PLA 2010 Conference: Virtual Session on Security at the Library
PLA Library Association - PLA 2010 - Annual Conference - Portland
By Raya Kuzyk -- Library Journal, 03/26/2010
- Top ten security issues in public libraries
- Security professional shares experiences
- Questions posed via chat, not anonymously
Today’s PLA Virtual Conference session on security issues in public libraries—broadcast live from 1:30–2:30 p.m. EST and having earlier taken place at the Oregon Convention Center—attracted a healthy number of listeners, with approximately 115 sites logged in.
Clinton-Macomb Public Library (MI) Director Larry Neal introduced session speaker Warren Graham (pictured), author of Black Belt Librarians: Every Librarian’s Guide to a Safer Workplace (2006) and its forthcoming sequel, Advanced Black Belt Librarians, who shared the ten most common security issues he has personally encountered in U.S. public libraries in his 25 years as a security professional.
Virtually problem-free
There were no downloadable materials accompanying the presentation, which, except for some sound difficulties during the first few and last final minutes, went off without a hitch. A cute feature was the ability of users virtually and through the click of a button to raise their hands, agree, disagree, laugh, or applaud, though it was a feature no one took advantage of, possibly because they weren’t aware it existed (these options weren’t immediately visible onscreen but accessible through scrolldown).
Questions submitted by listeners appeared in real time in a chat module along the left-hand side of the screen, though they were all addressed cumulatively, at the session’s end. I personally found the virtual experience more satisfying than the real thing (read my LJ colleague's take on the matter).
My single substantial complaint—one that could, ironically, be classified as a security issue—is that chat participants’ full names and cities/states were displayed in the chat module instead of the usernames they were prompted to create during the registration process. I do hope this changes—the anonymity factor is arguably one advantage the virtual world has over the real one, and organizers of sessions like this one would be wise to tap that advantage, possibly to encourage a broader and more candid range of questions from participants.
Graham’s anecdote-laden presentation, all told, was moderately informative—a pleasant and commonsense if not altogether earthshattering listen. Below is his rundown of the ten security issues he most often encounters at public libraries, followed by a transcription of his Q&A exchange with four virtual conference session participants.
TOP TEN SECURITY ISSUES IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
1. Excessively wordy and complicated rules
“Keep your list of rules simple, straightforward, and direct. Don’t say in 30–40 words what you can say in four to five."
2. Administration doesn’t support the front line
“You need to back up your staff. There are always exceptions, but exceptions should really just be that—exceptions; otherwise, you’re never going to be fully in charge of your library.”
3. Rule enforcement based on people’s appearance and not their behavior
“You’ve got to treat everybody the same. You can’t have one set of rules for one type of person a separate set of rules for another.”
4. Staff are not consistent in rule enforcement
“How many times have you heard, ‘The other branch let me do it,’ or, even in your own library, ‘Well, she let me do that yesterday.’ Teamwork—that’s really what it boils down to.”
5. Lack of awareness on the part of staff
“Encourage your staff to practice what I call 30-30-30: for a period of 30 days, have them stop every 30 minutes and look around for 30 seconds. Before the month is over, their intuition will be heightened, and they’ll get a tangible feeling if something’s not right.”
6. Ineffective security documentation
“Keep a log of security breaches and note the date and time they occur. Also utilize a potential problem log. Establish a pattern to people’s behavior; err on the side of caution, and listen to your intuition."
7. Lack of adequate employee training
“This is a matter of management. Everyone needs to be on the same page.”
8. Mismatched branch management
“You’ve got to have the right managers in the right branches. If you’ve got a problematic branch, you can’t have a weak manager there who can’t make expedient decisions.”
9. Failure to update procedures
“Any shortcomings you have in your procedures, the bad guys will learn to circumvent those. Not to mention that your security concerns are constantly changing over time.”
10. Inadequate staffing to do the job
"This is becoming more of a problem with budget cuts. If you're forced to reduce staff, maybe balance that out by reducing your hours of operation. You have to consider the safety of your patrons, and your staff, who have a right to a safe work environment."
GRAHAM TAKES QUESTIONS VIA CHAT
Q: Here's a scenario: a patron wants to check out items but her purse and wallet were stolen so the library card is gone. She is a major support for the library—goes to city council on behalf of the library and is well known among library administration. Does circ staff follow the rule that she needs her driver’s license even though it's been stolen?
A: Here you should use good old-fashioned horse sense and discretion. Staff is paid to think, after all. Unless this person has been coming in without her library card repeatedly, this scenario is a perfect example of when you should allow an exception to the rules.
Q: We have five branch libraries, 1,000 to 11,000 square feet. We have no security staff, but police support fairly available. Our librarians are responsible for providing security. Is there a standard for the number of staff needed per square foot of library to provide for reasonable safety security?
A: There’s no standard formula I’ve ever come up with. It just depends on the location of your library and clientele. The overall amount of times you correct people’s behaviors, your potential problems—those are your measurements. Documentation is the best way to judge which branch needs what level of security.
Q: Any recommendations for uniform enforcement and documentation between a couple dozen branches?
A: It goes back to the point I made earlier—management sets the pace, and the best directors out there know that.
Q: What are the legal implications of taking pictures of problem patrons?
A: When I was working in Charlotte, I only took pictures of people who were permanently banned from the library. But even if you take pictures for a six-month ban, it’s not illegal. Remember, you’re not just taking a picture of anybody, you’re taking a picture of someone who’s not following the rules of the library. Of course, sometimes it’s just really important to get the person out the door—sometimes taking a picture just isn’t possible.
Click here for PLA 2010 Conference News coverage from the editors of Library Journal and School Library Journal.
