As a library staff member, you may face stressful or potentially harmful situations on the job. Maybe you’ve recently had a run-in with a patron asking you uncomfortable questions or had a program that was met with protests. Perhaps you have community members who are experiencing mental health issues, homelessness, or both, who are regular patrons in the library space. What are the best ways to de-escalate these situations? Luckily, they are techniques you probably already have in your library staff toolkit.
- Make sure you and all other library staff know the library’s policies and that all staff communicate and apply these policies consistently
- Know the difference between an escalated patron and an inappropriate one
- De-escalation techniques aren’t needed for a person who is simply being inappropriate
- When dealing with a patron who is asking inappropriate questions like “where do you live?” or “are you married?” while you’re working, use your voice, face, and body language to send a clear, assertive message. Set a clear boundary by saying something like: ‘I am not going to answer that, but I can answer library-related questions,’ or ‘I’d love to tell you about our new books,’ or ‘Did you see this program we have later today?’”.
- Using de-escalation techniques all depends on the context. Is the patron a regular that you know how to handle? Did the person come to the library with the goal of being disruptive? Are you planning a program on a topic that’s divisive within your community? Is it common practice at your library to use or call security? You know your library and community best, so if a problem arises, contextualize the situation to know whether you need to use de-escalation techniques. If possible, it’s ideal to intervene early.
- For example, in a programming situation, intervene right away before the program begins if you overhear patrons complaining to others or to themselves about the program topic. Create a rapport with that person, redirect them, and try to get them out of the room by having them write a letter or write their complaints down. If your program is in collaboration with another organization, have a clear plan with duties for both teams if things start to escalate.
- If the situation is left unchecked, there is a chance of quick escalation and danger.
- How to de-escalate with safety in mind:
- Ground yourself. Take a deep breath and think about the situation at play — and your goal. This is not the time to try to win an argument or convince someone that the LGBTQIA program they’re protesting is important. The goal is not to change minds but to create a safe space and not have someone cause a scene in the library.
- Assess for safety. Is there a weapon present? Are you dealing with one angry patron or a crowd? Do you need to call in additional staff or outside reinforcements (like the RCMP)?
- Show that you are calm. You can demonstrate calm through body language by nodding your head and holding your hands in front of your body. Physically demonstrate that you’re not here to argue back.
- Ask, listen, and empathise: Agree with what you can, listen, and empathise with what you can. If you have a solution for the patrons’ issue, offer it to them.
- Have the person exit. The escalated person might storm out on their own, and that’s an okay way to conclude the situation, or they may want to lodge a complaint, or they may calm down. Give them an alternate way to have their feelings heard like writing down their concerns and forwarding them to the Library Manager. For example, if you have a patron who is being disruptive during a library program, have a staff member approach them and say something like this: “Hey, it seems like you have a lot of concerns about this topic or this speaker. Do you want to talk about them with me? Let’s step outside of the room to talk”.
- Practice being assertive with smaller issues, such as telling patrons to wear headphones while on the computer or asking them to take a phone call outside. Once some have responses for the smaller things mastered, it’ll be easier to be more assertive in other situations. Remember that you are allowed to set boundaries, you are allowed to enforce library policies, and if you must tell someone to leave, you have the right to do so.
- Memorize some go-to phrases to use when de-escalation of a library situation is needed, like:
- “Sounds like you have a lot of concerns. Let’s talk about them.”
- “I can only answer library-related questions.”
- “That’s not allowed here.”
- “That’s not OK.”
- “It’s not OK to talk to people like that.”
- “If you keep doing that, I will have to ask you to leave the library.”
Content sourced from: Arata, H. (2022). De-escalation Techniques for Real-Life Programming Scenarios. American Library Association.
Here are some additional tips for working with patrons from a variety of different backgrounds using a trauma-informed perspective by Shay Vanderschaeghe:
Please see the additional resources below for more de-escalation resources and tips.
Working in an unsafe consumption site: A library perspective | Canadian Union of Public Employees
ON Library workers for SCS (@libraryworkers4scs) • Instagram photos and videos
saveoursites | Instagram | Linktree
It isn’t personal: HR in the Library by Shay Vanderschaeghe on Prezi
Toolkit – CULC/CBUC Library Safety & Security Toolkit
Public-Library-Social-Work_Overview-of-Trauma-Informed-Care_FINAL.pdf
Training – Homeless Training
Resources | HRNA/AIIRM
Up in Smoke: Analyzing the risk of illicit drug exposure and the harms of exposure misinformation
The Safer Bathroom Toolkit – University of Victoria
Safer Bathrooms: Stimulus Connect 22
Community Resources | Red Deer Public Library
The Homeless Hub | Library of Resources on Homelessness
Shift – SafeLink
Help support survivors of human trafficking in finding a path to safety.
Download Reports and Toolkits — ACT Alberta
211 Alberta | 211 Alberta, Help Starts Here
Needle Disposal – The City of Red Deer
Inner City Health and Wellness Program