Guns in Our Libraries:
A Safe and Careful Staff Response
Part of the Library 2.0 Service, Safety, and Security Series with Dr. Steve Albrecht
OVERVIEW:
Changes in state-by-state gun laws now mean library staff may be seeing more pistols and long guns, displayed in both open carry and concealed carry, in their facilities. This can cause concern among staff and other patrons, because we don’t always know the intention of the gun carrier.
Context matters in these situations. Is the person displaying a firearm to be provocative? To scare people? To intimidate someone at the library, like another patron, or an employee? Is the person harmless, or reasonable until provoked about displaying the gun? Or does the person just believe in displaying their gun and their knowledge of state, local, and federal laws, all at the same time?
It can be difficult to know the person’s motives and even more confusing to agree when, or even if, library staff or library leaders should call the police when they see a gun. There is a huge difference between telling the dispatcher, “There’s a guy with a gun in the library!” and “There is a guy with a gun in the library.” The police need to know the details, because their response can range from a casual conversation with the gun owner to make sure everything is legal and calm, versus coming into a potential or actual active shooter situation.
This session will provide answers; ways to get useful information from both open and canceled carriers; protect the civil rights of all; and when necessary, use de-escalation tools to keep things peaceful and law-abiding for all parties.
Join Dr. Steve Albrecht, national library security expert, workplace violence prevention practitioner, and author of four books on concealed carry firearms.
LEARNING AGENDA:
- Review the open carry firearms laws in all 50 states, as they pertain to public buildings, like libraries.
- How to ask careful questions of patrons carrying openly and concealed.
- How and why holsters make a big difference.
- Be able to recognize differences between revolvers, pistols, and long guns.
- Be able to de-escalate both concerned patrons and gun owners in the event of a confrontation between them.
- When, how, and why to talk to law enforcement 9-1-1 dispatchers about a gun in your library.
DATE: Monday, November 17, 2025, 2:00 - 3:00 pm US - Eastern Time
COST:
- $99/person - includes live attendance and any-time access to the recording and the presentation slides and receiving a participation certificate.
- To arrange group discounts (see below), to submit a purchase order, or for any registration difficulties or questions, email admin@library20.com.
TO REGISTER:
Use the payment box above to register and pay. You can pay by credit card. You will receive an email within a day with information on how to attend the webinar live and how you can access the permanent webinar recording. If you are paying for someone else to attend, you'll be prompted to send an email to admin@library20.com with the name and email address of the actual attendee.If you need to be invoiced or pay by check, if you have any trouble registering for a webinar, or if you have any questions, please email admin@library20.com.
NOTE: Please check your spam folder if you don't receive your confirmation email within a day.
SPECIAL GROUP RATES (email admin@library20.com to arrange):
- Multiple individual log-ins and access from the same organization paid together: $75 each for 3+ registrations, $65 each for 5+ registrations. Unlimited and non-expiring access for those log-ins.
- The ability to show the webinar (live or recorded) to a group located in the same physical location or in the same virtual meeting from one log-in: $299.
- Large-scale institutional access for viewing with individual login capability: $499 (hosted either at Library 2.0 or in Niche Academy). Unlimited and non-expiring access for those log-ins.
Since 2000, Dr. Steve Albrecht has trained thousands of library employees in 28+ states, live and online, in service, safety, and security. His programs are fast, entertaining, and provide tools that can be put to use immediately in the library workspace with all types of patrons.
He has written 27 books, including: Library Security: Better Communication, Safer Facilities (ALA, 2015); The Safe Library: Keeping Users, Staff, and Collections Secure (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023); The Library Leader’s Guide to Human Resources: Keeping it Real, Legal, and Ethical (Rowman & Littlefield, May 2025); and The Library Leader's Guide to Employee Coaching: Building a Performance Culture One Meeting at a Time (Rowman & Littlefield, June 2026).
Steve holds a doctoral degree in Business Administration (D.B.A.), an M.A. in Security Management, a B.A. in English, and a B.S. in Psychology. He is board-certified in HR, security management, employee coaching, and threat assessment.
He lives in Springfield, Missouri, with seven dogs and two cats.
More on The Safe Library at thesafelibrary.com. Follow on X (Twitter) at @thesafelibrary and on YouTube @thesafelibrary. Dr. Albrecht's professional website is drstevealbrecht.com.
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