Protecting Library Staff, Users, Collections, and Facilities: A How‐To‐Do‐It Manual for Librarians

Citation

Duckett, B. (2002), "Protecting Library Staff, Users, Collections, and Facilities: A How‐To‐Do‐It Manual for Librarians", Library Review, Vol. 51 No. 6, pp. 324-326. https://doi.org/10.1108/lr.2002.51.6.324.20

As indicated by the sub‐title and the series title, this is a practical book. Each of the seven themed chapters is broken down into a clearly structured arrangement with frequent headings in bold type, often several on a page, charts, lists, bullet points, summaries and notes on definitions. It is easy to know exactly where you are and there is little need to start at the beginning. In Chapter three, for example, on “Security of users and employees”, the chapter starts with “Expectations of a safe environment” with sub‐headings for users, staff and administrators; under the heading “Building security” there are sub‐headings for “Environmental scan” and “Vulnerabilities identified”. The latter is further divided into headings that are a virtual checklist: perimeter of the building; lighting systems; alarm systems; parking lots; landscaping; windows, doors, keys, locks; rest room access; building design; building core; sight lines to the stacks; eating, drinking, smoking. These are all things we can relate to, as, indeed, are: “Verbally aggressive patrons”; “Loiterers”; and “Emotionally disturbed people”. These are three of the examples of “Patron behavior” that can present a security problem.

I was less familiar with the “Kenny factor” though, which is described as the “Who cares?” or “So what?” attitude. This comes from the popular television cartoon character in South Park who dies at the end of each episode, only to reappear in the next, and for the story to continue without explanation:

It is only a short step from those ideas to “It is only a book, how hard could it be to get another?” Kenny dies; he’ll be back.

This casual attitude to security, is treated in both the author’s preface and conclusion. In the former she considers the background to why security is becoming more of a problem. In the Conclusion she makes the observation that many overseas students are amazed at how casual we are about our libraries, of how we take them for granted. As one who spends much of her time advising on security, running workshops, designing security audits and dealing with security failure, her message is that we must raise our awareness and put security issues higher on our management agenda. She is concerned for us to approach library security as a process rather than a sequence of specific events to be treated in isolation – the “Band Aid” response.

Chapter 1 is an overview of contemporary library security. Several ways of organizing the variety of elements that combine to create a secure environment are highlighted to demonstrate the magnitude of the topic and to see the scope of security issues. The chapter focuses on the “security audit”, an evaluation of all the areas impacting on library security. In Chapter 2, the general, open‐access, collections are considered. Among the topics covered are the degrees of security required for different materials, analyzing loss and mutilation rates (and costing these), types of security solutions, and the list of elements required for a security proposal. Chapter 3, the security of users and employers, has been referred to in the opening paragraph. The author is concerned that not enough is done to protect users and staff. The chapter begins with an explanation of an environmental scan and concludes with examples of measures that can enhance both the perception and the reality of the library as a safe haven.

Chapter 4 covers the growing issue of electronic files, systems, and equipment. Ease of access, balanced against the need for security is, as elsewhere, the critical issue. Many of the problems around computer security can be found in other texts; these are indicated. Security of the digital library can be as comprehensive or limited as the library needs or can afford. Personal invasiveness and cost are just two of the issues covered. Special collections are the subject of Chapter 5. Similar principles apply here, though their magnitude may be weighted differently than elsewhere. Collaboration with other groups and archives personnel, and the development of training programmes are important. Special event are covered in Chapter 6. Events associated with local political, musical, festival, or sponsoring events will usually only affect libraries indirectly, but problems with traffic flow and services will need to be planned for.

Chapter 7 looks at the difficult area that scares us all, the legal. The message here is that by being serious about security, by involving a range of agencies and interests, and by following through threats to prosecute, then the library is afforded respect, it is seen to be a safe environment, and thus becomes a pleasant place to use and in which to work. Legal and personnel issues are treated in a general way and do not focus on specific legislation – there is no particular problem here, or anywhere else, in this book being based on US practice. As ever, the focus is practical, and one point that particularly struck me was the range of examples given of good, and bad, incident reports: a poorly written incident report can invalidate any further legal action. Employee screening, detaining people from leaving the library, property liability, failure to return library materials, even buying items from unauthorized vendors: these are some of the many topics to consider.

The author is an independent librarian consultant who specialized in materials management, administrative planning, and research. Recently retired as Associate Professor (Emerita) of Georgia State University, Atlanta (where the 1996 Olympics and Para Olympics added greatly to her security experience!), Dr Cravey’s career has spanned four large academic libraries:

Most of my career has been engaged in thinking about security for libraries. I have worked with academic deans, university administrators, police, lawyers, courts, solicitors, prosecutors, and defense attorneys. I have testified in court, written hundreds of incident reports, and ridden in police cruisers.

And it shows. It shows in the unique motivation and commitment to write the only book I have seen specifically on library security; and it shows in the wealth of relevant and practical detail. An example is a list of ten ways that the physical security of special collections can be attained, including limiting photocopying to staff‐operated only, limiting the number of users, and providing lock‐up facilities for bags and coats.

There are copious references at the end of each chapter, there is an index, and the book is excellently produced. I can’t leave this highly professional, focused, and useful book without a mention of the infamous Aelfric, Abbot of Swinford. This eleventh‐century Abbot unchained the abbey’s books so they could be made available! If, as the author suggests in her conclusion, this abbot is the same person as Aelfric the Grammarian, a prolific writer in the common Middle English tongue rather than erudite Latin, then we have “an early leader, a role model in trying to balance access to materials with security of materials”. The author provides a valuable service by getting us to look at these issues in a coherent and balanced way.