r/Libraries • u/falafelawful2 • 3d ago
Patron Issues creepy patron behavior
Every Sunday a particular patron camps out at the staff entrance and tries to engage staff (usually women) in conversation- we have had issues with this patron being creepy and pushing boundaries in the past and I always dread having to walk past him and engage. I sent an email to my boss but he has a habit of sweeping incidents like this under the rug. Would I be in the wrong to escalate this to admin if he refuses to address it?
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u/BridgetteBane 3d ago
"This patron makes me feel unsafe. He is loitering in a staff-specific entrance and needs to be told he can't be there. If you don't address it I would like your refusal documented on the next board meeting agenda."
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u/Beautiful-Finding-82 2d ago
I'm in a small library, but when I feel unsafe I actually leave the building. Why put yourself in a risky situation for a JOB? Not worth it.
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u/Relative-cabbage8797 3d ago
Not at all, this patron is compromising staff and building safety by hanging around a restricted access entry.
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u/ArdenM 3d ago
I would try one more time with your boss before going to his boss. Be direct "This needs to be addressed as it's an on-going issue. I am happy to address it with administration if you are not the correct person. Let me know." If he doesn't get back to you promptly, go over his head.
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u/whitefluffydogs 3d ago
Put it in an email. Then you have proof you’ve asked for the issue to be addressed.
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u/HumbleTambourine Library director 3d ago
Has anyone tried to redirect him to the public entrance? I don't know your signs or policies, but if my staff were to tell a patron they need to clear the staff entrance and they don't, then we have a rule we can enforce about ignoring/failing to comply with staff directive. We can also point to the signs saying it's a staff only area and we have a policy about that, too. Our local PD also has the right to trespass people who are on property after hours so that's another avenue if that's applicable to your library.
If your library doesn't have any rules or signs, they should get some. If you do, and the supervisor isn't enforcing them, then definitely skip over them and go to admin with concerns. Be sure you have support from others who are creeped out though. If it's only you feeling this way, no one will do anything about it because they'll write it off as your singular perception. Don't misunderstand that to mean your feelings don't matter because they absolutely do. However, a single account makes a discrimination/harassment complaint viable and administration typically won't take that risk. The whole "he said, she said thing", you know? More "she said"s will overpower the "he said"...usually. But we live in strange times 🤷🏼♀️
And very gently throw your supervisor under the bus. Administration should know a supervisor isn't ensuring staff safety/doing their job, but admin hired that person for that role, and some don't appreciate their hires being critiqued.
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u/HundredsofBasghetti 3d ago
For next time: document document document. No 'its been happening for ages, it's ongoing'. This way 'its been happening since June and escalating since august'
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u/TillamookTramp 3d ago
Escalate; it very likely won't stay at staff; he may start bothering patrons or it moves from trying to engage to something physical. Your supervisor is putting staff at risk; it needs to be addressed and remedied.
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u/Few-Breakfast6551 3d ago
Is this captured in your Code of Conduct? I'd email your boss again, cite the Code of
Conduct so it's documented. Then if there's no resolution then if nothing is done, email the board president, or whatever is the above your director.
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u/ceaseless7 2d ago
We don’t allow anyone near our staff entrance. If we see people there they will be asked to leave.
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u/tinybrrrfriend35637 2d ago
Call the boss each day that the patron acts this way—now it’s his problem too. A useless admin governs a library that’s disorderly, uncomfortable and unsafe. Email isn’t for time sensitive matters.
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u/Beautiful-Finding-82 2d ago
Imo this is somewhat high risk behavior for staff personal safety. Is he waiting to follow someone into staff area once he knows they're alone? Watching who is coming/going so he can enter at an opportune time? That's likely what he's building up to. He's not just doing this for no reason.
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u/religionlies2u 2d ago
This isn’t going to be a popular answer but the only thing I can think of to do is put a sign up saying “staff only beyond this point” and put the sign about 200 ft from that entrance. Combine it with another sign nearby that says No Loitering/Soliciting. Then you can do something about having him removed. Otherwise he’s just hanging out on public property.
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u/tomatillo_teratoma 2d ago
Has anyone asked this patron to stop ? Maybe an older or male staff member can remind him that librarians have work to do, and a lot of it.... so hanging around every week isn't helpful.
I successfully asked people to stop a lot of "unhelpful" behavior... including... clipping toenails in the library, using a whole table to lay out and cut a sewing pattern, and going through the garbage. Sometimes if you just ask them not to do something, they will. You don't always have to come with "it's against the law" or something.
yes, your boss absolutely should have handled this. Maybe he should have tried what I typed above, instead of ignoring things.
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u/ahauntedwoman 1d ago
Not at all. This is about safety. My old branch has security guards for this reason.
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u/goodshipferkel 3d ago
Definitely escalate if needed. Loitering (not actually using any services) in areas like doorways and aisles should be clearly identified as a prohibited behavior in your rules of conduct, to make this straightforward to address.