Striking the Balance Dealing with Conduct Problems in Academic Libraries -Vivian Lewis (McMaster University) -Helen Salmon (University of Guelph) February.

Striking the BalanceDealing with “Conduct” Problems in Academic Libraries

-Vivian Lewis (McMaster University)-Helen Salmon (University of Guelph)

February 2007

Presentation Outline

• Context (how did we get here?)

• What are the problems? (a lurid tale)

• Implementation (real-life solutions)

• Some recommendations (the do’s and the don’ts)

• Questions and discussion (let’s share war stories)

The Context…

Growth in the Ontario education system

The Context…

Changes in the curriculum

• Learner-centredness• Group learning• Experiential vs. rote learning• An emphasis on collaborative learning and

development of critical thinking skills, rather than collecting and collating information

• A view of learning as an integrated process supported by many partners

The Context…

Who are our users?

• Demographics= overcrowding

• Double cohort= younger users, with (sometimes) less maturity and more reluctance to do peer-to-peer enforcement of norms

• Who are the Millennials? fewer “traditional”

students love group activity fascinated with new

technology

The Context…

Who are the Millennials?

…their learning preferences tend toward teamwork, experiential activities, structure, and the use of technology. Their strengths include multitasking, goal orientation, positive attitudes and a collaborative style.

Diana Oblinger. “Boomers, Gen-Xers & Millenials: Understanding the New

Students, ” Educause. July/August 2003, pg.38.

The Context…

Who are we?• Aging of the profession • Librarian and staff training

does not generally address student behavior management

• Societal/student perceptions and expectations of libraries and library staff are often out of date

The Context…

How have we changed? (or not) • Conflicts between traditional vs. new uses for

libraries

The library is the only centralized location where new and emerging information technologies can be combined with traditional knowledgeresources in a user-focused, service-rich environment that supports today’s social and educational patterns of learning, teaching, and research. Whereas the Internet has tended to isolate people, the library, as a physical place, has done just the opposite. Within the institution, as a reinvigorated, dynamic learning resource, the library can onceagain become the centerpiece for establishing the intellectual community and scholarly enterprise.

- Scott R. Bennett

As an extension of the classroom, library space needs to embody new pedagogies, including collaborative and interactive modalities.Significantly, the library must serve as the principal building on campus where one can truly experience and benefit fromthe centrality of an institution’s intellectual community.

- Geoffrey T. Freedman

Changing times, changing theories

Library as Place: Rethinking Roles, Rethinking Space. Washington: Council on Library and Information Resources, 2005.

The Context…

How have we changed?

• Rapid technological change almost everything a student does requires a computer (library resources,

courseware, productivity tools) people can do more in libraries now; we don’t have just one uniform kind of activity

going on in our spaces It’s a wired, wired, world!

The Context…

How have we changed? (or not)

• Change in social expectations about…

How and where we learnWhat a “student” isSeparation of work/home/school/leisureRole of authority figures

The Context…

Aging facilities, with a lack of expansion or new building

+ growth of student numbers and collections

________________________

= overcrowding of public spaces in our libraries

Common complaints

- Noise problems (users and staff)- cell phone use- verbal or physical misconduct- Inappropriate use of computers- Computer or carrel “camping”- Destruction of library materials or equipment- Non-compliance with food and drink regulations

(where they exist)- Garbage and graffiti

Real Life Examples

Hitting the wall at Mac

• 22,000 students – 1,900 seats .

• Hit the wall December 2005 – noise, cell phones and “carrel claiming”, etc.

• 3 libraries: 3 stories• Lack of clarity and

consistency

The complaints

• On crowding“We are paying enough tuition that you should be able to provide us with some quiet room to study. My grades shouldn’t have to suffer simply because I spent two hours

every day looking for a place to sit.” • On sleeping in the library

“Nappers should be brought back to consciousness and removed by their ears!”

“NAPPERS, NAP ELSEWHERE!!”

The Complaints

• On conduct in general

“Students are yapping away on their cell phones, they’re singing along with their MP3 players, they’re making out in corners, they’re sleeping on the floor, they’re leaving their trash everywhere. Stop the madness!”

Short-term Strategies

• Brought Judicial Affairs Coordinator (Student Affairs) on board.

• March 2006: Held focus groups with 21 student representatives to discuss “community solutions”

• April 2006: Launched “quick and dirty” poster campaign focusing on exam period.

Zoning the Building

Long-term Strategies

• Summer 2006: Met with staff and students.

• Drafted Regulations Governing Personal Conduct.

• Fall 2006: Unveiled new regulations and publicity.

• Held staff meetings with Campus Security to discuss enforcement.

Other Deliverables

• Established new 3-step strategy for dealing with difficult students (1st contact: Information; 2nd contact: Warning; 3rd contact: ID or leave (or call Security)

• Firmed up process for Judicial Affairs to deal with infractions through the Student Code of Conduct.

• Now altering duties of Control staff to put more emphasis on monitoring.

• Result: Noticeably improved …for now!

Guelph’s story… much the same

• Rapid expansion from 13,000 to 20,000 students in 5 years

• Increasing pressures for students - noise, cell phones and competition for seats and computers

• Lack of clarity and consistency around policies and staff roles

“No Parking” policy

• University of Guelph introduced winter 2005

• Addressed wide-spread problem of computer “camping”

• Reporting to any staff member

• Enforcement by building facilities staff, with removal of personal items

• Protocols worked out through close consultation with campus police

“Sharing our Library”

• University of Guelph introduced fall 2006

• Amalgamates a number of previous campus and library policies

• Addresses a wide range of behavioural and building use issues

• FAQs for:– "quiet" vs. "group"

use? – violating the policy? – Soliciting or fund-

raising?

