New Webinar - "GRAY AREAS: Better Responses to Borderline Patron Behaviors"

GRAY AREAS:
Better Responses to Borderline Patron Behaviors
Part of the Library 2.0 Service, Safety, and Security Series with Dr. Steve Albrecht

OVERVIEW: 

In law, there’s the “letter of the law” and the “spirit of the law.” Libraries face a similar challenge when applying their Code of Conduct, which serves as the primary response guide.

Some behaviors are obvious violations—like smoking in the stacks—that require immediate enforcement. Others fall into gray areas: a patron dozing off in a chair, eating a snack, or moving a table. We enforce many do-or-do-not behaviors as “strictly prohibited” while others are “not a thing we generally allow, but maybe not that big of a deal.”

We can think of the Code of Conduct as our response guide to help us navigate both the clear-cut rules as well as the situations that require more judgment. How staff interpret and apply this guide—whether with strict enforcement, flexibility, or avoidance—shapes our relationships with both patrons and co-workers.

A consistent, thoughtful approach improves safety, fairness, and trust inside the library. Enforcing our library's fair and safe use policies and using the Code of Conduct as our roadmap takes some thought and requires discretion. This webinar will equip staff at every level—frontline employees, PICs, supervisors, and managers—with strategies to use the Code of Conduct effectively and confidently when addressing gray area behaviors.

WHY ATTEND? 

• Gain tools to distinguish between intentional and unintentional behaviors.
• Learn how to apply the Code of Conduct with fairness, consistency, and empathy.
• Explore ways to balance policy enforcement with maintaining positive patron relationships.
• Discover how to empower staff to act decisively without overreacting—or ignoring issues altogether.
  

LEARNING AGENDA: 

• Hot Button Behaviors: Sleeping, eating/drinking, large bags, bicycles or skateboards indoors, “emotional comfort animals,” feet on furniture, rearranging furniture, device noise, monopolizing computers, blocking aisles, or occupying restricted rooms.
• Community Context: How neighborhood demographics shape enforcement decisions.
• Balancing Approaches: Supporting staff who prefer the “letter of the law” while preventing unnecessary conflict with patrons.
• Staff Empowerment: Encouraging employees to address gray area violations rather than avoiding them.

DATE: Thursday, September 18, 2025, 2:00 - 3:00 pm US - Eastern Time

COST:

• $99/person - includes live attendance and any-time access to the recording and the presentation slides and receiving a participation certificate.
• To arrange group discounts (see below), to submit a purchase order, or for any registration difficulties or questions, email admin@library20.com.

TO REGISTER: 

Click HERE to register and pay. You can pay by credit card. You will receive an email within a day with information on how to attend the webinar live and how you can access the permanent webinar recording. If you are paying for someone else to attend, you'll be prompted to send an email to admin@library20.com with the name and email address of the actual attendee.

If you need to be invoiced or pay by check, if you have any trouble registering for a webinar, or if you have any questions, please email admin@library20.com.

NOTE: Please check your spam folder if you don't receive your confirmation email within a day.

SPECIAL GROUP RATES (email admin@library20.com to arrange):

• Multiple individual log-ins and access from the same organization paid together: $75 each for 3+ registrations, $65 each for 5+ registrations. Unlimited and non-expiring access for those log-ins.
• The ability to show the webinar (live or recorded) to a group located in the same physical location or in the same virtual meeting from one log-in: $299.
• Large-scale institutional access for viewing with individual login capability: $499 (hosted either at Library 2.0 or in Niche Academy). Unlimited and non-expiring access for those log-ins.

DR. STEVE ALBRECHT

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.

He has written 27 books, including: Library Security: Better Communication, Safer Facilities (ALA, 2015); The Safe Library: Keeping Users, Staff, and Collections Secure (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023); The Library Leader’s Guide to Human Resources: Keeping it Real, Legal, and Ethical (Rowman & Littlefield, May 2025); and The Library Leader's Guide to Employee Coaching: Building a Performance Culture One Meeting at a Time (Rowman & Littlefield, June 2026).

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 lives in Springfield, Missouri, with seven 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.

 

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS:

 Starting September 10, 2025

 September 9, 2025

 September 12, 2025

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