Dixon, Jennifer

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Fordham University School of Law

Fordham Law School FLASH: The Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship and History Staff Publications Law Library 2-5-2018 Guns in the Library | Safety & Security Jennifer Dixon Fordham University School of Law, jdixon22@law.fordham.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/staff_publications  Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Dixon, Jennifer. "Guns in the Library | Safety & Security." Library Journal 5 Feb. 2018: n. pag. Online. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Library at FLASH: The Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship and History. It has been accepted for inclusion in Staff Publications by an authorized administrator of FLASH: The Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship and History. For more information, please contact tmelnick@law.fordham.edu. Guns in the Library | Safety & Securityby Jennifer A. Dixon Feb 05, 2018 | Filed in Programs+Libraries grapple with gun rights—and safetyRUN. HIDE. FIGHT. The video walking viewers through these steps for reacting to an activeshooter in a public place has received 6.5 million YouTube views since 2012 and forms a keypart of a new generation of safety training for libraries. Gun violence has recently impacted publicspaces such as concerts, schools, and churches and hit particularly close to home for manylibrary professionals and patrons when a 16-year-old killed two public library employees in NewMexico in 2017. In this environment, many library leaders are taking new steps to keep their staffand patrons safe.KNOW THE DRILLFor some libraries, this means organizing “active shooter” trainings that prepare staff to react todangerous situations. In 2016, the Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library (CPHPL) in upstateNew York committed to providing such training and worked with the local Saratoga CountySheriff’s Office to offer a 45-minute presentation to staff. In addition to learning about the “run,hide, fight” protocol, staff took a walk through the library to consider how those steps wouldapply in their own building.Following this presentation, staff applied what they learned in a drill one morning before thelibrary opened. Jim Foster, CPHPL assistant director, notes that libraries are unique spaces inthat they are by definition open to anyone from the public who wishes to enter. “It is trickier thanan office building, where you lock your door and hide under your desk,” he says. Instead, stafflearned, they should get to an exit if they can, or hide someplace like the stacks.Realizing the value of the drill’s lessons, library staff next chose to provide training to theirpatrons and in fall 2017 offered an educational presentation similar to that received byemployees. About 100 people attended, eager to learn about how to protect themselves inpublic spaces. Two days later, the library held a drill during open hours. It announced the drill inadvance and required anyone remaining in the library when it started to participate. Staff appliedwhat they had learned to help patrons hide and react in a safe manner. About 200 patronsparticipated in the lockdown drill, which was followed by a debriefing from a sheriff’s deputy. Thelibrary plans to have both staff-only and public drills annually to keep the knowledge fresh for all.PARTNERS IN SAFETY Staff at the Clifton Park–Halfmoon Public Library, NY, attend a safetytraining presentation given by the local Sheriff’s Office; police officers then offered a debriefingafter a librarywide drill. Photos courtesy of CPHPLIMPROVING AWARENESSThe New Jersey State Library (NJSL) has held active shooter trainings for staff in multiplelocations, all of which have been oversubscribed. NJSL worked with a local security association,primarily comprised of former state troopers, to prepare frontline staff for the chaos of an activeshooter situation. Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer, deputy state librarian for library support services withNJSL, advises libraries to be “proactive” in training their staff, as preparation and awareness arekey to making good decisions in tough circumstances. She notes that shortly after a training, astaff member at a New Jersey public library saw someone with a gun on the premises and calledthe police. “I would like to think that [was] someone who was at a training and was more aware,”she says.Moeller-Peiffer brings a unique perspective, having come to NJSL from New Mexico, a state withmuch more liberal gun laws and that experienced a fatal shooting at the Clovis-Carver PublicLibrary (CCPL) in August 2017. “It was interesting to see the conversations that went on in thewake of that,” she says. “People called for a ban on guns in public libraries—but just becausethere is a ban on guns doesn’t mean that people won’t bring them in.”Margaret Hinchee, director of CCPL, tells LJ that while her staff had never conducted an activeshooter training exercise in advance of August’s tragedy, they had reviewed policies andprocedures such as knowing to exit the building. However, she notes, in the panic of an activeshooter event unfolding, even the most detailed policies can be forgotten. “You just take it forgranted that that kind of thing is not going to happen here at the library. Looking back at thewhole incident, from beginning to end, it was less than ten minutes.”Nevertheless, Hinchee explains, the “most important thing” is to have some form of policy inplace and for staff to know where they should go for their own safety. Libraries should also makesure that first responders at a local police department and fire department know the layout oftheir building, she adds, including the location of exits and alarms.STRICTER SECURITYMoeller-Peiffer notes that officials at some libraries, such asPortales Public Library (PPL), near CCPL, reacted to theClovis shooting by considering more aggressive securitymeasures such as Plexiglas in front of the circulation andreference desks. However, aside from personnel and responsetraining, says PPL director Denise Burnett, no other securitychanges have taken place to date; the estimate provided bythe construction company was too high, and her request thatthe city hire an in-house contractor for the library remains inthe works.In November 2017, the New Mexico Library Association (NMLA) made recommendations to helpprevent