OVERVIEW:
The Age of Incivility seems to be fully upon us. Even a brief review of social media shows countless posted videos of arguments and even fights on airplanes, at fast-food restaurants, at malls, and in classrooms. Libraries and library staff report much of the same: patrons who hate being told what to do and who feel entitled to disagree, often at the top of their voices. If respect between people is a two-part process, why is it so difficult for some members of the public to comply with library rules, policies, and the useful but often ignored Code of Conduct?
This session provides tools for hard conversations; techniques to help patrons save face and go along with our behavioral policies; and ways to boost the confidence of library staff when “the usual (communication) stuff isn’t working.
LEARNING AGENDA:
- Better understand how allowing patrons to save face in embarrassing public situations can help, now and in the future.
- Learn to use the Power of the Pause to master your own anger and to slow things down when talking with angry patrons.
- Review and memorize David Fowler’s AVADE® De-Escalation Tips.
- Use the concept of extinction to extinguish negative patron behaviors.
- Learn how “thought stopping” can get patrons from angry to more reasonable.
This 60-minute training webinar is presented by Library 2.0 and hosted by ALA author and library service, safety, and security expert, Dr. Steve Albrecht. A handout copy of the presentation slides will be available to all who participate. This is an updated version of this webinar for 2023.
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.)
