New Webinar - "After-Hours Safety: Protocols for Opening, Closing, & Working Alone in the Library"

After-Hours Safety:
Protocols for Opening, Closing, and Working Alone in the Library
Part of the Library 2.0 Service, Safety, and Security Series with Dr. Steve Albrecht

OVERVIEW: 

Every library professional knows that uneasy feeling – arriving alone in the early morning darkness to open the building, working a solitary evening shift with unpredictable patrons, or conducting that final security sweep while acutely aware there are only a few staff members left. Statistics reveal that nearly 70% of security incidents resulting in staff injury occur during minimal staffing periods, yet most libraries lack comprehensive protocols for these vulnerable times. This critical webinar addresses the need for systematic safety procedures that protect staff during opening, closing, and solo or small-staff coverage situations.

Join Dr. Steve Albrecht, nationally recognized library security expert, for this practical training that transforms general building safety concerns into specific, actionable protocols. Drawing from real-world incidents and successful interventions across hundreds of libraries, Dr. Albrecht provides proven strategies that work, regardless of your library's staff size, budget, or location. You'll learn how to conduct security vulnerability assessments, establish safety routines, and create the policies needed to protect your institution from injuries, assaults, or liabilities.

This isn't about fear – it's about preparation and empowerment. Whether you're a solo librarian in a rural community, a supervisor scheduling evening shifts, or a library leader responsible for staff safety, you'll gain tools to reduce risk and increase confidence. From simple techniques like the "verbal presence" method to comprehensive closing procedures and emergency response protocols, this webinar equips you with everything needed to ensure that every staff member goes home safely.

LEARNING AGENDA: 

• Learn how to do a site security survey of your library facility, identifying and documenting high-risk areas during low-staffing periods, including blind spots, isolation zones, and potential threats.
• Create safe opening procedures, including pre-entry assessment protocols, safe building entry techniques, and thorough security sweeps to ensure facilities are secure before public service begins.
• Create safe closing protocols using graduated announcements, strategic sweep patterns, and safe exit procedures while managing resistant patrons and securing library assets.
• Establish solo worker or small-staff safety strategies, including de-escalation techniques for uncooperative patrons.
• Use safety technology from panic buttons to entry alerts to specific alarm codes.
• Create or update written policies that clearly define after-hours procedures, emergency responses, and training requirements.

DATE: Thursday, November 6, 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:

 November 3, 2025

 November 7, 2025

 Next Class November 12, 2025

 November 14, 2025