Library Survival Guide: Managing The Problem Situation

Beginning with a 'Rambo'-like reenactment of a librarian gearing herself up for a day at the library, this inventive, and much-needed look at problem situations in the library covers a variety of scenarios that more and more librarians are having to face everyday. Dramatizations of the 'homeless man', disruptive teenagers, the disoriented patron, the threatening patron, the exhibitionist, and the dropped-off child are all followed by discussions of the problem, including the psychological basis behind the behavior, and the legal options open to the librarian faced with it. Sound advice concerning problem patron manuals, posting of rules of behavior in the library, and the importance of staff cooperation and communication is supplemented with both medical and legal opinions from noted experts, such as ALA legal counsel, Mary Hutchings Reed. There is no question that the degree of questionable and even downright violent behavior has escalated in public libraries over the past few years. The Library Survival Guide is a good first step in getting your library prepared to deal with these problems--before they happen. Highly recommended. (Available from: ALA Video, 50 East Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611).