MLA Convention Day 1

Today is Wednesday, November 19th.

Library Security:Everyone's Responsibility

I went to a security workshop where speakers Ben Trapskin and Jeremy Johnson talked about security in libraries and how it has changed.

In the past it was important to secure the library and it's collection, now it is the staff and patrons. This is greatly because the libraries have changed from a center of information to a cultural center. It is still perceived to be a haven of safety and with that come problems for patrons and staff.

Expectations have also changed with being a cultural center. In the past it was a quiet place to read or study, now with it being a gathering place (book clubs, gaming, teens) it is much louder and busier. This is where the conflict starts as traditional library users expect quiet and the new library patrons have quite different expectations. The staff has to monitor the two factions and sometimes the authorities must be brought in to help.

We learned with consistency of staff, having policy in place and even certain programs can foster security. The people attending this workshop came away with helpful tools to either help the problem or get a conversation going with staff, patrons, and library boards.