CFP Supportive Library

Your Name and Title: Kate Aultman, Head of Washington Memorial Library

Library, School, or Organization Name: Middle Georgia Regional Library, Washington Memorial Library

Co-Presenter Name(s):

Area of the World from Which You Will Present: Macon, Georgia, United States

Language in Which You Will Present: English

Target Audience(s): Public Library Staff, Academic Library Staff, Public Service Staff

Short Session Description (one line): 

The presentation “Safe at the Desk: Trauma Informed at Washington Memorial Library” will detail the triumphs and struggles of analyzing safety, implementing boundaries, reporting incidents, promoting communication, and standardizing an institutional response.

Full Session Description (as long as you would like):

Changing the environment of a public service desk is a delicate balance of boundaries, communication, and effective response.The presentation “Safe at the Desk: Trauma Informed at Washington Memorial Library” will detail the triumphs and struggles of analyzing safety, implementing boundaries, reporting incidents, promoting communication, and standardizing an institutional response. When front line librarians and library assistants express trepidation or even fear of the public, middle management can improve the quality of interactions through training and support. Since 2022 I have been cultivating a work environment of psychological and physical safety at the Washington Memorial Library.

To change the public service desk work environment the first focus is to observe and analyze the physical and psychological safety of front line staff. Pinpointing the actions and behaviors that are creating uncomfortable situations will make the problem of safety easier to define. Defining what boundary setting looks like within customer service expectations creates a useful tool for frontline staff to address problematic behaviors. Reporting problematic behaviors is essential for institutional consequences for unwanted behavior. Active communication of incident reporting is essential to build uniform customer service and institutional consequences. The response from managers and the institution is the essential piece to changing a public service desk work environment.

 “Safe at the Desk: Trauma Informed at the Washington Memorial Library” will create a clear footprint of analyzing safety, implementing boundaries, reporting incidents, promoting communication, and standardizing an institutional response to empower and promote the individual agency of front line librarians. 

Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session:

https://urbanlibrariansunite.org/

https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2024/02/protecting-library-workers-the-ongoing-battle-for-the-health-and-safety-of-library-staff/?amp;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=protecting-library-workers-the-ongoing-battle-for-the-health-and-safety-of-library-staff

https://librarianbyday.net/2024/04/05/psychological-safety-in-libraries-and-the-veneer-of-niceness/