Top Ten Emergency Drills for Libraries:
Keeping Staff, Patrons, and Facilities Safer
Part of the Library 2.0 Service, Safety, and Security Series with Dr. Steve Albrecht
OVERVIEW:
As pilots, air traffic controllers, cops, firefighters, paramedics, and military members will all attest: Under Stress We Perform How We Have Trained. Even in an emergency at your library that is not necessarily life-threatening, like a power blackout or a broken water main, staff may not all react effectively. Some employees freeze, others do the wrong thing, and still others wait for someone “in charge” to take over. This wastes time and could make the problem grow from bad to horribly bad. It is critically important that all library employees know what to do, when, and why, during a potentially difficult situation in their facility.
While we can’t predict every problem, we can think, plan, and train for what might never happen or could happen tomorrow.
This webinar looks at the ten most likely situations that could put people and property at risk. We can initiate annual drills that put all staff into realistic situations (without scaring them into quitting), so that if the time ever comes, they will respond with accuracy. This is more than just a training issue; it’s a liability minimizer. Courts and lawyers will look at what we did, why we did it, and when we did it, as they judge what happened to those involved. This includes how do we evacuate our special needs patrons: seniors or other patrons with mobility or cognitive issues; toddlers; non-English speakers, who don’t know what is happening?
LEARNING AGENDA:
- Fire Drill practice. (Building fire, nearby fire, or brush fire.)
- Missing Child: Code Pink/Code Adam drill.
- Weather-related emergency drill.
- Power failure drill. (What do we need to do when it comes back on?)
- Facility emergency: broken pipe, gas leak, HazMat leak, electrical hazard.
- Earthquake drill.
- Panic button response drill.
- Active shooter drill. (Including a police-ordered lockdown at a nearby building.)
- Medical emergency drill. (Staff injury or cardiac issue, patron medical issue, patron overdose).
- Bomb threat / suspicious package drill.
DATE: Thursday, February 12, 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.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.
 |
|
