Our Library 2.0 "Safe Library" training programs for library staffers and leaders cover service, security, safety, supervision, and even a little stress management. Our goal is to help to keep all library employees physically and psychologically safe, making it easier for them to serve all patrons in their facilities.
Dr. Albrecht's podcast recordings and feed are to the right, and following immediately below that is a full list of his blog posts. A full list of paid webinars is to the left.
December 12, 2024
Dr. Albrecht's blog posts are below. One of the features of his blog is "ASK DR. STEVE," where readers submit questions and he answers them. To submit a question for Dr. Steve, please email askdrsteve@library20.com.
By Dr. Steve Albrecht
When I started my library security training journey back in 2000, my knowledge of what went on in libraries as an operation was limited, and my understanding of what happened in libraries regarding crime, violence, and patron be
By Dr. Steve Albrecht
SUBMITTED QUESTION
I’m a security director for a large library district. I’ve got a rural library director who feels unsafe with drug activity around, and in fact, a late night bullet accidentally hit the library door a couple m
By Dr. Steve Albrecht.
Thank you, Bold and Brave Librarians! We asked and you shared! My hands trembled as I complied your List of Yuck.
As you review what your colleagues have “curated” here, you can either take some comfort that either your library
By Dr. Steve Albrecht
As one of my friends, who has the unenviable job of cleaning airplane bathrooms between flights, likes to say, “People are nasty.”
The shelves in your library or your oh-so-inviting book drop seem to draw things you wouldn’t wan
[A shorter version of this essay ran as an op-ed in the February 2, 2024 online edition of The Seattle Times. Click here for the link to that version. https://shorturl.at/txFKW. See also "U.S. Department of Education Issues New Resource for School Ad
By Dr. Steve Albrecht
The trope we see most often in movies and TV crime shows is when a child is kidnapped, it’s done by the “creepy guy driving a van.” We tell our kids, as soon as they can know it, about “Stranger Danger,” and we spend our lives w
Dear Dr. Steve - Our Code of Conduct prohibits patrons from sleeping in the library. Our staff is quite lenient on this issue and they usually just “verbally nudge people awake” and remind them about the rule. There are some patrons who come here jus
Here’s a fun exercise, one that will help you connect to a wider variety of your patrons:
Step 1 - Create a list of the Top Three most common languages spoken in and around your library, by the patrons you serve. (Just one language is too easy; four
An AskDrSteve@Library20.com submission about getting all-staff buy-in for emergency-related training:
“We do bi-monthly trainings via PowerPoint for safety topics (Medical Emergencies, Tornado/Severe Weather, Code Adam, Active Threat, Personal Safety
After doing a keynote speech for a state library association last week, one of the directors in attendance came up and asked me, “What is a similar type of business to a public library?”
I didn’t need much time to answer because I have been thinking
[Patrons watching pornography in the library can range from an irritating behavioral problem to an actual federal crime. So what do we do to enforce our Internet and Wi-Fi policies? Dr. Albrecht has written this article for the September 2023 issue o
Dr. Albrecht was interviewed by Steve Thomas, the host and producer of "Circulating Ideas."
"Steve chats with Steve Albrecht, author of The Safe Library: Keeping Users, Staff, and Collections Secure, about how he transitioned from working with law en
By Dr. Steve Albrecht
There are patrons that you serve on a daily or near-daily basis, who see you almost as much as they see their local coffee shop barista. They just love or really like the library and they may really like you. The question is: Ca
By Dr. Steve Albrecht
Originally published in Computers In Libraries Magazine, June 2023
Over the last 6 years, libraries in St. Louis; Boston; Northampton, Pa.; Syracuse, N.Y.; Contra Costa, Calif.; Spartanburg, S.C.; and Butler County, Pa. have all
By Dr. Steve Albrecht
The Society For Human Resources (SHRM.org) is one of the largest professional organizations for HR professionals. As a member (and board certified by them since 1995), I come across articles and ideas that can benefit library le
Dear Dr. Steve,
Please forgive me if this question has already been addressed in a previous article or blog post. I recently got hired as a library security manager for our library system's 18 locations, and one of the things our executive team has a
By Dr. Steve Albrecht
At a recent library service, safety, and security training workshop I did, a library employee told me she would never call the police to her library because, "Once the police put that person's name into their system, it never co
By Dr. Steve Albrecht
One of the hardest jobs I ever held was working as a Ramp Agent for a major airline at a small airport. I loaded and unloaded passenger bags, which meant operating conveyor belts, and crawling into baggage compartments on region
Some patrons come into the library drunk, some come in high on meth or opiates, like heroin or fentanyl. Maybe they don't cause any behavioral or security problems for you or other patrons. But what if they do?
Watch Dr. Steve Albrecht's 30-minute v
By Dr. Steve Albrecht
Let’s start by defining the “professional library security incident report” as:
“a document created by an investigative process that captures the scene of a security incident at your library; that serves as a historical record;
Since 2000, Dr. Steve Albrecht has trained thousands of library employees in 28+ states, live and online, in service, safety, and security. His programs are fast, entertaining, and provide tools that can be put to use immediately in the library workspace with all types of patrons.
In 2015, the ALA published his book, Library Security: Better Communication, Safer Facilities. His new book, The Safe Library: Keeping Users, Staff, and Collections Secure, was just published by Rowman & Littlefield.
Steve holds a doctoral degree in Business Administration (D.B.A.), an M.A. in Security Management, a B.A. in English, and a B.S. in Psychology. He is board-certified in HR, security management, employee coaching, and threat assessment.
He has written 25 books on business, security, and leadership topics. He lives in Springfield, Missouri, with six dogs and two cats.
