NCSU Libraries Focus Online
Volume 25 number 3 - Spring 2005
Improving Security at the D. H. Hill Library
By Rob Rucker, Public Services
With 1.5 million visitors each year, the D. H. Hill Library is the most heavily
used academic building on campus. The library is an important hub for the campus
community--it is a place to study and do research, and it is also a place to
meet a friend, get a cup of coffee, or check electronic mail. Thanks to the
NCSU Libraries' ambitious service model, the library is open twenty-four hours
a day during much of the year. These facts make the D. H. Hill Library a challenging
campus facility with regard to security. Recently, a number of steps have been
taken to ensure that the library remains as safe and welcoming an environment
as it is now. These efforts fall into three categories.
Awareness
A large display monitor has been installed at the main entrance of the D.
H. Hill Library. It displays security information such as the "Campus
Police Daily Activities Report" and provides visitors with real-time updates
on security and safety. It also gives library visitors information on renovation
progress, relocated service points, and other news and events.
Making library staff visible to the public means they can serve both as a
deterrent to crime and as employees to whom visitors can report theft or suspicious
behavior. Employees working in the book stacks now wear vests identifying them
as library staff, and other library staff have identification badges. This
takes advantage of the number of library staff who work and move throughout
the building each day and who can respond to any problems.
New signs have been posted throughout the library emphasizing the need for
patrons to be aware of their surroundings and their belongings. Ongoing awareness
will also be addressed through articles in the Technician, the student
newspaper; the university Bulletin; and other campus publications,
particularly at the end of the semester when crime typically increases. Library
staff are kept apprised via electronic mail of any incidents that have occurred
in the library and are posted in the "Campus Police Daily Activities Report."
Facilities and Infrastructure
New intercoms have been installed in the book stacks allowing patrons immediate
communication with the main Circulation Desk. Tamper-resistant light switches
have been installed in all public restrooms located in the book stacks, preventing
lights from being turned off and keeping these isolated areas well lit.
Library staff working in the book stacks have carried two-way radios for some
time. These allow staff to communicate immediately with supervisors at the
Circulation Desk. The Libraries has purchased additional radios and has extended
their use into other departments where staff frequently move throughout the
public areas of the library as part of their jobs. Campus Police has given
the Libraries two of their radios, and these enable the library supervisor
on duty to communicate immediately and directly with all Campus Police personnel.
Training
Sergeant Jon Barnwell of Campus Police has provided safety training for all
library staff. A goal of these sessions was to ensure that all staff members
on duty are prepared to report any suspicious incidents promptly and to respond
appropriately to crimes or disturbances. Sergeant Barnwell shared statistics
with library staff showing that the majority of crimes that occur in the library
involve larceny--usually personal belongings taken from students who leave
them unattended or who are asleep. Campus Police also provides safety training
as part of the university's new-staff orientation that now includes information
specific to the D. H. Hill Library. All these measures should help the Libraries
maintain a safe environment for the university community.
|
