36 Association of Research Libraries Research Library Issues 289 2016 in communication. This will make it even more challenging for the library staff involved. 5. Library buildings are not designed and built for active shooter situations. Most of our interior doors in public areas do not lock this has been a best practice for years to ensure safety and security in our buildings. Unless a campus takes extra precautions to prepare for the possibility of active shooter situations, it is likely that we will only be able to lock our exterior doors and a few of our interior spaces, but we will not be able to lock all spaces and/or cover the windows. 6. On the positive side, library staff do a better job preparing for emergencies than many others on campus, so we all have the opportunity to think through how a violent incident might happen and what we can do to be ready. 7. Little things make a difference: Since people in library buildings during a lockdown are under tremendous stress, taking small steps to provide them with food or resources may help them feel more secure. If snacks or water are available, offer it to them. Having a supply of power cords for different types of devices to loan out will also come in handy, especially if the lockdown goes on for several hours. Any gesture of caring will help calm nerves that are on edge. The UCLA Library and the campus are taking steps to address issues raised during and after the June 1 incident. The campus has identified a solution for door locks that both meet fire marshal requirements as well as normal safety precautions to prevent individuals from being locked in campus rooms while also providing the capability of being locked from the inside in an active shooter situation. Improvements are being made in campus communication protocols, and the Bruin Alert system has been moved to a more robust platform that will allow speedier and more consistent delivery of emergency messages. In the library we are renewing discussions about emergency preparedness, and we expect to continue to arrange for annual active shooter training sessions that the UCLA police department provides.
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