Dr. Steve Albrecht: “The Safe Librarian: Feeling Safe and Being Safe at Work”

It’s hard to concentrate on your work in the library if you don’t feel physically, mentally, and emotionally safe.

Library staff can feel miserable, de-motivated, and disillusioned when confronted with patrons who have untreated mental health issues, who struggle with substance use, or who have a sense of entitlement that the library rules don’t apply to them. As most are aware, there has been a lot of talk recently about library staff quitting or leaving their jobs or even leaving the profession because of daily discomfort or fears for their safety. A job in the library dealing with the public requires being service-oriented, but also assertive; being helpful, but also with reasonable personal boundaries; and being thoughtful and aware, but safe and protected when confronted by patrons who are disruptive, disrespectful, and even moving toward dangerousness.

It is demanding work.

Librarians and staff have the right to a safe work environment, and creating that safe workspace is a collective effort. This webinar is for both the library leader who is looking to understand how to re-orient their library culture around a safe and secure environment, and for the librarian or staff member who wants to ensure their own personal physical, mental, and emotional safety in their library.

About the Speaker

DR. STEVE ALBRECHT. Since 2000, Dr. Steve Albrecht has trained thousands of library employees in 28+ states, live and online, in service, safety, security, and supervision. His programs are fast, entertaining, and provide tools that can be put to use immediately in the library workspace with all types of patrons. In 2015, the ALA published his book, Library Security: Better Communication, Safer Facilities. He is currently writing the sequel, The Safe Library: Keeping Users, Staff, and Collections Secure, for Rowman & Littlefield.  Steve holds a doctoral degree in Business Administration (D.B.A.), an M.A. in Security Management, a B.A. in English, and a B.S. in Psychology. He is board-certified in HR, security management, employee coaching, and threat assessment.  He has written 24 books on business, security, and leadership topics. He lives with six dogs, two cats, and three chickens. (Not all in the same room, of course.)