Security concerns at the main branch of the Ottawa Public Library have prompted officials to keep a second security guard on duty during opening hours.
The library board approved the security contract for 2013 at a meeting last week.
"We want to make sure that we provide a welcoming environment for our customers," says Line Gravelle, manager of the downtown location on the corner of Metcalfe and Laurier Ave. West. "We want to ensure that our space is welcoming and safe for all who go through our doors."
The library initially had one security guard for all opening hours but after a female staff member was sexually assaulted in December 2010, officials decided to review its security services for all Ottawa libraries.
"We always had a security guard at our branch," says Jean MacGregor, co-ordinator of information services. "Having extra security and having policies that won’t leave a staff member alone were looked over again after that incident."
It became a requirement for two guards to be on duty for all opening hours in 2011, says Jennifer Stirling, the division manager of the Ottawa Public Library.
The main branch, which welcomes more than 17,000 people per week, historically has the highest level of reported incidents because of its clientele and the size and layout of the building.
The second security guard is needed to monitor the main doors and inside the building, especially in areas that are not as visible from the customer service desk.
"There are instances when a person’s behavior is just not appropriate," says Gravelle. "They’re disrespectful towards another customer or towards staff so it is important to have a guard at the front desk and have one who will be roving around."
In 2011, there were 68 incidents reported at the main branch and 22 were banned from the library. By December 2012, there were 50 incidents reported and 23 people were banned for misconduct, according to a report presented at the library board meeting.
"Our security guards are looking for a disturbance," says MacGregor. "They are looking for people being too loud, looking for people who are damaging the collections, and making sure no one is disrupting the flow of the library."
When library visitors or users violate the library’s code of conduct, they are asked to leave. In severe cases, such as physical violence or vandalism, they can be banned from the library indefinitely.
"People who have been banned from the library are ones who got into a physical fight or caused damage inside the library," says MacGregor.
Customers can be banned from the library for three to six months and if another incident occurs or escalates they can be banned permanently, says MacGregor. Evicted customers will have a note on their library cards that will deny them access to any library material.