“The library also has a social worker and six formerly homeless health and safety associates who scour the Main Library and its 27 branches and provide outreach to those in need. Plus there are city police officers assigned to work overtime in and around the Main Library.”  In addition, SFPL is considering training staff members on how to administer Naloxone if they were to encounter someone overdosing in or around the library. This training and participation will be voluntary, and not mandatory for the staff. Naloxone is administered by leg injection or by nasal spray. If this training/program happens, library staff members will be taught how to use the nasal spray.

“City police and emergency workers have long been trained how to administer naloxone, which has been in use for decades. The overdose prevention project, operating on a $245,000 annual budget, not only provides the drug, but also trains participants to identify signs of overdosing and how to dispense the lifesaving medication.”

References

Ross, Matier &. 2017. “SF library workers may get training to save heroin addicts’ lives.” San Francisco Chronicle, March 19.

The post Preventing Overdoses in the Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The number of opioids sold and the number of related deaths have quadrupled in the United States since 1999. A 2014 DEA study showed that 94% of those in treatment for opioid addiction turned to heroin because it was cheaper and easier to get than prescription painkillers.² The same things that make libraries a good place to study also make them a place where individuals feel they can get away with drug use. There are quiet corners, private study nooks, and large stacks where one can easily find some privacy. They’re free and open to everyone who walks in, and lingering is welcome.

However, many libraries now have makerspaces and computer labs which encourage more pedestrian traffic, making the library less of an anonymous space. They are also taking other initiatives to discourage drug use and even train librarians how to react if they do discover an overdose. These are things you can do in your own library.

Invite Your Police Department to do Routine Walk-Throughs

Most libraries have limited budgets and if anything those budgets are getting smaller, so hiring security might not be an option. However, encouraging your local police departments to do routine and random walk-throughs of the library, especially those out of the way areas and restrooms, is an excellent option. This discourages illegal activity and helps patrons and staff alike feel more secure. Utilizing police in combination with staff to make sure the building is clear before closing can prevent tragedies like the one in Chicago.

Partner with Social Workers

Counselors and social workers can play a large role in addiction recovery,³ creating an alliance with those who are addicted, encouraging them to seek recovery, and even helping them form a plan in case they relapse. At the Ann Arbor District Library in Michigan, social workers set up shop inside and help organize recovery support groups who meet there. This partnership enables them not only to intercept drug activity before it gets started but to offer professional services and guidance to patrons who are struggling.

Train your Staff and Volunteers

The American Library Association encourages librarians to get training on interacting with special populations, such as drug users and the homeless, but stresses the importance of partnering with groups such as police and social workers, Julie Todaro, the association’s president told CBS. Some librarians have taken this a step further. Boston’s libraries have needle drop boxes and have offered overdose prevention training for employees and residents. Health officials have provided some libraries in California with the overdose antidote Narcan,⁴ enabling library staff to save lives if they see an overdose happening. Many of those struggling with addiction to opioids are also struggling with other mental health issues that go hand in hand with dealing with chronic pain. These mental health issues can also affect other aspects of their physical health.⁵ The library is often somewhere they see as a safe place, a haven from their otherwise hectic and displaced lives. Libraries have to balance the need to be a public space available to everyone in the community with their very real responsibility to patrons to keep them safe. This can be done by partnering with police and social workers along with training employees and volunteers to recognize symptoms of heroin addiction you can make your library safe and drug-free.

References

¹http://www.cbsnews.com/news/libraries-becoming-popular-places-for-drug-users-to-shoot-up-heroin/

²https://www.dea.gov/resource-center/dir-ndta-unclass.pdf

³http://counseling.online.wfu.edu/resources/articles/the-role-of-the-counselor-in-addiction-recovery/

⁴http://stopoverdoseil.org/narcan.html

⁵http://onlinedegrees.bradley.edu/resources/articles/how-mental-health-affects-physical-health/

The post Just Say No: Keeping Your Library Drug-Free and Safe first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

I have started another public service campaign in my library, linked to this broader one. Reminded of the threat of fire, I use this to prompt me to review my library’s emergency plan. Each year I re-read my plan, reflecting back on the past year not only in my library, but in the world. I consider if there has been any significant events that indicate I need to alter or add to my plan. For example, for a number of years tornadoes were unheard of in my region. Then, in one year, we had several touchdowns. That year, I added tornadoes to the plan. Most importantly, I examine names and phone numbers. In this world of competing cell phone plans, contact information can change. So, each October I make sure all names and phone numbers are accurate and up to date.

