C.P.T.E.D. for Libraries:
Using "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design" to Create Safer, More Welcoming Library Spaces
A Library 2.0 Service, Safety, and Security Webinar with Dr. Steve Albrecht
OVERVIEW:
Libraries are among the most open, accessible, and inclusive public spaces in any community. But those same qualities can also make them vulnerable to safety and security concerns. From poor sightlines and inadequate lighting to design choices that unintentionally create opportunities for disorder, many libraries face challenges that can be addressed not with more rules or restrictions, but with smarter design. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) offers a practical, evidence-based framework for making libraries safer while preserving the welcoming character that defines them.
This webinar introduces library staff and leaders to the core principles of CPTED and how they apply specifically to library environments. Participants will learn how thoughtful adjustments to lighting, layout, sightlines, furniture placement, landscaping, and staff positioning can deter unwanted behavior, increase natural surveillance, and foster a greater sense of safety for both patrons and employees.
Led by Tad Twidwell, a CPTED Professional Designation (CPD) instructor with over two decades of combined experience in public safety and library leadership, this program provides actionable strategies that can be applied immediately. Tad currently manages physical security and integrated safety systems for a public library system, giving him a distinctive, practitioner-level perspective on how design and daily operations intersect.
Whether your library is planning a renovation, looking to improve its current space, or simply wants to better understand how the built environment affects patron and staff behavior, this webinar will provide a solid foundation in CPTED principles tailored to the unique needs of public libraries.
LEARNING AGENDA:
- Introduce the core principles of CPTED—Natural Surveillance, Natural Access Control, Territorial Reinforcement, and Maintenance—and discuss how each applies to library interior and exterior spaces.
- Examine common library design vulnerabilities and how small, cost-effective changes to lighting, sightlines, landscaping, and furniture layout can improve safety outcomes.
- Discuss the role of staff visibility and positioning in creating safer environments and how CPTED strategies can support and empower library employees.
- Explore how to conduct a basic CPTED walk-through survey of your own library, including what to look for and how to document findings for facilities and leadership teams.
- Discuss community engagement and partnerships with local agencies, social service providers, and volunteers as part of a comprehensive CPTED approach.
DATE: Thursday, April 16, 2026, 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.
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.
Tad Twidwell is a CPD Instructor with the National Institute of Crime Prevention (NICP) and the developer of the NICP’s CPTED for Libraries specialized training course. Over the past 22 years, Tad has built a career that uniquely bridges public safety and public libraries, spending a decade in law enforcement and another twelve years in library leadership and operations.
Today, Tad works in the field of physical security for libraries, where he manages integrated safety systems and conducts site and security assessments across a variety of public facilities. His approach to library security is practical and balanced: protect people, information, and assets while preserving the welcoming, accessible character that defines public libraries.
As the lead instructor for CPTED for Libraries, Tad brings a distinctive, real-world perspective on safety design, drawing on his rare combination of experience in both law enforcement and library management. His training programs are practical, engaging, and focused on giving participants tools they can put to use immediately in their own library spaces.
Since 2000, Dr. Steve Albrecht has trained tens of thousands of library employees in 28+ states, live and online, in service, safety, security, and leadership. His programs for both staff and library leaders are fast, entertaining, and provide tools that can be put to use immediately in the library workspace. His books include:
The Library Leader’s Guide to Employee Coaching: Building a Performance Culture One Meeting at a Time (in-press, Bloomsbury, 2026)
The Library Leader’s Guide to Human Resources: Keeping it Real, Legal, and Ethical (Rowman & Littlefield, 2025)
The Safe Library: Keeping Users, Staff, and Collections Secure (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023)
Library Security: Better Communication, Safer Facilities (ALA, 2015)
Steve holds a doctoral degree in Business Administration (D.B.A.), an M.A. in Security Management, a B.S. in Psychology, and a B.A. in English. He is board-certified in HR, security management, employee coaching, and threat assessment. He has written 28 books on business, security, and leadership. He provides a loving home for four rescue dogs.
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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