more fun

And here is the latest segment of incidents in your local library. I will add we cut security out of the budget 2 years ago-seems this needs to be funded again...


Monday, April 9-
In the bookdrop this morning staff found a dirty bra, a backpack and a large wad of chewed gum. The book that the gum stuck to had to be discarded.


At about 1730, __________ alerted me that she had learned from one of her staff, _________, that a patron in the fiction area had urinated while sitting on one of the chairs. I walked over to do a "book check" and fortunately, was unable to detect any odor coming from the area. The patron and older male was in the company of another person. He did not strike me as being inebriated Since the chair was already soiled and there was no notable odor I consulted with Peggy and we decided to simply wait until they left to retrieve the chair and spray it with disinfectant.

Peggy was able to remove the chair from the floor by about 1830 (I was monitoring Ask Us Now); I retrieved a cleaner from the custodial closet and sprayed it down. Tomorrow, I will consult with our building coordinator and we will decide whether or not to remove the chair from service. Being that it is wood and therefore porous, I despair for its future as anything other than spare parts.


Banned for Vodka in the Library

This afternoon we were keeping an eye on patron_____________, who was using PC #7. He seemed a bit intoxicated and we had already sent him out of the library once for intoxication and once for smoking in the lobby on other days. At 4:15 I was using the microfilm machine in the Quiet Room when Lois came to get me. She said that Mr. Marshall was drooling on his keyboard and she saw a bottle in his pocket. We approached him and I asked him if he'd been drinking. He gave me the thumbs up and said that he had. I told him that he needed to leave the library immediately. He gave me the thumbs up again, but had trouble standing. I asked he could use some assistance and he said yes. As I was on the phone with the police he staggered over to the men's room and then back to the computer. Lois checked behind him and found a vodka bottle in the hall by the men's room.

Officer Bouie and another officer responded. Mr. Marshall told them that he had not been drinking, but at that point he was swaying in his chair. I told Mr. Marshall that we were banning him for one month. He gave me the thumbs up again. The officers assisted him with his bags and helped him out of the building. They were going to drive him back to his hotel room where he is staying long term. They said that Mr. Marshall will probably be back tomorrow, and that we should call the police when we see him and they will arrest him for trespassing.



Domestic Dispute on Lawn

While doing foot patrol around 5:15, Security Officer Mike Shea observed a man and woman in a heated argument on the front lawn. They had a young son and daughter with them (perhaps ages 10 and 8). Mike noticed the situation becoming more tense and began watching to see if the man became physical. We were both observing the situation from the windows when regular patron Jordan C. (age 13) came over and said "Don't worry, those are my parents."

Don, Mike and I continued to observe, trying to be careful of Jordan. When Mr. C. leaned down and began grabbing and shoving Mrs. C., I did come in back and call 911. At about 5:25 the family began walking towards 11th Ave and once they had left sight (5:30) I called back to cancel the call. The police still wanted to come out, though. At about 5:35 Officer Wright reponded. We gave him a synopsis of what had occured and a description of the family. He left to see if he could find them.