Make it clear that you’re approachable and not intimidating. That way, patrons may seek you out before problems arise.
For example, after greeting a visitor and asking if they need any assistance, you might say: “Are you a first-timer at our library? If so, please take a look at the library rules posted right here and please feel free to ask me any questions. ” Never just assume that patrons know not to eat in the library, talk too loud, write in the books, and so on.
While you can and should work to make the rules as fair, timely, and reasonable as possible, it’s still important that you enforce the rules that currently exist. Don’t just ignore a clearly-posted rule because you think it’s outdated or silly.
For instance, you might tell a group of students the following: “Librarians are helpers, and my job is to help every library visitor get the most out of their experience here. That means I have to stop any disruptive behavior that bothers other library visitors. ”
If your library has a “three strikes and you’re out” policy for disruptions, don’t give one patron more leeway than another when the circumstances are similar. For instance, you might approach disruptions by a 5-year old and a 15-year old somewhat differently, but don’t treat two teenagers who are causing similar disruptions differently.
For example, you might say the following: “I’m sorry, but food and drink is not allowed in this area because we’re worried about possible damage and distractions. I’ll reserve this computer so you can have your snack on the patio and then come right back to it. Otherwise you’ll have to put the snack away. ”
If you told a patron they’d have to leave if they continued to talk loudly on their phone and bother other patrons, do exactly that: “I’m sorry, sir, but you’ve been clearly warned twice about this and told that you’d have to leave if it continued. For the sake of the other people in the library I must tell you to leave the library and stay away for the rest of the day. ”
