Across Canada, socio-economic forces are increasing the frequency and intensity of security and safety incidents in public spaces, including libraries. Despite being a small percentage of customer interactions, these incidents can significantly impact employees’ sense of safety and public perceptions of libraries as safe, welcoming, and accessible spaces.
To support each other through these challenges, members of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council / Conseil des Bibliothèques Urbaines du Canada (CULC/CBUC) formed a Safety and Security Working Group to:
- develop a toolkit consisting of best practices regarding safety and security; and
- promote learning, support, and collaboration around safety and security in public libraries