The following pages features problem behaviors and the appropriate/suggested responses. The Safety Taskforce has looked at other manuals both published and unpublished to select the topics covered in this section.

About the Policies & Procedures
The policies are arranged alphabetically in the subpages section at the bottom of the page and also in the navigational content bar to the left. If you have difficulty locating a policy for a particular problem behavior, it may be filed under a different subject than the user expected. For example, issues relating to drugs and intoxication are filed under Alcohol and Drugs.

The general format includes a policy and/or a definition, a legal citation when appropriate, a responsibility breakdown between who is responsible and what they are to do, and finally some suggested words to say to address the problem with the customer. We always cite the staff person as the one to make the contact because he/she is the one who will witness the behavior.


What to Say and How to Say It
None of the scripts are, of course, written in stone. They are only suggestions to help you get started. Sometimes when faced with a difficult situation, one’s tongue ties itself in knots and having some possible scripts to follow can help you get started. These scripts were carefully written (in some cases with the help of mental health professionals) to help defuse situations, not escalate them, so keep that in mind as you plan what you would say in a given situation. It is important to introduce one’s self as working for the library,to assume that the customer may not be aware of a policy, to explain the policy or give them a copy of it, and to explain the consequences if they do not follow the policy in the future.

When encountering patrons, pay special attention not to sound patronizing. Also, pay attention to your stance and other body language. Crossed arms or hands on hips, scowls, and other body language may lead to escalation of the confrontation. Hands at your sides, a neutral or open expression, and a modulated voice will help de-escalate a situation. Calling a person by name may also help calm a situation because it encourages attention.

Forms
For management and legal reasons, some incidents and situations require documentation.  All forms related to safety and situations are attached in PDF format at the bottom of this page.  In addition, the form that corresponds to a specific policy and procedure is linked on that page.

NOTE: All safety and situational procedures are inspired from materials related to Safe Harbor: Policies and Procedures for a Safe Library grant. Funding for this grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library (ISL), a Division of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), under the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).