KEEPING ANARCHY AT
BAY: LESSONS IN
FLEXIBLE SECURITY
María de Jesús Ayala-Schueneman
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
From the Literature, 1
• Some quotes from the literature
• General Concerns
• “Safety and security in libraries include a diverse range of topics, from the
seemingly mundane – such as enforcing a no-food and no-drink policy – to
more serious incidents that include theft and disruptive behavior . . . it is
important to provide staff with the information and the tools they need to
respond to a variety of situations” (Lowry)
• “. . . the most important element in a holistic approach to promoting a secure
library building is effective management of the human side of the operation”
(McGinty)
• The Building
• “Building maintenance is increasingly becoming more of a technical than a
logistical operation” (Cheng et al.)
• Disaster Preparedness
• “A completed, adopted [disaster preparedness] plan must be developed,
widely disseminated, and reviewed often” (Fleischer & Heppner)
From the Literature, 2
• Some quotes from the literature
• Materials Abuse
• “ . . . frequent sanctions represent the best solution [to book mistreatment]
although they are most effective when surveillance is suspected.” (Pérez
et al)
• Morale & Staff Involvement
• “Staff . . . may feel powerless, with little input into decision making but a
great deal of responsibility for carrying decisions out because of their
frontline positions.” (Turner & Grotzky)
• “ . . . staff must have a voice in developing the policies and procedures
they must carry out.” (Turner & Grotzky)
• Policy
• “Keep it simple . . . Remember to make a distinction between security
matters and occupational health and safety audits, disaster planning and
crisis management.” (Robertson)
• “Some policies are best clearly made public to all who enter the building.”
(Turner & Grotzky)
From the Literature, 3
• Some quotes from the literature
• Information Security
• “The NSTISSC [National Security Telecommunications and Information
Systems Security Committee] model shows three goals of information
security . . . (1) confidentiality, (2) integrity, and (3) availability.” (Yi)
About TAMUK . . .
• Founded in 1925
• From 1929-1993 known as Texas A&I University
• Joined the Texas A&M University System in 1989
• Approximately 6700 students
• Graduate programs, including doctoral programs
• Important programs: engineering, agriculture, education
• Located in Kingsville, Texas
• About 120 miles north of Mexico, 40 miles SW of Corpus Christi
• Majority minority school
• Student body is approximately 70% Hispanic
About the Jernigan Library . . .
• Current Library building constructed in 1968 (first two floors)
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and 1984 (third floor)
Library has 140,147 square feet
Stack areas on all floors
Computer lab with 60 computers on the third floor
Classroom with 30 computers adjacent to lab
Instruction room on the first floor with 24 computers
“Electronic Resource Center” has 17 computers
Learning Assistance Center on the second floor
Various offices, some outside jurisdiction of Library
Jernigan Library: Circulation Desk
Security Desk, Entrance & Exit
Reference Desk, 1st Floor
Jernigan Library: Help Desk, 2nd Floor
Jernigan Library: Help Desk, 3rd Floor
Jernigan Library, Computer Lab
Security Station, 3rd Floor
Library & Security Staffing
• Total employees
• 9 professional librarians
• 4 tenured librarians
• 5 fixed term or professional librarians
• 15 staff
• 5 professional staff
• 10 Library Assistants
• 50 student workers
• Security personnel
• 4 fulltime employees contribute time to security issues
• Associate Director for Public Services, Evening Services Professional
Librarian, & two Library Assistants
• 19 student workers
History of Security at Jernigan Library, 1
• Until mid 1990s
• No full time staff member had security responsibility
• No student security workers
• No full time staff members in the evenings or on Sundays
• Mid 1990s
• Security program implemented
• Under direction of Head of Reference
• Implemented to enforce conduct rules, especially in the evenings
• 2000
• Security program transferred to Network Analyst
History of Security at Jernigan Library, 2
• 2007
• Security program transferred back to Reference & Instruction
• Training program instituted
• System of “rounds”
• Communication by walkie-talkie
• All floors connected to main Reference Desk on first floor
• Experiment with uniforms
• 2008-2011
• Security program has been modified throughout the years; remains
an important component of the Library’s Public Services program
Jernigan Library Security: Policies 1
• Policies formulated by Library Administration
• Director, Associate Directors, Director’s Council
• Policies published
• For public: on web, on signage, on Library TV monitor messaging
system
• For staff: on staff Intranet, in paper (binder kept at main Reference
Desk)
• Security policies mandated by University and within the
purview of the Library
Jernigan Library Security: Policies 2
• Code of Conduct
• Must be specific yet flexible
• Food & Drink Policy
• Where?
