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- Description
- Table of Contents
- About the author
- Reviews
Sharing expertise gleaned from more than two decades as a library security manager, Graham demonstrates that libraries can maintain their best traditions of openness and public access by creating an unobtrusive yet effective security plan. In straightforward language, the author
- Shows how to easily set clear expectations for visitors' behavior
- Presents guidelines for when and how to intervene when someone violates the code of conduct, including tips for approaching an unruly patron
- Offers instruction on keeping persistent troublemakers under control or permanently barred from the library
- Gives library staff tools for communicating effectively with its security professionals, including examples of basic documentation
The Black Belt Librarian arms librarians with the confidence and know-how they need to maintain a comfortable, productive, and safe environment for everyone in the library.
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Inmates Running the Asylum: Stories from the Front Trenches
Chapter 2: Demystifying the Concept of a Security Program: Twelve Essential Elements of Real-World Library Security
Chapter 3: The Librarian in the Mirror
Finding Your Personal Rhythm: Five Question to Ask Yourself
A Self-Support System: Three Vital Aces to Keep Up Your Sleeve
Chapter 4: The Tao of "No"
Approaching Patrons Who Are Not Following Rules of Conduct
Dealing with Teens and Children
Chapter 5: Playing Chess with the Checker Player
With Strategy Comes Confidence
Recognizing and Responding to Anxiety, Belligerence, Out of Control, and Calm
Banning Patrons and Keeping Them Out
Chapter 6: Day-to-Day Security Considerations
What You Can Do Immediately to Make the Library Safer
Designing a Secure Library
Chapter 7: A Strategy for Basic Security Documentation
Daily Security Log
Trespass Log
Potential Problem Log
Chapter 8: Security Personnel Who Actually Help You Be Secure
What to Look for in a Security Officer
The Look of a Professional
Contract or Proprietary Officers?
When to Call Security
Chapter 9: Putting It All Together
Management
Handling and Evaluating Staff
In Closing: Questions for All on Planet Library
Index
"A no-nonsense practical guide to keeping a library safe and secure while remaining open and accessible to the public."
--Midwest Book Review
"This short guide packs a great deal of tips into nine succinct chapters ... what this book does best is require the reader to reflect on their own behaviors and to examine their confidence level when working with problem patrons."
--VOYA