Why take this course: Manage conflict and safety concerns proactively by learning strategies and tactics for conflict resolution, de-escalation, and long-term safety in your library or classroom in our half-day online course on

March 7.

Our program, covering everything from applying trauma-informed practices to using NARCAN to respond to opiod overdoses, will equip you with tools to respond to security issues, conflicts, and other moments of high-tension. 

Course Program

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Led by:

Melissa Munn, 

(she, her) Customer Experience Director, Public Operations at Pierce County Library System

Session 1 | 12:00-12:45 pm ET

De-escalation, Boundaries, and Self-Care in a Customer Service Role

Librarians and frontline staff often have to navigate tense or unsafe situations. How do you simultaneously attempt to resolve conflict and maintain your personal boundaries and self-care all while in a customer service role? How do you respond to an unruly patron, and at what point do you disengage and ask for support? This session will discuss de-escalation strategies and give you practical tips for identifying and articulating your boundaries and identifying ways to care for yourself while at work. 

Session 2 | 12:45-1:30 pm ET

Safer Libraries for Staff and Patrons: Trauma-Informed Librarianship 

Trauma-informed practice is essential for creating an environment of safety and care. This session will teach you the foundations of trauma-informed principles to apply to your library especially, but not exclusively, in moments of crisis. We will also discuss ways to process and start to heal after a traumatic event. These practices will be actionable and relevant whether you’re interacting with patrons, colleagues, or turning trauma-informed care toward yourself. 

Led by: Leticia Cotto, Customer Experience Officer, Hartford Public Library and Catherine G. Corto-Mergins, LCSW, Director of Training, The Village for Families & Children

Led by: Kourtnaye Sturgeon, director of education at Overdose Lifeline, Inc. (ODL)

Session 3 | 1:45-2:30 pm ET

NARCAN Training: Recognizing and Responding to a Potential Opioid Overdose

How do you know when there is a potential opioid overdose incident in your library? And what can you do to help defuse the issue and support the patron if needed? This NARCAN training will teach you how to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and administer the drug Naloxone (brand name NARCAN), a medication that saves lives by reversing an opioid overdose. Leave this session understanding your role in harm reduction in this public health crisis.

Led by: Lu Bangura, 

Chief of Equity and Fair Practice at Enoch Pratt Free Library

Session 4 | 2:30-3:15 pm ET

Centering Equity During Conflict

Between safety concerns and hostile patrons, tensions in and around libraries are at an all-time high. Research shows that implicit biases are more likely to surface and escalate during moments of tension and conflict. As a result, truly internalizing equity practices is key to centering equity during conflict. This session will discuss ways to ground yourself, recognize and deal with implicit bias, and respond rather than react in moments of conflict so that you remain aligned with your values.

Led by: Georgette E. Spratling, MALS, MLIS, Library Manager - Youth Services Librarian - Program Coordinator at North Miami Public Library

Session 5 | 3:30-4:30 pm ET

Engaging with Tweens and Teens in Crisis (and Afterward)

A panel of experts on working with young adults in and outside the library profession will share insight from their own fields on how to manage and de-escalate situations involving tweens and teens in crisis. The panel will be moderated by a librarian and facilitated discussion after the panel will focus on how these insights from other fields can be put into practice in a library environment.

Join as a Group 

Group Rates

Request a discount for groups of 3 or more and work with your colleagues on a project for your library.

Credit Packages

Purchase packages of course tickets that you can allocate to your staff as needed and apply to our full roster of courses.

Purchase 15 or more registrations and apply them across multiple courses.