• Building use policies
• Study rooms
• Quiet areas
• University policies
• Lockdown
• Hurricane
• Serious crime
Jernigan Library Security: Deployment 1
• Long Days (Mon-Thur) During Long Semesters
• 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
• Library Assistant opens Computer Lab; minimal security
• 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Full complement of regular staff
• Three security students, one on each floor
• Connected to the Reference Desk by walkie-talkie; reference desk is
security hub
• Check in every hour, half-hour, or quarter hour depending on
circumstances; at least one round per hour
• 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Three regular staff on duty; student situation similar to 8-5
• 9:00 p.m to 1:00 a.m.
• Two regular staff on duty; student situation similar to 8-5
Jernigan Library Security: Deployment 2
• Weekends (Saturday Noon-6 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m.-1 a.m.)
• Two regular staff members throughout the day
• Student security begins at 12:00 p.m. and at 1:00 p.m.
Jernigan Library Security: Students
• Student Security Workers
• Approximately 19 employed at any one time
• Texas law now requires all employees to undergo security check;
this includes student workers
• Supervisor is Library Assistant (during the day) and Evening
Services Librarian (at night)
• Training
• All security students must undergo training
• Duties
• Enforce drink/food rules
• Observe behavior
• Make rounds
• Report – via walkie-talkie & via incident reports
Jernigan Library Student Workers
When All Else Fails . . .
Reporting
• Security student reporting
• Students are hired, generally supervised, and trained by Library
Evening Librarian & Library Assistant
• Immediate supervision is handled by person working the Reference
Desk
• Students check in with Reference Desk via walkie-talkie
• For some situations students report in person
• What’s reported?
• Building security: doors, floors, restrooms, emergency stairwells
• Plumbing & electrical problems
• User conduct issues: complaints
• Serious issues: knife drawn, passed out, physical violence, etc.
Reporting: Forms
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15 MINUTE (POTTY PATROL)
15 MINUTE ROUNDS DURING FINALS
COMPLAINT AGAINST STUDENT ASSISTANTS
HALF HOUR PATRON COUNT NOTE PAD
HALF HOUR PATRON COUNT
HALF HOUR STATISTICS 1ST FLOOR
HIGHLIGHTED CHECK LIST
HOURLY PATRON COUNTS
INCIDENT REPORT
KEY CHECK OUT / CHECK IN FORM
LIBRARY ASSISTANT GENERAL INFORMATION
NAME TAG TEMPLATE
OBSERVATION SHEET
OUT OF ORDER LOG
SECURITY CHECKS – REFERENCE DESK
SECURITY GUARD SCHEDULE
SIGN IN SHEET
STUDENT ASSISTANTS COMPLAINT FORM
STUDENT COMMENTS
TIMESHEETS FOR EVERY PAY PERIOD
WORK SCHEDULE CHANGE FORM
15 Minute Log – “Potty Patrol” & Finals
Checklist
Observation List
Incident Report
Holistic Flexible Security
• Security involves all rules & regulations
• Includes circulation rules as well as behavior rules
• Goal: to create a “scholarly space” that is nevertheless
inviting
• Difficulty is balancing “food court” and “group study” trends with
orderly study and research space
• Flexibility
• To some extent, despite the best rules and preparation, library
personnel must react to situations as they arise
• Money
• Security solutions that cost money may not be possible
Selected Bibliography, 1
• Bibliography
• Cheng, R. et al. “Function over Form: Security at the Bruce T. Halle
Library,” Library & Archival Security, 21/2, 2008.
• Fleischer, S. V. & M. J. Heppner. “Disaster Planning for Libraries
and Archives: What You Need to Know and How to Do It,” Library &
Archival Security, 22/2., 2009.
• Lowry, C. “Creating a Culture of Security in the University of
Maryland Libraries,” Journal of Library Administration, 38/1-2, 2003.
• McGinty, J. “Enhancing Building Security: Design Considerations,”
Library & Archival Security, 21/2, 2008.
• Pérez, C. et al. “Perspectives on . . . Understanding University
Users’ Mistreatment of Books,” Journal of Academic Librarianship,
35/2, 2009.
Selected Bibliography, 2
• Bibliography
• Robertson, G. “Downsizing the Binder: Effective Security Planning
for Libraries,” Feliciter, issue 5, 2003.
• Yi, M. “Balanced Security Controls for 21st Century Libraries,”
Library & Archival Security, 24/1, 2011.