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| Image by Evgeni Tcherkasski from Pixabay |
The fall 2020 issue of the Wisconsin Library Association Newsletter had a practical article to help us successfully navigate asking patrons to follow library policy and wear masks. Author Michelle Dennis is from the Hedberg Public Library in Janesville. You can reach out to her with questions or if you need help training staff on security.
No Shirt, No Mask, No Service
How quickly a simple piece of cloth has become a symbol of safety for some and rebellion for others! The way you respond can make any situation infinitely better when you use your best security skills with positive intention.
Before thinking about masks in particular, think about the old rule: “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service.” How would you respond if a person came into your space wearing only a bathing suit? Or without a shirt? How about barefoot? Would you panic? Would you become outraged or morally offended? (well depending on the size of the bathing suit...) But seriously, does lacking any of those other “pieces of cloth” require an emotional response? Hopefully, you would simply say “Whoa. You really need a shirt to be here.” and encourage the person to come back when they were dressed. Someone in the library without a mask needs no more response than that. Just as we wear shoes to prevent injury, we wear masks to reduce the risk of harm by exposure. Simple, quick, objective. It’s a fact. It’s our new normal. Most libraries have made success and compliance even easier by offering a free mask to anyone without.
What about when patrons don’t agree? As in every interaction with an unhappy patron, your tone makes all the difference! Whatever you are feeling inside, you make your own life easier when you appear calm and detached. What if, instead of getting upset, you simply put on your biggest smile and greeted the bare faced patron with “Hi there. Do you have your mask with you today? Let me get you one. Do you want cloth or paper?” This is a sales tactic that works well with behavior issues. You distract the person from what they were thinking and guide them to your agenda by asking questions. Keeping your tone light and conversational helps move them along the right path. True story: One of our biggest curmudgeons put on a mask without comment because they were busy answering my questions rather than voicing their argument. Once it was on, the former anti-masker said “I don’t even know why I’m wearing this. Oh well.” and proceeded into the stacks. Success!
Not all resistance goes away easily. Remember, once they refuse, it stops being about the mask and starts being about respecting library rules. Now your library’s plan for disciplinary response comes into play. We follow our Incident Flow to enforce mask wearing in the same way we work with all disrespectful behaviors. We tell the person the expectation and walk away (in this case even providing the tool for success – the mask). If they don’t comply or only partially comply, we remind a second time and stand by while they do. If there is still no change they are asked to leave and try again another day. Most of the time, it takes just a reminder or two. Witnesses to these interactions regularly give us positive feedback and thanks for a pleasant library visit.
Hedberg Library staff have helped to normalize masks by acknowledging those who DO have them on. We admire interesting designs and coordinated outfits and praise families for masking up to come to the library. After doing a brief training on the technique of ‘extinction of behavior’ I watched a staff member keep chatting with a family wearing superhero masks while silently handing a paper mask to someone trying to enter without. That patron looked at the staff member, looked at the family, smiled and put the mask on. Perfect!
Using best practices for security keeps your staff, your library and your patrons on the path to positive interactions. We may miss seeing each other’s smiles, but in the long run, being treated well and having library rules followed makes life easier for us all. Be clear and expect the best from both patrons and staff and you will rarely be disappointed!
Re-Opening Issues YSS blog COVID-19 series:
WI Library Reopening Guide Addendum 4/6/21
The Mask Ask – Strategies for Cooperation 11/15/20
You Are not Alone – Coping with Your New Library Life 9/19/20
Decisions, Decisions – Thinking About Fall, School and Your Library 8/5/20
Back to School Considerations and Tips for Libraries 8/15/20
We’re Re-opening – You’ve Got This! 7/15/20
We’re Re-opening – Should We Do In-Person Programming This Fall? 7/9/20
We’re Re-opening – Wisconsin Public Libraries Reopening Guide 6/4/20
We’re Re-opening – Coping with Reluctant Patrons and Programming 6/3/20
We’re Re-Opening – Cleaning and Disinfecting Youth Areas 5/13/20
COVID-19 and Libraries: Your Questions Answered with Dr. Dipesh Navsaria (webinar) 5/19/20
