What does it mean to be “safe”?
Well, it's not a straightforward answer because it covers a lot of ground. It’s about making sure staff and patrons feel physically, emotionally, and psychologically safe, which involves creating and maintaining an inclusive space that is welcome to all. It means keeping our collections safe from theft, damage, or vandalism. It also means securing our digital infrastructure against threats and protecting the privacy and data of our users.
Steve Albrecht is an expert on library safety, having a background in law enforcement and training library staff on the topic for years, and you can learn more about his work in Circulating Ideas 245.
So, in a nutshell, being "safe" in libraries means fulfilling our mission to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and protected when they visit.
CI245 Show Notes
For over 22 years, Steve Albrecht has trained thousands of library employees around the country on the dos and don’ts of handling challenging, entitled, eccentric, demanding, harassing, or even threatening patrons. His articles, blogs, podcasts, and keynote speeches have helped empower equip library employees at all levels to be more empowered, assertive, and confident when helping users who are struggling with homelessness, mental health issues, trauma backgrounds, and substance use problems.
The Safe Library offers practical and realistic tools which will make every library facility a better, safer place to work. Readers will learn:
de-escalation skills,
communication tools
safe workplace habits
security measures
personal protection methods, and,
how to activate one’s best customer service skills, even under stress.
This book provides advice and support to help library employees best deal with sexually harassing patrons, unruly groups of students, thieves, Internet hogs, and others who can disrupt the safe library environment. It offers best practices for helping patrons experiencing homelessness to follow library rules while staff treat them with dignity and respect; helping staff stay motivated to deal with the same challenging patrons and their accompanying demands, day after day; protecting smaller or rural library facilities and keeping one-room, one-librarian facilities safe; working more effectively with onsite security guards and responding law enforcement officers, to create more consistent responses; and using daily, monthly, quarterly, and yearly facility security checklists to regularly assess the state of your buildings and IT systems.
This book is for all levels of library employees, from longtime staffers to part-timers and even library volunteers. It will especially appeal to library directors, managers, and supervisors who have to manage different types of staffs and patrons in different types of facilities, ranging from downtown locations to rural library buildings.
Here's the book that answers the most common (and even uncommon) user behavior and customer service questions, or as many attendees have said after experiencing Steve’s dynamic training programs, “Here’s what they don’t teach you in library school.”
Steve Albrecht
Since 2000, Dr. Steve Albrecht has trained thousands of library employees in 28+ states, live and online, in service, safety, and security.
In 2015, the ALA published his book, Library Security: Better Communication, Safer Facilities. His new book, The Safe Library: Keeping Users, Staff, and Collections Secure, was just published by Rowman & Littlefield.
Steve holds a doctoral degree in Business Administration (D.B.A.), an M.A. in Security Management, a B.A. in English, and a B.S. in Psychology. He is board-certified in HR, security management, employee coaching, and threat assessment.
He has written 26 books on business, security, and leadership topics. He lives in Springfield, Missouri, with six dogs and two cats.
Recirculated
Steve’s previous appearance on the podcast: Episode 88 (2016)
Mentions
The Safe Library: Keeping Users, Staff, and Collections Secure
The Black Belt Librarian: Real-World Safety & Security by Warren Graham
The Librarian's Guide to Homelessness: An Empathy-Driven Approach to Solving Problems, Preventing Conflict, and Serving Everyone by Ryan J. Dowd
Steve Thomas is a public library manager who lives in the suburbs of Atlanta with his wife, two kids, and one dog. He has worked in libraries for two decades and has hosted the Circulating Ideas podcast since 2011.
Currently Reading: Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie
Circulating Ideas facilitates conversations with the innovative people and ideas inspiring libraries to grow and thrive in the 21st century. Brought to you with support from listeners like you.