Beyond the Panic Button: A Dialogue on Sustainability and Public Services Challenges

Abstract

The William S. Richardson School of Law Library staff is exploring “sustainability” as the balance of working relationships between staff and patrons to ensure safety for all. In particular, we have been working with public patrons who exhibit behavioral issues or are “houseless.” We aspire toward former Chief Justice William S. Richardson’s legacy, which was to practice Aloha, compassion, and ethics towards those who are vulnerable or oppressed. Our presentation will discuss findings on how local libraries deal with public patrons with behavioral issues or who are “houseless;” how we have designed our library space, services practice, policies, and procedures to balance our needs for safety with our values; and how behavioral health professionals, regular patrons, students, and staff feel about these issues. Lastly, we would like to dialogue with other local library professionals — what else can be done to practice “sustainability” between human relationships, public educational institutions, and the community?