Safe Library Basic Training with Dr. Steve Albrecht

Dates: January 12, 19, and 26th (Fridays) from 1 PM to 2 PM CT (2 PM to 3 PM ET)

Please read: Before registering, please create a free Library 2.0 account (if you don’t already have one) using the same email address you will register with. After registering below, you will receive an email confirmation from PLAN. You will receive log in information for the webinar sessions a few days prior to the first session.

Registration deadline: December 20, 2023 at 5 PM CT (6 PM ET)

Join library author, trainer, and security expert Dr. Steve Albrecht for Safe Library Basic Training, designed to be an essential all-staff core training on library service, safety, and security.

Dr. Albrecht has 23 years of experience in helping create safe library spaces for staff and patrons. In these sessions, he will cover serious issues, including patron harassment, behavioral issues, conflicts, thefts, emergencies, and situations of extreme danger. He will also address helping libraries build a framework of thinking about safety and security to minimize staff fears, anxieties, and concerns, and show how management and staff can build a workplace with more peace of mind and better morale.

FORMAT & RECORDING: Each of the three one-hour sessions will be held online and live for those who want to attend at the time, followed by up to an hour of Q&A. The session recordings will be available the day after each live class, with the recordings of the Q&A sessions posted as separate files. The handouts and slides will be available for download after the session.

PROGRAM OUTLINE & LEARNING OBJECTIVES

SESSION 1 – “Basic Safety & Security”
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2024, 1 to 2 PM CT (2 to 3 PM ET)

• Basic Principles
• Essential Safety and Security
  • Security is everybody’s responsibility
  • The “Duty of Care” for those we bring inside the building, including for staff
  • Safety and security plans: knowing them and practicing them
  • Reporting security or safety incidents
  • Knowing building safety procedures
  • Rural library security and safety
• Emergencies
  • Preparing for natural disasters
  • Collection protection: thefts, vandalism, fire, and other disasters
  • Medical events
  • Bomb, phone, and social media threats, and acts of intimidation
• Rare but Catastrophic Situations
  • Being prepared for an active shooter
  • Protecting patrons and staff
• Safety and Security Myths

SESSION 2 – “Challenging Patrons”
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024, 1 to 2 PM CT (2 to 3 PM ET)

• Basic Principles
• The Top 10 Most Challenging Patrons
  • The Essential 8: Are we being firm, fair, legal, consistent, assertive, patient, empathic, and reasonable?
  • Knowing your community resources for the homeless, for mental health issues, and for social support
  • Handling complaints
• Awkward Conversations
  • Handling hard discussions with patrons
  • Using tactful assertiveness
  • Knowing your library code of conduct and using it to set boundaries with patrons
• Behavioral Issues
  • Having hard but necessary conversations with patrons
  • Minimizing anger, arguments, and threats
  • Real tools for conflict resolution
  • Good kids, bad behavior
• Stressful Situations
  • Identifying and planning for main challenges and challenging patrons
  • Building your communication skills
  • Strategies for helping people who are struggling
  • Holding “crucial conversations”
  • Strategically aligning different staff strengths
  • Interacting with the homeless with patience and empathy
  • Patrons with a trauma history
• Tense, Disruptive, or Difficult Situations
  • Training to be able to handle the most difficult situations
  • Distinguishing between fears and actual likely outcomes
  • Mandated reporting – child abuse, dependent adult abuse, and elder abuse
  • Mental health issues
• Dangerous Behaviors
  • De-escalating dangerous, high intensity, or high-emotion situations
• Your Relationship with the Police
  • Engaging with the police – when and how

SESSION 3 – “Safe and Supportive Work Cultures”
FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2024, 1 to 2 PM CT (2 to 3 PM ET)

• Basic Principles
• Returning to Library Civility
• Preventing Sexual and Racial Harassment
  • Creating a sexual/racial harassment-prevention environment and a self-protection mindset among staff and library managers and supervisors
• A Service Mindset
  • The reality of being in a high-stress customer service job
• Mental Health and Well-being
  • Stress Management
• Thinking Ahead
  • Taking time to train
  • Better outcomes for staff meetings
  • Knowing the system in your library for suggestions, improvements, and making changes
  • Reporting and documenting
  • Staff service, safety, and security committees

Before registering, please create a free Library 2.0 account (if you don’t already have one) using the same email address you will register with. After registering below, you will receive an email confirmation from PLAN. You will receive log in information to the webinars a few days prior to the first session.

Registration deadline: December 20, 2023 at 5 PM CT (6 PM ET)