests, Los Angeles City Council members called for a new emergency-response model that would provide aid for people facing crises, rather than enlisting armed LAPD officers. The city cut LAPD’s $1.8 billion budget by $150 million…”