Library Security: Better Communication, Safer Facilities

This is a book that will catch the attention of nearly all practicing librarians who work with the public. There is hardly a librarian alive who has not had to deal with a customer being aggressive, rude or improper, but there is actually very little advice available in the literature. Albrecht, a recognised expert and speaker on the subject of library safety and security, has given us the book that the profession needed. The author has a curious background. His father wrote bestsellers on providing quality service to customers. Albrecht himself has worked as a law enforcement officer and he brings some of his knowledge gained from dealing with very difficult people to his work as a consultant and writer. Real-life examples are the most credible, and he uses several from his experience to enhance the text. Much of the book is about communication. The author suggests exactly what we could say to a difficult customer to defuse a situation, and how that would change according to circumstances. That means a lot of his focus is on the human factor, though he also gives practical suggestions on making a library more secure through changing the facilities. He also suggests when it is the right time to call the police, debates about whether security guards are needed and (some will find this a bit shocking) gives advice on self-defence.

Here are just a few of the pearls of wisdom I noted from the book. Trust your instincts; if a customer “feels” dangerous, then respond as though he/she is. Do not de-humanise the situation by over thinking. Remember the importance of “social space”; do not approach a difficult customer face on, but use angles instead. If you make a threat of further action then you have to follow up on that threat or you make the situation worse (so, in general, Albrecht suggests we avoid using threats). Along with his advice to individual librarians, Albrecht does not overlook the need for staff training and the library having a good written policy (or Code of Conduct) that should encompass the variety of problems that can arise in modern society, such as begging, domestic violence, abandoned children, terrorist threats and the like. The law referred to in the book is obviously that of the USA, but the situations described are universal, and I can imagine librarians all around the world wanting to have a copy of this book in the staff collection.