another violent event, including a focus on comprehensive building security such aslimiting the number of entrances and exits in a library and never having an unlocked entrance atthe rear of a building. The New Mexico presentation also featured suggestions for libraries withlimited budgets, such as seeking out donations of discarded but still working equipment fromlarger agencies that are upgrading their own security systems; grants; and communitypartnerships with local security system contractors.Major actions such as the use of metal detectors or full-time security guards remain rare in all butvery large institutions or those in major metropolitan areas. Hinchee notes that a security guardmay not be able to make a difference in preventing a shooter from entering and harmingsomeone without additional barriers like metal detectors. Staff in Clovis are now required to carrywalkie-talkies while on the library floor.Academic campuses, including their libraries, are no stranger to gun violence. In 2010, a studentat the University of Texas, Austin, started shooting with an AK-47 outdoors before running into acampus library and taking his own life. In 2014, three students were shot when a former studentopened fire in the midst of the crowded Strozier Library at Florida State University (FSU),Tallahassee. Both incidents demonstrated the vulnerability of academic libraries.In advance of the FSU shooting, the campus had already prioritized library security, with asecurity force of full-time staff, as well as student workers and public safety officers from theuniversity, monitoring visitors in the library lobby. The library required all patrons and visitors toswipe through turnstiles before entering the main space. According to a report released by FSUin the aftermath of the shooting, security footage showed the gunman entering the lobby shortlyafter midnight during the busy exam period and staring at the turnstiles, “perplexed,” beforeexiting and opening fire on the library steps. Julia Zimmerman, dean of university libraries at FSU,notes that “[the shooter] could easily have jumped over, but it’s a psychological barrier. Had heactually breached the turnstiles and gone into the library,” where hundreds of students werestudying for exams, “it could have been a disaster.”Zimmerman adds, “One of the things that we really learned is just how vulnerable we all are....You can’t prepare for every eventuality.” In the wake of the shooting, the university initiated asecurity audit of major buildings. The audit “made us a believer that putting those turnstiles inwas absolutely the right thing to do,” says Zimmerman. While many students and employees ranfor cover or fled the building the night of the shooting, others walked closer to check out thecommotion or see what was happening. There is “only so much you can do” to prepare a verylarge and constantly revolving student body to make the best choices in a crisis, according toZimmerman, so instead the library relies on regular active shooter training for all of its staff,including student workers. The library leadership also continue to work closely with FSU securityto develop best practices.A DETERRENT Turnstiles at Florida State University’s Strozier Library helped prevent a moresevere incident.Photo courtesy of FSUEXPERT TIPSSteve Albrecht, a security expert who has worked with libraries throughout the United States onworkplace violence prevention and has written for LJ on library security, emphasizes theimportance of teaching staff to recognize danger signs in the context of their own community. Ina state with more liberal gun laws, he notes, seeing a person carrying a gun may not merit animmediate call to the police. Staff should consider whether a person’s body language ordemeanor suggests they are looking to threaten or harm someone. The NMLA presentation,similarly, advised “situational awareness” to look for people who appear uncomfortable orsuspicious.This is understandably a murky area that could lead to targeting of innocent patrons, such ashomeless or mentally ill persons, or those fitting a particular racial profile. Instead, Albrecht givesthe example of patrons in open carry states who are “showy” with guns rather than carrying themin a discreet holster, or who repeatedly refuse to make eye contact. Overall, trainings like theNew Mexico presentation encourage employees to trust their instincts and remain aware of whois coming in and out of the building.Albrecht also describes trainings—such as that organized by New York’s CPHPL and many otherinstitutions—and staff meetings as key opportunities to have “difficult discussions.” Staffmeetings may use role play to portray dangerous scenarios to help employees consider how theywould respond to a stressful or frightening situation. Staff can also undertake a securityassessment of their library building, identifying exits and safe hiding places. Items like carts orshelves can be used to block doors and keep shooters out, he notes, while thick books couldpotentially stop bullets.Albrecht adds, “In a perfect world, libraries would have a good relationship with their local policeor sheriff’s department. Police can be seen as partners for library staff and patrons.” As was thecase in the CPHPL active shooter drills, local police or private security companies can alsoprovide support for trainings and safety assessments. Some library/police collaborations areeven more proactive and go beyond the institution itself: as this article went to press, KansasCity Public Library, MO, announced a partnership with the Kansas City police department andMoms Demand Action to offer gun safety presentations and free gun locks to library patrons.However, library and local police collaborations can prove challenging in municipalities withlimited resources. CCPL’s Hinchee notes that she has requested regular police visits to thelibrary and, since the shooting, additional security tools such as panic buttons. These requestshave been met with slow or sporadic response, and local police still do not have a detailedunder standing of the library’s layout or a commitment to helping secure the building at vulnerabletimes such as opening or closing. Moreover, a police presence in the library can present otherissues, making some patrons feel unsafe.NO GUNS ALLOWEDGuns in the United States are regulated state by state,creating a patchwork of rules about who may own and carrya firearm and where they may carry it. Given