4) Unattended children
Some parents regard a library as a child care
center where they can drop and fetch their
child after work or while doing other business. According to Arrigethi (2001), the unattended children or latchkey children are usually coming from homeless family, divorced
parents, have limited daycare or lack affordable daycare choice. Library staff usually received complaints from other users regarding
noise, vandalism and limited seating due to
their presence. So, this is a challenge for the
library staff to handle this kind of user because some of them may have inner conflict
at a young age and library staff should treat
them in a good way. How to prevent and
manage this situation ?
Physical layout
The design and layout of a workplace is important because it prevent an decrease the risk
of aggressiveness and violence of library user
towards library staff. Each library should be
equipped with security cameras and guards
that will guard the building. Some may think
that the sight of guards patrolling the library
can make the library look less welcoming.
But it is a necessary element in order to ensure the safety of the staff and user. The
alarm system is also a necessary precaution
and it should be integrated with local police
to prevent or to confront with these misbehave user.
Psychological and physical measures
Every library staff should master in interpersonal skills and how to deal with costumer so
they can be braver in controlling such violent
situations. All staff should have knowledge to
prevent simple complaints to become more
severe. One of the ways to ensure the staff is
brave and confident to confront with violence
by misbehave user, is by learning self defense
and breakaway techniques.
Customer care
Costumer care is intended to make the library as user friendly place as possible. The
library should be a place with helpful staff, a
welcoming display and signage, effective
guideline how to gain membership and how
to borrow materials from the library. The
staff should master in interpersonal skill includes empathy, listening skills, persuasive
skill and they should demonstrate a caring
attitude to customer.
Customer complaints initiatives
User can voice out their dissatisfaction of the
library by filling a form at front line staff to
urge themselves to improve the library service including the materials, and quality of
service in the library. Library staff should see
this complaint as something serious and
should take a quick action to achieve user satisfaction.
Regulations and guidelines
The regulation ad guideline is essential to differentiate the acceptable behaviors and unacceptable manner in the library. The regulations can also be an evidence and support
staff for justifying their actions. It can also
give a warning for the user to behave and respect the library as public place and also as
an information center.
The behaviors of user is also a challenges for librarian and other staff. The misbehave user should be treated in an efficient
manner because they are the important element in the library. The library has to come
up with many solutions to prevent and to confront the unpleasant and violence incident.
Library’s patron behaviour | 9