Safety with Dr. Steve Albrecht

Safety with Dr. Steve Albrecht

Spend some time online with one of the nation’s leading experts on library safety and security. Dr. Steve Albrecht has trained thousands of library employees on handling challenging, entitled, eccentric, or even threatening patrons who may want to disrupt the library. His popular programs offer practical and realistic communication, service, and de-escalation tools, which will make your facility a better, safer place to work. Enjoy Steve’s real-life experiences as a 24-year library security consultant, mixed with his use of related stories and even a bit of humor. Learn safety and security measures, personal protection methods, and how to activate your best “high-stress” customer service skills. Here’s what Steve covers in this fast and empowering program 90-minute Zoom session for your library system:  

Topics covered in this session include:

• Part 1: Road and Facility Safety (30 minutes)

  • Defining Library Safety and Security: Being Physically Safe, Mentally Safe, and Emotionally Safe
    • Road Rage Prevention Tips 
      • Situational Awareness and Scene Safety Awareness: “Reading the Street” Around Your Library
      • Safe Street Encounters with Homeless, Mentally Ill, or Substance Abusing People
    • Facility Hazard Awareness: Beyond Just Fires and Weather
      • Helping to Respond to Library Emergencies: First-Aid and More 
      • Workplace Violence Awareness: The Five Types of Threats
      • The Run-Hide-Fight Response to Active Shooters
      • Civil Protests Near the Library? 
      • Getting Better Support From Law Enforcement 
      • The Value of Security Incident Reports

• Part 2: Service and De-Escalation Skills (30 minutes)

  • Customer Service Skills with All Patrons: Patient, Empathic Listening
  • Helping to Enforce Our Code of Conduct and Safe Use Policies 
    • Firm, Fair, Consistent, Patient, Empathic, Legal, Reasonable Communication and De-Escalation with All Patrons: Alignment, Using Space, Distance, and Proxemic Barriers 
  • The Introduce/Explain/Ask and GREAT Service Models
  • Verbal Judo: Venting and Validation Reading Positive and Negative Body Language 

• Part 3: Challenging Patrons: Serving the 12 Most Common Types (30 minutes)

  • Helping Library Staff Serve: 
    • The Harassing Patron
    • The Patron With Boundary Issues: Staring, Stalking, Following Staff
    • The Entitled, Rude Patron
    • The Patron Experiencing Homelessness: 50, 40 or 10%?
    • The Patron With Mental Health Issues
    • The Patron With a Substance Use Disorder
    • The Tweenaged Patron
    • The Patron Who Takes Photos or Videos
    • The Patron Who Steals
    • The Patron Who Protests Content 
    • The Elderly or Disabled Patron
    • The Patron Who Hogs or Misuses the Internet
  • Final Tool: “Educate with Patience, Enforce with Kindness” 

Session is interactive, and participation is encouraged. 

Registration Information

Available to: All IHLS-member libraries

Session Capacity: 100 seats

Cost: Free for staff of member libraries of Illinois Heartland Library System.

Registration deadline: May 21, at 5 p.m.

Accessing the Webinar

Zoom links will be sent to registrants approximately two days before the webinar.

The webinar will be recorded and available in three separate 30 minute videos. The link will be emailed to participants after the event.

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About Illinois Heartland Library System

As one of the three library systems in Illinois—and one of two multi-type library systems—Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS) is the library's support partner, serving libraries of all types and the staffers and trustees that work for them. IHLS provides the libraries of southern and part of central Illinois with interlibrary loan delivery service, access to digital collections and the SHARE automation consortium, continuing education, networking opportunities, discounts and group purchases, access to state grant opportunities, and more.

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