newjerseynewsroom.com

BY PAT SUMMERS

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Think about it. If you were young, homeless and possessed intellectual curiosity, where could you hang out while pulling your life together?

No need to camp under a RR bridge — or even, since you live in Neptune, under the boardwalk. A better place beckons, one offering peace and quiet, even during the day; climate control; mental stimulation . . . and a variety of free snacks.

Your friendly local public library.

For 26-year old Charles Jones Jr., that would be the Ocean Township (Monmouth county) library -- complete with basement nooks and all the books and periodicals he could want --- for nearly two weeks.

Arrested late last week and charged with burglary and theft, Jones was spotted after hours at a library window by a custodian, who notified the police. His bookish life was over.

Winter's usually the time for stories of homeless people sheltering in libraries. More recently, budget woes have caused libraries and/or their branches to close, opening up space for opportunistic homeless people. As libraries checked out, those needing a room of their own could check in.

Jones, however, chose an operating library — one with staff members who noticed food was missing from the break room, and a sharp-eyed custodian.

Police found books in Jones's basement lair. You have to wonder, with the whole library at his disposal, what he had selected to keep him company. Maybe in-demand reserve books awaiting pick-up. Regardless, the check-out process took no time at all.

For almost two weeks, Jones had the chance most of us can only wish for: a block of uninterrupted time to read all those books we've meant to get to — with or without a library card.

And given the high temperatures earlier this month, we have to hope the basement was comfortably air-conditioned too.