Library Security and Safety

Saturday, July 11 at 10:30 PLA sponsored a session titled “Effective Safety and Security Practices in Today’s Public Library.” This was a large room and it was standing room only. Handouts were gobbled up quickly; thank goodness ALA and all of its divisions have put them up on the webpage.

Bryan Oliver, Safety & Security Manager, Richland County (S.C.) Public Library had these points when dealing with disruptive behavior:

1. Remain calm, be confident, speak in a relaxed tone, pause , Breath, and think before responding.
2. Listen carefully to the Patron’s question or complaint then used active listening to paraphrase the Patrons concern as precisely as possible.
3. Do not debate, Do not negotiate and Deviation from policy should be avoided. Be consistent in your responses.
4. Don’t fight, walk away if a patron displays anger or request assistance from other staff.
5. If justifiable, make an exception if you have the authority
6. If exception can not be made, explain the policy or Code of Conduct clearly. The Code of Conduct is your SHIELD!

Take these steps when confronted with disruptive behavior. If the situation warrants, you may ask the Patron to leave. If they do not and the incident escalates, call a supervisor, security, or the police to escort the patron from the premises. The last step is to let other staff members know who was ejected and why. They may wait and try to return.

Andrew Sanderbeck, Consultant & Trainer, The People-Connect Institute had this to say during the presentation—

• Ensure equitable treatment for all patrons.
• Deal with problems as they happen, so that the problem does not escalate.
• Ask yourself are the library policies supportive of the staff and what authority do they have. Look at a behavior intellectually and not emotionally.
• E + R = O this translates to Events + Response = Outcome When there is an incident, how your respond will determine the outcome. Will a patron have a positive or negative view of the library?

This is a topic of interest to all. Violence seems to be on the increase partly due to the stress of the current economy. The full house at this presentation testifies to the interest and importance of this topic.