30 Association of Research Libraries Research Library Issues 289 — 2016 Research Library we kept the front doors locked but had staff standing just inside to open the doors if students came to seek shelter. And come they did, for at least an hour after the first two alerts. Some knew that they needed to find a place to be safe, while others wandered somewhat aimlessly and didn’t really know why the campus buildings that were normally open to them were now closed and locked. The students who came into YRL or Powell were directed to areas away from the front doors, but the general sense of anxiety and disbelief made many of them reluctant to leave the lobby areas. It appeared that other students had had training in active shooter situations they found areas away from the doors and crouched under tables with the lights off and interior doors closed and locked (if possible). Many students commented as they came into the buildings that they considered the libraries to be safe places where they could take refuge. The Young Research Library ended up with an estimated 800 students inside, and Powell Library had approximately 2,000 students throughout the building in every possible space, including classrooms, offices, group study rooms, and the large reading room. The other libraries—Science and Engineering, Geology, Arts, Management, Music, and the Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library—ended up with dozens of students each. In every case, the front doors were eventually locked, and the staff who were on hand (sometimes these were student employees) figured out places to hide out of sight. And while some of the staff had been through active shooter and emergency preparedness training, some had not. Fortunately our enterprising student employees had the presence of mind to check Google to find out what to do and followed the advice they found there to shepherd the students in their facilities to safer locations. One of the greatest uncertainties of the day was not knowing whether it was the right thing to ask staff to stand at the door to let students in. We didn’t know whether there really was an active shooter situation. No shots were heard, so it seemed safe, but it was a real risk. And many of the students who came into the library were carrying or wearing backpacks, which could have concealed weapons. Was that really a violin case, or did