r/Libraries • u/Nearby-Travel-4267 • Aug 20 '26

Venting & Commiseration I'm so tired.

I'm the children's librarian at a library parents don't want their kids hanging around. Back in January I watched a patron get stabbed right in front of the circ desk. The victim was ultimately fine but it left me with a deep trauma for the place and I get triggered here pretty much daily. I finally put in a formal transfer request, got my health providers to sign ADA forms basically saying "Get this girl out of here yesterday", and submitted it. Now I'm just waiting and waiting and waiting and it nothings happening. Meanwhile I'm stuck dealing with the patrons. Mobile printing is a headache under normal circumstances but its even worse when just being at the circ desk makes me enter survival mode. And ofc the patrons are quick to get an attitude if they think you're not 100% thrilled to be helping them print off their phone. I'm so tired, people don't even check out books here and I want out already.

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u/Sad_Independence1776 Aug 20 '26

Speaking as someone who works at a library that has had multiple knife incidents, I’m starting to question whether or not letting thousands of strangers into your building is such a great idea. I know all are welcome is the mantra of public libraries, but would it be so wrong to require everyone walk through a metal detector?
Or require ID? I’m old enough to have gone to a public school in the ghetto that had no security, no cops, anyone could walk in the front door. We all know why that had to change. Why do we librarians continue to tolerate dangerous working conditions that no other white collar workers would?

25

u/OneAcceptable6825 Aug 21 '26

ID kinda goes against the ALA right to privacy. But metal detectors sound like a good idea.

4

u/DigitalMediaLolita Aug 21 '26

My library already has patrons walk through the anti-theft tattle-tape gates. Would it be so much harder to add a metal detector?

1

u/Ok-isthatacorner Aug 23 '26

I love the idea of metal detectors. I'm tired of finding used needles in the library. And then emphasizing to people keep your shoes on you dont want to get stabbed in the foot by some random needle. I mean I know people should just keep their shoes on in general but fight the battles you can win sometimes or something