A 60-minute training webinar presented by Library 2.0 and hosted by ALA author and library safety and security expert, Dr. Steve Albrecht.
What happens at home or in the streets often ends up at the library. Some social issues can impact how libraries and their staff provide services to patrons, including those who have mental health issues or are experiencing homelessness on a temporary or chronic basis. Some patrons who have each of those major life concerns are often suffering from addictions to street drugs, prescription drugs, or alcohol (or all three). These patrons can bring behavioral problems and health issues to the library. Their behavior can range from compliant and cooperative, to threatening and violent (especially when they are in withdrawal from their drug of choice), or even dangerous, as they become a medical emergency by overdosing.
This webinar is guided by Dr. Albrecht‘s support of Library Director Cindy Grove’s valuable 2020 ALA book, Libraries and the Substance Abuse Crisis: Supporting Your Community.
The goal of this program is to help library leaders and employees at all levels learn to recognize substance abuse warning signs – including medical distress – in patrons and take the right legal, ethical, and safe steps to protect everyone in the 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.)