At the same time, I update my staff phone list. Working off a spreadsheet, I update the people who typically work on a given day along with their phone numbers and emergency contact. I then verify the information for who to notify in case of weather related closing. For ease, I also include the contact information for some other key players for the library: the head of facilities, the book keeper, the janitorial staff, and the head of the library board. This information is then assembled into a packet. I take home a packet and provide copies to key staff. One copy remains in the library.

Over the years, I have never needed to utilize the emergency plan. Though we once did have a car drive six feet into our building. That year, car accident was added to the plan, just in case it happened again. I have however, frequently appreciated my snow packet.  Having everything in one place is convenient, but having the contact list also sorted by work schedule has avoided many mishaps when the concerns of weather closings were distracting. I believe most libraries have these important documents, but linking an annual review of the information to something has helped us assure that these documents get updated.

The post Don’t Forget Your Emergency Plan first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Your library staff and patrons deserve the security of mind that comes with a security team. They can help with:

• Regulating unruly customers.
  As painful as it is to admit, not all who walk into the library are looking to enrich their lives peacefully. Fortunately, a good security worker can defuse a situation before it gets out of hand, whether it’s ejecting someone who is intoxicated or helping a lost child find their parent.
• Keeping buildings and collections up to safety codes
  In conjunction with maintenance staff, security officers also work with local safety officials to make sure all areas of the library (including physical storage areas) comply with fire codes and any other physical safety measures that must be taken, whatever the shape of the building.
• Protecting both patrons and employees during emergencies
  Ideally, all staff would know exactly what to do in case of a sudden fire, structural collapse, tornado, or on-the-job injury. Security workers strive toward that optimism while staying alert to the busy realities of everyday work life. They are there not only for direction and guidance during a real disaster but may also provide training or disaster drills.
• Coordinating and updating building access.
  As the eyes and ears of the library, security officers are in charge of the flow between the public and staff-only areas. This includes keeping updated, ongoing records of new and exiting employees—including volunteers, staff from other locations, members present for library board meetings, and cleaning, construction, or other third-party workers—not only to make sure only those authorized are coming and going but also to track where keys and access cards are at all times. In conjunction with human resources or on its own, the safety and security office can help keep the library’s backstage free and clear of trespassers.

Library security is an often-overlooked but incredibly important job on both a day-to-day and big-picture basis.

Further Reading:

Griffin, Melanie. “I’m Not Actually a Librarian: Volunteer Coordinator.” Public Libraries Online. January 15, 2016.

The post Safety & Security Workers Are An Integral Part of Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

I am a strong believer that librarians should be considered mandated reporters nationwide. We work in one of the few professions that see preschool children and their parents. We are in a position to see the interaction between child and adult and see this relationship unfold at time when a parent may not be particularly on guard. Likewise, we are also in the position to have unguarded conversations with seniors and can often gain insight based on the kinds of questions a senior asks.

In my state, librarians are not mandated reporters. Consequently, we receive no training and no direction for what to do if we have suspicions. Without this, our perceptions are not recognized as legitimate. This became painfully apparent to me and my staff recently.

A male patron, who appeared to be the father of two young girls, began coming to our library. My staff brought him to my attention because of things that they overheard in the man’s interactions with the girls. They reported extremely racist, sexist, and politically inflammatory comments. They reported what sounded like threats, “You better find a book or I’ll tell you one of my stories, and we know what happens then.” But we all agreed, while we found these things disturbing, they were not grounds for action.

Their visits were infrequent. They purchased books from the used rack, but didn’t check anything out. No one knew their name. So we started to pay attention. On a couple of occasions I tried to engage one of the girls in conversation. She appeared scared, avoided eye contact, and answered in monosyllabic responses with as little information as possible. The situation made everyone uncomfortable, but we didn’t know what to do.

