San Francisco libraries welcome thousands of individuals daily, from all walks of life. It is essential that the facilities be safe and inviting havens, with an atmosphere conducive to reading and learning. A fraction of patrons exhibit inappropriate behavior, due to mental health, addiction and other social issues. Building on the work of a full-time social worker and a staff of health and safety associates, the Library engaged with other city agencies and community stakeholders, including SF’s Coalition on Homelessness, to update its Code of Conduct to provide clear guidelines for library use; established a tiered approach to addressing disruptive behavioral issues; used data to assess security needs system wide; developed new trainings for staff; and promoted greater outreach and services for the most vulnerable patrons.

The Library sought a new approach to solve behavioral problems and create a more welcoming culture for all visitors. Partnerships were established and/or strengthened with community stakeholders, particularly the homeless community and advocates, family support agencies, and other city departments (health and human services, public works, police). Key steps included a non-punitive approach to minor violations; an improved hearing process; development of a two-tier appeal process; additional training for staff and security; data-driven allocation of additional resources devoted to public safety and custodial services; and creation of a new “welcome” library card to provide greater access to patrons without identification.

Among the achievements of this initiative are new partnerships and collaborations with groups concerned both with the health and well-being of the city and the rights of homeless people, resulting in new library advocates. Through an improved incident tracking system, the Library is now better able to monitor health and safety issues by level of severity, identify trends, and take steps toward improvement. In a spirit of inclusiveness, the Library has a new Welcome Card, available to anyone, with or without IDs. A new Code of Conduct has resulted in a more just and transparent system. The Library experienced a remarkable 49% decrease in the number of incidents tracked at our libraries in 2014, enabling library users to experience a safe, family-friendly, and welcoming environment.