14.1 Physical threats

In fact, the risk of workplace violence caused by seniors is rare in libraries, despite Charles’s bad behavior. Moreover, there are few reports in North America of elderly villains stealing computers or spray-painting graffiti on library exteriors. Seniors are usually well behaved. What concerns security specialists are potential physical dangers to seniors on library property, from muggers and anyone else who would attempt to intimidate, assault, or rob an elderly person walking to a bus stop or car.

“You get some nasty characters hanging around,” says Dan Henderson, a security consultant in Vancouver. “I’d say that the parking lots are the worst places for seniors, who are easy to knock over and rob. It has happened before, and as the population ages, I think we’ll see more of these crimes.”

Henderson suggests that the riskiest locations for seniors are malls and any high-crime areas through which seniors must travel with purses, groceries, and other bulky items. Thieves rely on old tricks such as volunteering to carry heavy bags to a senior’s car, then running away with the bags and their contents. In some cases, the victims are so embarrassed that they do not report the crimes to the police.

“Old folks are also disinclined to complain to librarians about getting ripped off,” says Sara Thomas, a librarian in Florida who has worked in Toronto and Winnipeg. “I know of cases where thieves have pulled the carry-your-bag scam, and stolen library books in the process. In a couple of cases, the oldies offered to pay for the books rather than reporting them as stolen. They said that they didn’t want to make a fuss.”

14.2 Watch yourself, son

Not all seniors are soft targets, however. Some years ago, a thief on a skateboard attempted to wrestle a bag of library books away from Jim Edwards, a retired credit union manager in Toronto. Jim pushed the thief, a teenaged male, off his skateboard, and then grabbed back the bag.

“I told that kid to cease and desist,” says Jim. “I told him that I was at D-Day and I knew how to handle myself.” Unfortunately, the thief will not necessarily stop threatening seniors. It’s possible that in future he will simply choose weaker victims. Obviously, not many seniors are as prepared as Jim to defend themselves. Should libraries develop security systems to protect seniors in particular? Standard measures including guards, CCTV, and patrols of public areas might be effective in warding off villains in general, and not only those who would steal Jim’s book bag. A “seniors focused” security system might not be needed. If, however, a library attracts an above-average number of elderly patrons, there are simple ways to enhance their safety. For example, some libraries post large signs warning patrons that thieves are active in the library. These signs not only warn older patrons about the risk, but also deter thieves and anyone else who might be tempted to commit a crime in the library.

14.3 Escorts and lighting

In neighborhoods with high crime levels, seniors who must walk to a library parking lot or nearby bus stop could be escorted by a library employee. This measure does not consume much time or energy, and can discourage muggings. It is also wise to increase the lighting in frequently traveled exterior walkways, parking lots, and exits, since villains tend to avoid well-lit areas.

Above all, library employees should be trained to spot possible trouble before it occurs—for example, a person who loiters in the library and appears to be more interested in elderly patrons than anything else, or hangs around outside entrances and exits, and watches patrons as they enter or leave the building. Persons who loiter in or around washrooms also deserve the librarian’s attention.

“Instinct might tell you that a certain character is up to no good,” says Sara Thomas. “I’d advise library employees to trust their instinct. It’s not always right, but it can anticipate criminal acts. Most experienced librarians, and especially those who have worked in city cores, know what I’m talking about. The bad guys often look as if they’re up to something. And you can hinder them by letting them know you're watching.”

14.4 Nice toaster

Librarians are not as forthcoming on the topic of the damage that seniors might cause to library property. This is because it is customary to let them off lightly. Seniors are not as strong and as well coordinated as they once were, and they drop books on the floor and in the bath and everywhere else. On countless pages, seniors have poured tea or coffee or perhaps a little whisky; they have moistened magazine covers with pet food, and dried CDs in toasters after pouring juice on them by accident. (“I didn’t think that a hair dryer would do the job as good as my toaster oven, which usually treats everything so nicely,” said an apologetic great-grandmother to a librarian in Western Canada.)

Equally common is seniors’ loss of books. Visit the lost-and-found department of any mall or department store that attracts large numbers of old people, and you will often discover dozens of library books that were unintentionally abandoned in the cafeteria by elders looking for half a sandwich and a pot of tea. Seniors leave books behind in hospitals and community centers, and on park benches. They don’t remember where they left those novels and biographies; sometimes they assume that they have returned them to the library, and become indignant when librarians tell them that there’s no record of the books’ return.

14.5 Computers are safe

“You have to accept a higher rate of loss from collections when you’re dealing with older patrons,” says a librarian in Oregon, who asked to remain anonymous. “There’s not much that you can do with people who have failing memories. It’s not as if they’re malicious or dishonest. I don’t like to charge them if they’re regulars in the library, and occasionally they find the items they’ve lost and return them. I wouldn’t feel comfortable in suspending borrowers’ privileges in cases where a long-term patron has lost a couple of books.”

One aspect of seniors’ library use that surprises many administrators is their gentle treatment of computer equipment. Either they avoid it altogether or use it with great care, asking for assistance if something doesn’t work for them. And some of them—dubbed Silver Surfers—become adept at database searching and Internet use. They may learn computer functions more slowly, but many seniors can pick up the required skills as thoroughly as younger patrons.

Frequently more worrisome than other security issues involving seniors are the personal and individualized challenges that somebody such as Hilda experiences. Although she has been a regular patron of her branch for decades, now she can become confused about the location of the washroom, exits, and her favorite spot in the reference area. She resists even the smallest change in her environment. She prefers to sit in a particular chair and gets upset if somebody is occupying it when she arrives. Sometimes she loses her bearings, but doesn’t create a stir. Instead she wanders through the stacks for lengthy periods, looking lost.

14.6 The errant card

Hilda has misplaced her library card several times and has asked for replacements. When a care aide in her residence finds her misplaced card and returns it to her, she attempts to borrow items with it. But it has been canceled, and she must hunt through her enormous, ancient purse for the newer card. While this may seem like a minor difficulty to librarians, it is a major concern for Hilda, who is ashamed of what she calls her “incompetence.” Accustomed to her, circulation desk employees will take the time to reassure her that Armageddon does not impend owing to a misplaced card. Hilda will also check out books, return to her chair, read them for a while, and then leave them in the library when she departs. Clerks reshelve the undischarged books, and the result is confusion in the circulation department. There are no guaranteed methods of dealing with such problems effectively in all cases. What works best is patience and familiarity with seniors’ difficulties in managing matters that younger persons handle without thinking.

14.7 A little help from a colleague

Today, however, Hilda has succeeded in recalling her question for the reference librarian. It concerned the catalog, which Hilda enjoys examining at length. It is very different from the card catalog that she worked with when she was a librarian at universities on the Canadian Prairies. That was many years ago, before AACR and myriad technical advances. Now Hilda has heard of something called RDA, and wants to know what it involves. She asks the reference librarian, who groans. He admits that he doesn’t know anything about RDA, but he’ll find Hilda some articles on the topic.

“And maybe you’ll be able to explain RDA to me, because I find it confusing,” says he.

Hilda returns to her chair feeling useful and pleased with life. Some days are bad, especially when she’s not sure where she is or where she has left things. Other days are splendid. This is one of them, thanks to RDA. She’s determined to learn about it, and prove to the reference librarian that she’s a good teacher. What are retired colleagues for?