Things to consider

• Space Design• Consultation• Policy development• Staff training• Enforcement• Publicity

1. Space Design: Facilities Shape Behaviour

• Use physical space and furnishings to reinforce the intended use of the space and shape/encourage desired behaviours

• Provide for a range of different needs and uses• Consider the proximity of different kinds of uses (and

not create conflict for our users by ill-planned layouts)

• Signal respect for the building and its contents through facilities upkeep and garbage control

Possible solutions…

Facilities shape behaviour … what behaviours do we want in an academic library?

“Good library spaces celebrate and support the importance of social relationships between members of a community ….. They promote the types of interaction and integration which enable social networking and [access to] information

resources.”

Goulding, A., “Libraries and Social Capital,” Journal of Librarianship and Information Science. 36 (1): 3-6 Mar 2004.

The good…

the bad…

…and the truly ugly

There’s Hope!

• Our libraries are often aging and poorly designed – what to do?

Incremental changesProof of conceptSeek partnersReduce (collections footprint), reuse, recycle

2. Consultation…Talking to users• Consultation with users necessary to:

Gain better understanding of the problemPromote understanding and tolerance across various

lobbying groups (students, staff, faculty, etc.)Find creative solutions that will work within the

context of your campus cultureFoster shared ownership of the problems and the

solutions. Support peer-to-peer enforcement.

What does consultation “look like”

• Consult with different lobby groups in different ways.• Tailor the tools based on your own campus culture.• Some ideas:

– Open meetings & focus groups for students.– Focus groups for staff– Liaison librarians and formal university

committees for faculty.

3. Policy Development

• Develop clear policies around core problems/issues….

• Such “code of conduct” policies need to:Specify unwanted behaviour(s)Clearly indicate how the policy will be enforced

(who? How to report? Consequences?)Indicate relationship of the library policy to

other campus regulations and policiesProvide a public contact or sponsor for the

policy

4. Staff Involvement

• Engage staff in honest discussion of the problems and the solutions.

• Clearly define staff and user roles in enforcement.

• Provide staff with the tools and training to do the job

• REMEMBER: Staff are crucial to the success of implementation!

5. Enforcement!

Highlights from “Tips for Enforcing Library Regulations” (copies available)

1. Remain calm. Try never to raise your voice.

2. Your facial expressions and your body language are critical. Smile. Avoid hostile or accusatory gestures…

3. Be aware of your own mood. If you’re having a bad day, you may be making the situation worse…

4. If the student is angry, don’t take it personally…

Sergeant Cathy O’Donnell

6. Publicity

• Tell the story everywhere!! Use signage, screensavers, bookmarks, web site

• Use “their” language and modes of communication• Timing is crucial: roll out at beginning of term before

patterns are set.• Make “visible” changes where possible e.g. changes

to building layout or furniture type/arrangement

Publicity

• Emphasize the behaviours you want … use positive reinforcement rather than negative and over-the-top restrictions and angry ultimatums

• Don’t sweat the small stuff• Keep it light

Offer Alternatives

Picture…worth a thousand words

Focus on desired behaviour

Sometimes need to provide the “why”

Were they the right solutions?

• Use formal (LibQUAL) and informal (suggestion box, staff feedback) modes of assessment

• Monitor what is happening at other libraries• “Be prepared to change your position” (Clement,

1994)• Switch up your strategies: Effect of any solution

diminishes over time. (Dole, 1989)

The Don’ts: what can go wrong, what not to do

• Lack of community buy-in (students take no ownership of the rules)

• Lack of enforcement • Lack of sanctions• Poor timing (implemented too late in term – once

patterns have been set)

Implementation problems…what can go wrong, what not to do

• Lack of university buy-in

• Recognize that there will be pressure from and conflict between different stakeholder groups

The “golden age” of libraries - whose vision will prevail??

The Don’ts: Staff Behaviours

• Lack of staff buy-in (“It won’t work. We’ve already tried that….”)

• Inadequate understanding of the regulations

• Inadequate training on HOW to deal with non-compliant students.

• Unwillingness to comply with the regulations themselves! [perhaps the biggest hot potato of all!]

One Last DO: Retain your sense of humour…

U of G “Contrarion” article (April 13th, 2006):

LIBRARY COMES UNDER FIRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES

McLaughlin Library has come under fire recently for what some people are calling a growing list of human rights abuses. “The secret police are everywhere,” says one student who wishes to remain anonymous to protect his safety. “Who do you think enforces the no parking policy?” adds another concerned undergraduate, “you never see them but believe me they exist.”

You go to the bathroom and get caught up talking with a friend, the next thing you know, pouf, your stuff vanishes from your computer,” adds another anonymous source who says she’s heard of mysterious disappearances in the middle of the night.

… Another student [says] that he was held against his will. “They held me for five hours without explanation, says Johnny Reed, who calls himself a political prisoner. Reed says he was eventually told he was under arrest for crimes against the express computers and told he was sentenced to $350 in late fees. Reed eventually managed to escape through a series of interconnected tunnels, but he remains shaken by the experience. “They wouldn’t even let me listen to my I-pod,” he whimpers.

… Despite the vehemence of their denials, library security will be subject to an intense UN investigation later this month.

A final word….

“The libraries that are most successful are those that understand user needs, build trust between staff and patrons, encourage self-policing by users, provide realistic balance, offer alternatives, and approach the realities with a smile and, occasionally, a good laugh.”

Susan DiMattia, “Silence is Olden,” American Libraries, January 2005,

p. 49.

Comments?

Questions?

War Stories?

Tears?