More on The Safe Library at thesafelibrary.com. Follow on X (Twitter) at @thesafelibrary and on YouTube @thesafelibrary. Dr. Albrecht's professional website is drstevealbrecht.com.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you for presenting at our staff development day. Our staff has expressed their appreciation for the information and tools you provided. We know the lessons learned will be useful in our day-to-day work. It was a pleasure to have you with us -- even if it was only virtually." - Athens, GA Library
"I wanted to thank you for the session. My husband was listening from the other room and said, 'Wow, that was great!' This was the best library workshop I've been to, and I've been to a lot! The staff was saying the same in emails." - Emily from MI
"Your suggestions of what to say to challenging patrons will really help me once we allow patrons back into the library. Thanks!" - Lori from IL
"Not only have I learned incredibly valuable skills to use in my career as a public librarian, those lessons will have a ripple effect as I teach a course on Social Crisis Management... I always give Dr. Albrecht the credit in the portions of my lecture and presentation. And have first hand experiences using these lessons to support his approach. Thanks again for lending your expertise to ensure that as librarians we can remain safe, keep our customers safe and still deliver on our mission and the meaningful work we do each day." - Jen
"You helped to keep my brain from turning into mush during this long time off. Thank you!" - C. from MO
"I was able to view Library Safety and Security and Interacting with the Homeless. I learned so much and appreciate the education you offered. I became aware of changes, large and small that I can make in my life to enhance how I interact with all people. I do hope our library offers your classes in the future because I did not view all the webinars that I wanted to and I am sure my coworkers feel the same. Thank you again." - Vicki from VA
"I wanted to send you a note of thanks for your webinars... I watched 5 of them and found them to be incredibly informative. Currently I am working with my library's director to put together a situation response manual for safety and security matters that apply to our own library... What you have shared has been very useful to help set up some guidelines and decide a good direction for training within our organization. Thank you so much for sharing your insights." - Jennifer from IN
"Thank you for the great content. I appreciate it." - Carmen from MT
"[I] found [your webinars] extremely helpful and informative. Thanks again and stay safe!" - Christine from PA
"I remember when you came to our Annual Employee Training Session and presented a terrific class. I was able to view all of your webinars during this time and I learned so much. Your generosity of spirit during this pandemic is truly appreciated and your kindness will be remembered. Thanks again and Cheers." - Bernadette from CA
"We have watched a couple of [your webinars] in the past and they always provide a great approach to issues that are becoming more and more common in public libraries." - Rod from TX
"Your webinars were educational and inspiring." - Karen from GA
"I have recently watched all your webinars... (this begins to sound like a groupie saying, "I have all your records!") and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from them. They were probably the best work at home professional development material I encountered in the two months my library has been closed. I've worked in public libraries since 1988 and everything you said makes sense in my experience. I look forward to putting what I learned from your webinars to use when we eventually reopen to the people the library exists for. Many thanks!" - Barbara from BC Canada
"I've learned a lot from your diverse offerings as I knew that I would. I listened to 4 of your webinars at this run. I also attended your talk last year at one of our branch libraries. I hope that your presentations remain in my mind and that your practical, philosophical and respectful methods of engagement can be brought forth in times of need." - Deborah from CA
"We don't always take the time to do online courses or participate in webinars because of time and money restraints. We have been lucky to have the time now to take advantage of these opportunities. Your webinars really pack a lot of info in the time allotted. Your observations and surveys conducted with staff across the country made this applicable and the reality. Many of the situations described sound like our day to day interactions with patrons. Again thank you so much for these valuable webinars. I hope we will be open soon and able to put your tips into practice." - Kathy from MD
"I’ve really enjoyed all of your webinars, especially the ones about security and challenging patrons, and I’ve gained some useful knowledge that I can utilize at my library. I hope you have a wonderful day! Thanks again!" - Deborah from OH
"You're the best of the best." - Nick from CA
"I have found your webinars especially helpful during this time of stay-at-home orders and the inability to report to work for my daily schedule. (My branch is closed indefinitely.) I have especially found "Interacting with the Homeless" and "Stress Management for Library Staff" as the most help to date. I have been doing daily meditation as a stress reliever and taking time to find happiness despite all that is taking place in this world.... having this opportunity to listen to your thought-processes is very invigorating and life-changing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart." - Danielle from MD
"[Y]ou've expanded our minds and helped us greatly with your generosity. Thank you for all that you do, I appreciate it immensely." - Valerie from TX
"Thank you very much for your work and very good webinar." - Donna from IN
"I appreciate your vast knowledge on patrons and safety situations." - Mary from IL
"I've long wanted to explore your work, and have enjoyed and learned from 4 of your webinars so far, with plans to view them all. They are excellent! I am charged with leading our staff around issues of safety and security in our rural system, and you are a clear and dynamic voice in our field. I really appreciate your experience, knowledge, and presentation style, down to talking fast to get the most information into the time of the presentation! Hopefully, I'll be able to obtain the new edition of your book soon, as I hope to keep these themes as relevant currents for the duration of my career." - Kimberlee from CA
Additionally:
"Thank you for your wonderful `Safety and Security in the Library' presentation. I so appreciate that you were able to join us virtually this year and share your knowledge on these topics with our library staff. I look forward to exploring some of the resources you shared with us."
"Thanks so much for recording the presentation. It was fantastic!"
"Thank you, Dr Steve, for your presentation today. It was very helpful and insightful. Your subtle humor also lightened the mood."
"I wanted to reach out and thank you for all the information that you gave in your webinar on conducting a library facility security assessment."
Watch Dr. Steve Albrecht on video and onstage, as he presents his safety and security workshop, "Dealing With Challenging Patrons" to a live library audience. 45 minutes for unlimited staff showings at a one-time $495 fee or included in any all-access pass program.