One day, one of the girls, unbeknownst to her father, wandered to look in the stacks; I wandered to shelve nearby. When the man found her, he was clearly irate. “There’ll be no food for you tonight, and none til you prove you can behave,” he announced. I tried to intervene and explain the girl had done nothing wrong, but I was informed she knew the rules and clearly hadn’t followed them. Fearing a worse fate for the child if I persisted, I stopped.

Immediately after this exchange they left the library. Considering his promise to withhold food a clear threat, we called the police and our local children’s and family services department. One of my staff had spied their license plate, an out of state plate.

In our case, we fear our report did little good. Because of the out of state license plate, both our state and the state of origin kept referring us back and forth to the other. Neither ever took ownership. The police were patronizing. They explained that we were only librarians and that police couldn’t arrest people we didn’t like! We tried to explain. Ultimately they told us there was nothing they could do. We have not seen these patrons again.

It is a situation that haunts us. We cannot help but wonder if we were considered a mandated reporter, might we have been able to cite something more concrete? Would we have been taken more seriously? Might there have been something that could have been pursued?

The post Should Librarians Be Mandated Reporters? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Public libraries are not immune to crime. Library directors and administration have a responsibility to ensure their staff has a safe place to work. Library staff members have a responsibility to ensure their library is a safe and welcoming place. How can we ensure our libraries are welcoming places?

Policies

Establish clear policies and guidelines. It is important to clearly communicate to both staff and patrons what is acceptable and appropriate library use. Consistently enforcing the standards is fundamental in creating a library culture that is welcoming to all. Whether it is an argument or a fistfight, rules around disruptive behavior are essential in creating a welcoming atmosphere. It is difficult to feel welcome if other patrons are allowed to engage in disruptive behavior.

Does your library have an unattended child policy? Under what circumstances might children be allowed in the library without supervision? Be clear with parents that the library is a public place, much like a park. Let parents and caregivers know that staff do not control who might be present in the building.

Be proactive

Create a relationship with law enforcement officials or security personnel before you are in the middle of a major incident. Start a conversation with your local police department. Let them know about the types of incidents that may come up in the future. Discuss how best to handle them and what resources are available. Talk to them about issues you’ve seen in the past or trends they are seeing in the community.

Check your state’s privacy policy and be sure you understand what information you are allowed to share about a patron’s library activity. Does your state limit sharing of information about a patron’s presence in the library? What types of information does data privacy law limit? It is important to understand these boundaries before a situation arises.

Most library school curriculums do not spend a lot of time covering what to do if a patron is found defacing library property or engaged in a sex act in the bathroom. Train yourself in how to deal with difficult situations. The Black Belt Librarian and Verbal Judo are both great resources for developing skills and strategies.

Address situations

Smaller disruptions can be gateways for bigger issues. A minor argument in the teen area can become a heated fight if allowed to escalate. Patrons need to be empowered to speak up if they see someone committing a crime. Staff should be open to hearing about questionable incidents and address or report them. Make observing activity in the library part of your routine workflow.

Tackling crime in the library is a long-term ongoing process. Focus should begin in changing perceptions about the library. Educate your patrons and let them know that the library is not a “safe” place to leave children unattended. Deal with inappropriate behavior whenever it occurs. Be observant and vigilant in dealing with smaller situations. This sends a message that inappropriate behavior is not tolerated. Keep the bar for disruptive behavior low to discourage more serious activities.

As libraries, our mission is to promote free speech and idea sharing. As librarians, we have a responsibility to serve the public each day. We are charged with creating an inviting environment that is safe for patrons. By setting high standards for appropriate behavior, being proactive in dealing with situations, and involving law enforcement or security personnel when necessary, we can help to prevent crimes and create public spaces where respect is a basic expectation.

Additional Resources

ALA Tools: Safety and Security

American Libraries Live: Library Security

Graham, W. The Black Belt Librarian: Real World Safety & Security, American Library Association, Chicago, IL, 2011.

Difficult Patron Behavior: Success Stories from the WebJunction Community

Thompson, G.J. and Jenkins, J.B. Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion, HarperCollins, New York, NY, 2013.

Cover Image Credit: Ildar Sagdejev

The post Library Security is Everybody’s Job first appeared on Public Libraries Online.