Safety & Security @ your library

1. Safety & Security @ your library Lisa Matte, MLS • Director, Jervis Public Library (7+ years) • Association Library • Teen Services Librarian, Jervis (8 years) • Retail Bookseller for Borders (4 years) • Manager at McDonald’s and Wendy’s (6 years)

2. Safety & Security @ your library Situation Experience • Employees selling drugs at work • Employees stealing money from cash register • Active shooter .4 miles from work • Domestic violence spilling into workplace (public and employees) • Employees stealing goods • Public stealing goods • Use of alcohol by employees and the public • Public and employees having sexual encounters

3. How will today flow? • Ask questions when they come to you • Morning: Awareness and considerations • Lunch: noon-ish; 45 minutes • Afternoon: Begin a plan of action

4. Getting everyone on the same page • Track incidents at your library • Conduct a concerns survey • Discuss incidents at other libraries • Educate about vulnerability • Educate about liability • Due Diligence • Dereliction of Duty (civilian version) • Wrongful hiring or retention • OSHA right to safe workplace

5. Once all are on board: Conversations • How do you currently respond to: • Unacceptable behavior • Illegal activity • How would you like to respond to: • Unacceptable behavior • Illegal activity • How do you balance these responses with confidentiality law?

6. NY Consolidated LawsCivil Practice Law and Rules ARTICLE 45.  EVIDENCE NY CLS CPLR § 4509 § 4509.  Library records   Library records, which contain names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of public, free association, school, college and university libraries and library systems of this state, including but not limited to records related to the circulation of library materials, computer database searches, interlibrary loan transactions, reference queries, requests for photocopies of library materials, title reserve requests, or the use of audio-visual materials, films or records, shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except that such records may be disclosed to the extent necessary for the proper operation of such library and shall be disclosed upon request or consent of the user or pursuant to subpoena, court order or where otherwise required by statute. 02/03

7. The Big Picture Morning • Situations • Policy and procedure • Consequences (patrons, staff, mgmt.) • Physical features of building and grounds

8. The Big Picture After lunch: How to take action • Identify • Prioritize • Create • Communicate • Train • Assess

9. Where are you now?The security/safety continuum React < Deter < Prevent

10. Small libraries: Special considerations • You can’t afford staff. Can you afford not to do anything? • Have trustees rotate shifts • Have student interns assist with projects • Have volunteers “staff” an area or provide programs at times of high risk • Re-evaluate your hours of operation

11. The elephants in the room • Sex offenders • Child pornography

12. Sex Offenders in the Library http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2012/43/weprinlibraries_all_2012_10_25_q.html

13. Knowledge is Power! http://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/nsor/claws.htm In the law, libraries are only mentioned as places where information about sex offenders can be distributed. S.3744A “Provides that certain sex offenders who are released on parole may not enter public, association or free libraries.” Bill approved by Senate, but not by the Assembly • (2011) http://legiscan.com/NY/text/S03744/id/207543 • (2013) http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S2459-2013 http://legiscan.com/NY/text/A05987

14. Why haven’t these passed? Stricken in federal courts in other states • http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/sex-offenders-can-use-libraries-says-federal-judge • http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/10th-circuit-rejects-library-ban-on-sex-offenders

15. Creative thinking in NY • Assembly Bill 5987 http://legiscan.com/NY/text/A05987 • “Prohibits persons required to maintain registration under the sex offender registration act from entering into an area or room in a public, association or free library designated as a children's section or designed primarily to serve a population under the age of eighteen.”

16. What does this mean for you? • When a sex offender enters the library, the response is, “How may I help you?” • Discuss and educate your boards, administration, staff

17. Child pornography Legal loophole closed • http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S7742-2011 It is illegal to possess child pornography; it is now unarguably illegal to view it online.

18. How would you do? • Patrons won’t return overdue items • Patrons are found having intercourse • Patron is masturbating in the computer lab • Patron is drunk and crying loudly • Patron is smoking in the bathroom

19. How would you do, con’t? • Barred patron is in the library • Patron being on the computer violates his or her parole • Patron complains about a woman breastfeeding in the Children’s Room • Patron steals another patron’s wallet

20. Discussions lead to policy creation or fine tuning • Patron (and employee) Behavior • Computer Rules of Use • Internet Use Policy • Personal Property / Lost and Found • Unattended Children

21. Policy leads to procedure • Develop a documentation mechanism • Paper or electronic • Address in any records retention policy you have • Document policy violation procedure • What do we do if someone misbehaves? • Create a matrix of progressive discipline • From simple three strikes to more generous • http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/policies/standards.html • Train on procedure • Eliminates the “nobody told me” factor • Practice the procedure • Eliminates the nervousness

22. Policy/Rule/Procedure Violations • Progressive discipline • Punishment should fit the violation • Benefit of the doubt • Due process • Enforceable • Equally enforced by all staff for all patrons • Sleeping • Mental illness

23. Barring a Patron from the Library • Library access = constitutional right? • Case law (sex offenders) • Legal opinion in Ohio

24. Consequences and Barring a Patron from the Library: Resources • Policy Writing: The Next Level www.librarylaw.com/librarycases.doc • Standards of Library Behavior http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/policies/standards.html • Library Codes of Conduct: Patron Discipline and the Constitutionhttp://www.olc.org/pdf/ProgressiveDisciplineProblemPatronsVSSP.pdf

25. Reminder: Discussions between administration and trustees • What do you do if a barred patron is on site or doing what service they’re not allowed to access? (computer, etc.) • What do you do if someone is engaging in illegal activity? • When do you call police? • Who can call the police? • How do you balance patron safety and patron confidentiality?

