Innovative™, a part of Clarivate™, was honored to host a webinar with Dr. Steve Albrecht, an expert in workplace safety with a concentration on library safety this November.
In this session, 30 Library Service, Safety and Security Tips: Making a better facility in one month, Dr. Steve shared 30 steps, each of which can be completed in a day, that libraries can take to maximize their library’s safety for staff and patrons.
Watch the full webinar for the 30 days of action steps. If you’re looking for a few tips to get started with, here are ideas for the next two weeks:
- Hold an inspection day: Take a day to walk around the library to see if any repairs are needed. Ensure your first-aid kit is equipped, you have Narcan on hand, fire extinguishers are being maintained, the HVAC system is functional, see if all plumbing fixtures are all working, or are some leaking—outdoor plumbing to sprinklers may go unnoticed. Do you need new signs, or a sign in a new language? Do alarms work? Does your parking lot need to be repainted? Are there light bulbs that need replacement?
- Get in touch with first responders in your area: First responders can be the local fire marshal, police or sheriff station, local hospitals that can offer training on bleeding control, as well as services that offer after-hours repair for your building, including glass, doors, and a plumber.
- Security Incident Report (SIR) review: Having a policy, such as a form to fill out, for internally reporting incidents can provide tangible evidence of need for specific resources. The report should be easy to fill out while still providing essential information.
- Role-play day: Provide an opportunity for staff to role-play your most challenging patrons, both children and adults. Staff can work on identifying the most effective (and least effective) responses to challenging situations. This can also be a fun experience for more extroverted staff, and provide some tools for those who find confrontation to be challenging.
- Staff input: Provide an anonymous survey to your staff where they can provide feedback on their concerns about safety and security at your library, and pay attention to the responses.
- Learn about the three types of dangers to mental health: Danger to self, danger to others, and unable to care for oneself. When someone is experiencing these conditions, know who you can contact; this may be local paramedics, the police department, social service, or mental health professionals.
- Domestic violence response: Those who commit domestic violence may target staff or patrons—especially when patrons arrange child drop-offs at the library. There can also be staff with protective orders against a former domestic partner, and Dr. Steve encourages supporting such employees rather than penalizing them by ensuring the library is aware to keep an eye out for the offender potentially visiting the library. There are also ways staff can assist community members trying to escape domestic violence, including possibly giving out hollowed-out books with cell phones so the victim can communicate without the knowledge of their abuser. Establishing a policy of keeping situations confidential is also important.
- Safe room essentials: If this is possible at your library, identify a safe room that staff and patrons can retreat to in times of emergency, with sturdy locks, door stops, a landline phone, a first aid kit that includes tourniquets, and flashlights. In the US, dialing 911 from a landline phone is likely to go directly to local first responder, whereas dialing 911 from a cell phone will likely go to a state dispatcher.
- Hold a staff reward day: Buy a few gift cards and award them to staff members who have gone above and beyond to contribute to the library by bringing security hazards to your attention, going above and beyond to help a patron in need, showing concern for the safety of others, recommending someone who gets hired, etc.
- Code Pink awareness: Train staff on being able to identify possible child abduction, often by a non-custodial parent, but possibly also by a bystander. This can include ensuring that cameras in the library have a view of the child in danger, and training staff to stand in front of doors to not allow people to leave with children until their relationship to the child can be verified.
These are just a few tips from the webinar; the full webinar is available for viewing here:
Dr. Steve and his beagle partner Layla are available at The Safe Library on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSafeLibrary
To learn more about Dr. Steve’s approach to library safety and planning, download this tip sheet or watch his previous webinar, “The Safe Library: Security, Safety, and Service at the Moments of Truth.”