thesedisparities, library administrators nationwide take varyingapproaches to addressing firearms in and around theirbuildings.Advocating for ChangeConfusing regulations have spurred librarians to take action in Missouri, where the lawpermits many residents to carry a gun legally without a concealed carry permit. Themost recent concealed carry law provides 17 locations or instances where weaponsmay be prohibited, including those that serve large numbers of children, such asschools and churches. The law does not, however, include public libraries. According topresident of the Missouri Library Association (MLA) Vicky Baker, “It is our belief that wewere inadvertently left out of the law—there are always children in our building. We arenow trying to get across to the legislature that we want to be able to decide what to doabout this.”In October 2017, MLA voted on a legislative agenda at its annual conference,expressing a desire to have the law changed so that library administrators may choosewhether to prohibit or allow firearms on their premises. The association is working with alegislative advocate and communicating with individual legislatures to clarify its positionon the topic. Librarians in Nevada encountered a similar issue in early 2017, with a billgoing before the Nevada Assembly that would prohibit weapons from public libraryproperty, absent written permission from the governing board of the library. Before thebill died in committee in May, vehement Nevada gun rights supporters spoke out inopposition to the restriction of weapons in public libraries.With respect to the MLA legislative agenda, the National Rifle Association (NRA) haspublished a response on its website that describes the position of MLA as vying to “optout of allowing law-abiding citizens to defend themselves.” Baker admits that the topicof firearms is “contentious” and emphasizes that MLA is simply advocating for the abilityof individual libraries to decide what approach to firearms is best for their location—Many professionals who spoke to LJ are prioritizing preparedness and confidence for their staffover more rigid security procedures like additional guards or entry checkpoints. Overall, libraryadministration and employees are doing their best to walk a fine line between keeping patronssafe and maintaining the openness that makes libraries such a vital part of their communities.appropriate rules may differ in rural areas vs. a city such as Kansas City or St. Louis, shesays. While not all librarians and patrons across Missouri agree on the best restrictionsfor guns in their libraries, notes Baker, “I think we can all get on the same page…[byletting] the local community decide.”Protecting an Open CampusThe University of Virginia (UVA) faces unique challenges, as it is home to a network ofacademic libraries but is also—as illustrated by the violent demonstrations of August2017, when white nationalists clashed with counterprotesters on campus grounds—ahistoric space open to public visitors. UVA is also located in an open carry state, whereconcealed weapons and open carry without a permit for people over 18 are legal,although the university does have a carve out from state law, meaning its campus is anexception to open carry rules and firearms are prohibited.PUBLIC AWARENESS The permanent sign displayed at University of Virginia buildingsstating the campus stance on guns. Photo courtesy of UVAAccording to John Unsworth, dean of libraries at UVA, however, there is “no reason tobelieve that the general public” is aware of that carve out. In recent months, a workinggroup at the university has started to address questions of policy and awareness aroundguns on campus, including developing signage that informs people they cannot bringguns into university buildings. Signs are now posted on buildings that receive regulartraffic from the general public, including libraries. Unsworth explains, “I didn’t want thepeople who work at the desk to have to think about what they would do if someonewalked in with a gun, wondering if they are aware of the policy. They can just call 911.”Guns Outside the LibraryOther libraries take compromise positions in order to comply with regional laws. In Ohio,the Dayton Metro Library (DML) policy prohibits visitors from bringing all dangerousweapons, including firearms, into library buildings. As of last year, there is an exceptionDT_Programs_Programming_Academic  guns  LJ_2018_Feb_01  securityto the rule barring guns from library premises: concealed carry permit holders may storetheir firearms in locked vehicles on library property. DML instituted this change inresponse to a 2017 change in Ohio state law, permitting concealed carry permit holdersto leave guns in secured vehicles. The bill represents a middle ground, much like thesimilar compromise attempted in Nevada.Tim Kambitsch, DML executive director, describes the change as a “modest” one thataddresses state law while also staying consistent with the view that “the library is noplace for guns or other weapons.” As is the case with any shift on a hot-button issuesuch as guns, it did spark some controversy. Kambitsch recalls a member of a local gungroup who came to a library board meeting in advance of the vote on the policychanges “to make a case that any restriction on open carrying of firearms outside oflibrary buildings is in violation of state law and the Ohio constitution.... The local gungroup representative returned the following day with a gun in his holster but did notenter our building.” The individual engaged with security guards and left of his ownaccord without incident, and since then the policy has garnered limited concern orreaction from staff or the public.Regardless of local laws or standards, libraries around the country share the samepriorities—creating a space that is open to the communities they serve and thatprovides patrons with a safe environment. As the recent American Library Association(ALA) statement on the effect of gun violence on libraries makes clear, libraries aremeant to be “safe havens” and can serve a vital role in promoting conversations andprogress about sensible gun policies.Jennifer A. Dixon is Electronic and Serials Librarian, Maloney Library, Fordham University LawSchool, New York

Guns in the Library | Safety & Security

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Guns in the Library | Safety & Security

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Fordham University School of Law