26. Building features: VisibilityReact < Deter < Prevent • Concerns • Entrances/exits • Stairwells • Across rooms • Around corners • Elevators • Any obstruction or place to hide • Tools • Mirrors (React and Deter) • Surveillance cameras (React and Deter) • Moving furniture or decoration (React and Deter)

27. Building features: VisibilityReact < Deter < Prevent • Tools • Mirrors (React and Deter) • Surveillance cameras (React and Deter) • Moving furniture or decoration (React and Deter)

28. Building features: Access to non-public areas Tools • Occupancy sensor lighting (React and Deter) • Audible alarm for occupancy (React and Deter) • Surveillance Cameras (React and Deter) • Door (Deter) • Closed door (Deter) • Chain across entry or signage indicating staff only (Deter) • Locked Door or Locked Elevator Buttons (Prevent) • Key or keypads with exit bar • Be sure to adhere to fire code

29. Building features: Access to non-public areas: Tools con’t Entryways • Chain across entry (Deter) • Signage indicating staff only (Deter) • Closed door (Deter) • Locked Door (Prevent) • Key or keypads with exit bar • Be sure to adhere to fire code • Locked Elevator Buttons (Prevent)

30. Small libraries: Special considerations • You can’t afford cameras. Can you afford not to do anything? Remember due diligence • Install mirrors (visibility) • Install door locks (access) • Designate a safe area • Purchase personal emergency alarms

31. Building features: Non-public areas: Identification of unauthorized persons • Tools • Name tags or lanyards • Communication • Training on encountering an unknown • Training on awareness • Workplace Security Awareness from FEMA and DHS http://emilms.fema.gov/is906/index.htm

32. Building features: Access to Cash • ILS vs. retail cash management • Equally secure from public and staff • Physical barrier between public and staff • Face the public • Storage secured • Donation bucket attached • Cash register vs. cash pouch • Cash register locked • Cash drawer in an office locked • Storage out of sight

33. Access to Cash: Procedural concerns • Issue numbered receipts with carbons • Reconcile drawer with ILS • Make bank deposits at unpredictable times • Checks and balances when possible • Two people count deposit and drawers • One person place orders, different one pay bills • Audit or review regularly

34. Safety & Security @ your library:Take Action • Identify • Prioritize • Gather tools • Create (and Crib!) • Communicate • Train • Assess

35. Safety & Security @ your library:Identify • Brainstorm situations, policies, procedures, and building features • Conduct a concerns survey • Customize and complete a building survey • Google “Checklist for library and building security” Choose the .doc to customize

36. Safety & Security @ your library:Prioritize • Put the concerns in each category in order of importance • Liability • Most likely to encounter • Highest level of concern on survey In a small library? • Trustees take an active role • Share the work among multiple libraries • Enlist patrons

37. Safety & Security @ your library:Gather tools • Sample policies • Relevant laws • Articles in professional journals • Books • Look for training providers outside the profession • SHRM http://www.nysshrm.org/chapters.php • Chambers of Commerce • Department of Labor • American Red Cross • American Heart Association

38. Safety & Security @ your library:Create & fine tune • Draft policies • Document procedures • Create training materials • Create progressive discipline • Create a physical security plan • Obtain pricing • Review for enforceability and practicality • Review by board, attorney, codes, fire inspector

39. Safety & Security @ your library:Communicate • Tell staff, etc. about the policy, procedure, progressive discipline, upcoming security enhancements • Make the public policy manual, safety manual available to the public • Make the internal procedures accessible to staff

40. Is there a trend?Does your library have…

41. Is there a trend?Do you know how to react to…

42. Is there a trend?Do your staff, volunteers, etc. know how to react to…

43. Is there a trend? • Gap between policy versus application/procedure • Gap between administrator and staff knowledge

44. Safety & Security @ your library:Train • Identify training needs • Document training • Trainer and trainee sign off on training • Consider tracking training on a chart • Be consistent Training doesn’t cost. It pays.

45. Train for language.

46. Instead of… • If only the patrons would not hog the computers Try… • If only we had time limits • If only we had more computers • If only we…

47. Instead of… • If only the patrons would leave at closing time • Try… • Think React < Deter < Prevent

48. Instead of… • If only the patrons would be quiet in the library Try…

49. Instead of… • If only patrons would/would not ____________ Try…

50. Safety & Security @ your library:Assess • Vary type, timing • Announced and unannounced • Written and observation • Start simple • One question via email (documented) • Be reasonable and realistic • Use the tool properly Don’t let perfection be the enemy of completion.