Facing threats to basic safety can often be traumatic and isolating. The Public Library Association (PLA) — in collaboration with the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) and the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) — invites all library workers to join free virtual town hall, Spotlight on Safety: Addressing Threats in Public Libraries.
Register here. This event will take place Wednesday, November 30, at 12:00 p.m. MST. Due to high demand, they are accepting up to 1,500 registrations, but only the first 1,000 viewers will be able to attend live. The webinar room will open about 15 minutes before the start of the event, and they recommend arriving early.
Public libraries are increasingly responding to violent and inflammatory speech and targeted attacks on their buildings, workers, and patrons. Over the last two weeks of September, libraries in five cities faced bomb or shooting threats that resulted in canceled events and closures. These incidents also come directly on the heels of widespread intimidation related to censorship in the past year
During this event, panelists will participate in a facilitated conversation that explores effective policies and practices to improve safety and security for library staff and patrons, and invites questions and resources to be shared among all attendees.