Week 4: Security, Please Respond

I was told that closing shifts on Wednesdays had a reputation for being exciting. This Wednesday did not disappoint. First there was a near incident when a patron asked if anyone had turned in her USB drive. I asked security to come up to open the lost and found safe and told her it would be a few minutes. She started to get annoyed about being asked to wait. Her agitation was cut short by a security member coming to escort her. I was later told that she had caused problems before, and reminded that harassment of staff was grounds to ask patrons to leave.

Later a true incident occurred. An agitated patron hit another patron who was sitting at a computer. Friends tried to intervene while asking for security. The librarian in charge radioed for security, who came quickly. The attacker tried to leave and the police were called to take a report from the attacked. The attacker was found by the police nearby.

Tip of the Week: Security is awesome. The value of having some sort of security staff on location cannot be underestimated. This is especially important in more urban libraries. If any issue with a patron escalates to the point where you feel unsafe or you fear for the safety of others, security can and should be called.

Article Annotation and Abstract Area

Shuman, Bruce A. "Personal Safety In Library Buildings: Levels, Problems, And Solutions." Reference Librarian 36.75/76 (2002): 67. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 June 2012.

The author outlines the challenges libraries face in balancing security with freedom of access. Using a ranking system of seven levels, libraries generally fall in the lowest few levels. The author makes the case that while libraries need to be accessible to the public, they could do so with more emphasis on security than is currently seen. Preparing staff to deal with violent situations with a security plan is essential.