On Writing a Trauma-Informed Care Proposal for Libraries

Disclaimer: The views, opinions, advice, and perspectives shared here are my own and should not be considered the views nor official recommendations of my employer.

In 2023, at work, I was on my knees restocking books at the self-checkout display cube on the second floor. While pulling books off a baby cart (aka a single-bank rolling cart) and shelving them onto the display, a middle-aged white man pretended to fall behind me and his hand “landed” on my left butt cheek. He did a full hand grab of my cheek and then un-pocketed my phone from my back jean pocket. I felt the grab and subsequent loss of my phone and stood at once.

As I watched his hand, my phone still in it, the man began to turn. I felt the delay in my thoughts becoming words and thus articulation as well. I snatched my phone from his hand and then, belatedly—and loudly—stated, “Don’t touch me.” I stepped back and again, watched his now empty hand as he turned then walked toward the computers across the way.

Once the man sat down, I rushed downstairs to the security guard station at the front of the library entrance and gave the guard a quick overview. The guard1 then rushed back upstairs with me. Some of my coworkers noticed us coming and began to ask questions; without looking up, I mentioned I was going into our Adult Services Workroom. In the workroom I took a seat at the back computer staring at my blank phone when a coworker asked if I wanted her to stay with me. Then she asked if I wanted to report this to the police and encouraged me to do what I felt comfortable to do.

I ended up calling the police. The officer did not take long to get there. I did not move from my seat. My coworker sat with me the whole time as the officer spoke with me. Apparently there was a witness, a library patron, to the entire event. I could not remember the color of the man’s shirt, my coworker did.

The officer asked if I could get information about the man off our library software. The answer is no. A court order is needed to provide information on library patrons without their consent.

All of these incidents add up, especially onto a life where trauma is a familiar foe.

In the next few days, the man returned to our library branch, the library system trespassed him and a police officer arrested him. I sat with my two supervisors separately and I spoke on retraumatization and on how there are no procedures in place to deal with the aftermath of situations like these for staff members other than incident reports for security guards and an informal referral to county-funded counseling. To one supervisor I intellectualized my trauma. I mentioned how I am able to “more easily” navigate and endure this type of trauma because I have already endured similar situations and thus know what is needed to help prevent the trauma from getting worse—which means that I must be “okay.” A month later I sat in court next to my mother who held and squeezed my hand as the man received a temporary restraining order and probation.

This is not my first time being groped or sexually assaulted without consent. This is not the first time I have been harassed or violated while at work, whether by a patron, coworker, or supervisor. From boys and men asking me to smile at a library desk to a former male coworker asking me for sexually explicit details about my life to being yelled at by a former female supervisor, and countless other incidents deemed “worse” or “not so bad.”

All of these incidents add up, especially onto a life where trauma is a familiar foe. Even if there was only one incident, there still is a need for a response—better yet, a preemptive one. And so I got to work. I began writing out a proposal to counteract all these seemingly small events that fester in our systems. I did the research into the effects of and the relationship with trauma in libraries; on trauma and secondary trauma that staff experience as well as patron trauma. And I wrote a proposal for my library system on better ways to provide and receive care.

By not making actionable change we further divide our communities, isolating groups and individuals.

The proposal provides an overview of procedures that the library system already used involving trauma-informed care, along with outlining gaps, resources, research, and potential trainings, with next steps for the library system to make. The purpose is to incorporate trauma-informed care in the foundation with core values and mission. This involves staff members, patrons, administration, and community. So not only does it cover a pathway forward for issues that affect staff, it also provides a pathway to better care for library patrons, especially those experiencing trauma. Libraries are considered a safe haven for many patrons and are considered one of the last free vestiges in our society and now come with an enhanced role where handing out Narcan and having social workers on call is commonplace.

Since writing and sending off my proposal I joined two library committees, first the Policy Committee and second the Professional Development Committee. Input from myself and other staff members was utilized on procedures that were already on library administration’s radar. I believe “It is vital to have active input from people who have experienced trauma in the organizational change toward trauma-informed care.” In addition, library administration has since put procedures in place for critical incidents.

Although not perfect, change surrounding trauma-informed care in my library system has been made for the better. It is important for our voices to not only be heard, but actively listened to and followed up by actionable change. By not making actionable change we further divide our communities, isolating groups and individuals. With actionable change we foster empowerment, connection, and a sense of belonging that will hopefully provide agency.

Trauma-Informed Care Framework Proposal (shared with permission): The advice and perspectives shared are my own and should not be considered official views and recommendations of my employer.