Central Libraries in Uncertain Times

Our downtown central library is the most public building in Denver," says City Librarian Rick Ashton, speaking a couple of weeks after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. "This brings us great joy, but, at the same time, we have real concerns and responsibilities for the public and staff in this building."

Denver is not unique. From Nashville to San Antonio to San Francisco, a new generation of big, bold, central libraries has grown up, joining their older siblings in Boston, Baltimore, and Portland. These libraries, new and historical alike, are high-profile facilities, each occupying a prominent place in its city. And they're visited in enormous numbers; Los Angeles's central library draws 7000 visitors a day, seven days a week.

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, security in the country's public spaces, whether malls or university campuses, has undergone renewed scrutiny. Central libraries are no exception. But beyond their popularity and prominence, the symbolic value of these great public institutions is generating concern as well. "We're the exact embodiment of the democratic ideal," says Donna Nicely, director of the Nashville Public Library. "We're right at the center of what this trouble has been all about."

How safe from terrorist acts are central libraries? "Our facilities are as safe as possible," says Daniel Walters, executive director of the Las Vegas–Clark County Library District, a statement repeated by library managers across the country. In the wake of September's attacks and the continued anthrax scares (see News), librarians report revisiting every aspect of security, from guidelines to training to surveillance technology, and making changes— sometimes significant ones— when needed. "We are evaluating the situation more or less continuously," says Ruth Kowal, director of operations for the Boston Public Library.

On September 11 and the week that followed, libraries tightened security by increasing the presence of security officers, monitoring entrances, and paying renewed attention to unattended bags and parcels. Parking lots, whether adjacent to or beneath buildings, closed down. Book drops stayed locked. Access to loading docks was restricted and access to nonpublic areas closely enforced.

For the first time, many libraries began inspecting bags and parcels as people entered the building—not just when they exited. Two months later and the practice continues in some libraries. "Following city hall's lead, we began checking bags," says Boston's Kowal. "The reaction from the public has been by and large positive, even complimentary. We're continuing for the foreseeable future."

The Las Vegas/Clark County Library has received its share of press, since a handful of the suspected terrorists were seen in Las Vegas and have been identified by library staff. "If customers are anxious about risk, it will affect use," says Walters. Although Las Vegas does not have a central library, it does have three large, downtown facilities, and Walters quickly implemented bag inspections at all of them. "It's only a First Amendment issue if you're administering it in an indiscriminate fashion," says Walters. "As a courtesy, I let the county legal services department and the local ACLU know we were doing it."

Yet other libraries won't check bags, either because they don't want to appropriate staff for the task, or because they fear the image it creates. "We are the freest, most democratic of institutions," says one library director. "If we check bags, we would end up like the airports, or the prisons. We don't want the library to be intimidating."

After the initial shock of September 11, libraries pulled their security guidelines off the shelves and reread them in a new light. Not surprisingly, institutions that have experienced emergencies, such as Los Angeles with a fire and an earthquake in its recent history, and libraries that anticipate natural disasters, found themselves in the best shape. "We are in a tornado zone," says Barry V. Berry, director of support services at the St. Louis Public Library. "We regularly review our emergency procedures."

A series of incidents in 2000 made the Denver Public Library take a close look at the security of its buildings. Two pipe bombs were found in book drops; fortunately, neither one went off. Later in the year the central library experienced three small arson fires. "We looked at our routines and procedures, intensifying patrols, making security's presence more visible. We reviewed our closed-circuit television (CCTV) system and decided to upgrade the system and improve the monitoring," says Ashton. "When September 11 occurred, we felt we were in good shape."

Libraries that want to create or update security guidelines could begin with the American Library Association's (ALA) Library Administration and Management Association's (LAMA) Library Security Guidelines, prepared by the Building and Equipment Section's Safety & Security of Libraries Committee and published on the web in June 2001 (www.ala.org/lama/publications/ index.html). "The guidelines are for libraries of all sizes," says Susan Hildreth, director of the San Francisco Public Library and one of the authors. "Libraries should adapt from them what works for their situation." The guidelines include sections on library obligations, foreseeability of loss, adequacy of protection, fire and emergency procedures, physical barrier and lock and key security, security duties and security staff, personal access and parcel control, and security alarms and electronics.

Emergency protection, particularly evacuation plans, is receiving the most scrutiny these days. "But they're useless unless you practice them, over and over again," says Hildreth, "and hold debriefings to see where your problems are."

Can libraries prepare specifically for terrorist acts? St. Louis's Berry doesn't think so. "You never know what the danger will be, whether it's a bomb, a fire, or an earthquake. What you do is prepare for emergencies. Period."

Good design can also contribute to safety. "The best central libraries function with a comprehensible layout. The space should send clear cues to users with clear sight lines," says Elisabeth Martin, AIA, past chair of LAMA's Building Awards Committee. Many central libraries, Martin says, use a central atrium that permits views of the library's organization from a central point. Libraries also need clear directional materials and signage, "although no amount of signage can compensate for an unclear layout." Martin believes in building design that separates public and behind-the-scenes functions, without having the two cross paths—to do so invites security risks.

Libraries should also eliminate areas of concealment in parking lots and perimeters, says Stevan Layne of Layne Consultants International, who also helped write ALA's Library Security Guidelines. Glass, a material that librarians and designers love, is also one of the most dangerous in an explosion, Layne says. He recommends investing in protective glass, or using curtains to deflect flying shards.

As important as evacuation plans and CCTV may be, library leaders were nearly unanimous in recognizing people and communication as the most significant factors in library security. "Security is always a matter of people, and you need to let staff know what they should do, from employee orientation to regular training sessions," says St. Louis's Berry. "Security is being aware of your surroundings, and that's the responsibility of every staff member."

If library staff need to communicate internally with each other, so, too, do they need to communicate with other institutions. San Francisco's central library is surrounded by government buildings, and the library has begun to coordinate evacuation plans with its neighbors, "in the event that everyone needs to evacuate at the same time," says Hildreth. Ernest Love, chief of security for the Los Angeles Public Library, serves on that city's emergency operations boards. His involvement serves two roles: it keeps the library up-to-the-minute on citywide security issues, "and it gives the library a means to offer its services—buildings, bookmobiles, or information—in the case of an emergency," says Love.

Ultimately, the security of our nation's central libraries may require more than just the libraries' own staff. Rick Ashton recounted how a few months back Denver's central library, which is surrounded by tall office buildings, allowed police onto the roof to conduct surveillance. In no time at all, Ashton says, the library was receiving calls to report that suspicious characters were on their roof. "We have the whole community looking out for us," Ashton says. "Everybody feels like they own this building."