Security+in+Public+Libraries

August 14, 2007 10:00 - 11:20 am Room 14-268

Moderator: Andrea Vaughn

Notes: There were only three of us in this program, so we talked briefly about security issues in public libraries. One of us works on Long Island, the second in Queens and the third in Brooklyn. The librarians in Queens and Brooklyn have experienced violent incidents in their branches, and are faced with threatening behavior from young people almost daily. We feel that the administrations are not doing enough to support staff in "keeping the peace" in the branches. We would like to know how common these concerns are, and what other urban libraries are doing to protect staff and customers from disruptive and violent people in the library.

We plan to do a literature review and reach out to colleagues in other cities to learn more. Eventually we hope to see ALA and our unions advocate for us in making safety in public libraries a priority.