[Publib] After hours library use

[Lise Chlebanowski]

"Georgia Librarian Murdered While Working Alone." American Libraries (November 1993):902

"Buckeye Man Found Guilty in 92 Slaying of Librarian."  Arizona Republic (April 16, 1994):B6.

Here are two incidents in which librarians were murdered. I don't think I'd take the chance!

Lisë Chlebanowski
Library Manager
Avondale Public Library
328 W. Western Ave.
Avondale, AZ 85323
623-478-3105


-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Gair Helfrich
Sent: Monday, June 05, 2006 1:40 PM
To: kknight at granvillecounty.org; publib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] After hours library use

Katie,

There is no way I would work in a library after hours by myself. That's
a danger to you and to the library as well. I would think (please note I
am not a lawyer) that if something were to happen to you the library
could be legally liable. We have a policy here that no staff member can
be alone in a building; it's about safety. It's bad enough that we
sometimes have one person on the first floor and one on the second, but
to have only one staff person at a time is not acceptable. 

Is it likely something will happen? Probably not--on the other hand, a
few years ago one of our local municipal libraries--in a "nice middle
class neighborhood" was robbed at gunpoint and their fine money was
stolen. This was in broad daylight with several staff members on duty.
Needless to say the staff members were scared and they no longer keep
extra fine money around. Fortunately, no one was hurt. 

Could you schedule a class ahead of time, with plenty of notice? For
instance, "The PCs will not be available on this date at this time so
that we can teach a class"? That way the class is advertised ahead of
time and patrons can use the PCs up to class time, but know that they
are reserved after that. We do this all the time with our Gates Lab. We
advertise the class, sign up participant and then post signs in the
building notifying the public that the lab will close at a given time.
It works for us and I you can make something like it work for you. 

Good luck,
Gair Helfrich

__________

Gair Helfrich, MLS
Network, Computer and Technical Services Manager
Atlantic County Library
40 Farragut Avenue
Mays Landing, NJ 08330
609-625-2776 ext. 6313  Fax: 609-625-8143
ghelfrich at aclsys.org


-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Katie Knight
Sent: Monday, June 05, 2006 4:32 PM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] After hours library use

Hello librarians,

I have another question for you wonderful people.  It seems to me that
this
was answered in part a little while ago, but I'd still like a little
more
clarification, if possible.

I was pressured recently by our library director to begin teaching
computer
classes (how to use a mouse, what a search engine is, how to search, and
so
on).  This is something that I'd love to do for our library patrons,
however
we only have 10 public computers, all of which are nearly always in use.
We
have no classroom, we have no laptops.  The 10 PCs are it.

The only way that I would be able to teach classes to the public would
be
for me to either:
a) kick folks off of the computers at a designated time (I feel that
this is
unfair)
or
b) teach after hours, when the library is oficially closed.

The latter choice strikes me as both dangerous (I'd be the only staff
member
in the library) and as a liability.

Now the problem is that I have been told that I cannot "kick" folks off
of
the computers to teach classes (and I really wouldn't want to do that,
anyway, for a variety of reasons), and that I should open the doors
after
hours and teach classes while the library is closed (officially).  I was
also told that other libraries do this, and that it is not a liability.

Is this true?  Do other libraries (specifically ones with few PCs to go
around) do odd stuff like open after hours for instruction and things
like
that?

I truly want to do what is best for the community, but I also want to be
safe.  Thoughts?  Solutions?  Ideas?

As always, I anxiously await your wisdom.

Thanks,

-Katie

Katie Knight
Adult Services Librarian
Granville County Public Library System
Thornton Library
210 Main Street
Oxford, NC 27565

Phone: 919 693-1121
Fax: 919 693-2244



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