Patron Response Framework: Responding with Kindness, Empathy, and Love in Difficult Situations

In 2027, Kent District Library created a response framework for their employees to use to respond to difficult situations that occur in the library. Responding to concerns and complaints in a kind and empathetic way ensures people feel listened to and cared for. This prevents escalation and helps maintain a safe environment. In 2022, Kent District Library relaunched the Frameworks through the lens of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The new frameworks focus on learning and growing together, and de-escalating situations for the safety of all, while addressing unconscious bias.

In this session, step-by-step instructions for the development of the frameworks will be discussed, including planning, evaluation, and implementation,

The four frameworks will also be introduced that each have an acronym to help staff remember the steps including example patron interactions.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Plan for the development of a response framework for their communities
• Create an evaluation plan for existing patron behavior responses to ensure the diverse experiences and backgrounds of the community are respected and the policies are equitable.
• Employ responses for immediate use with their patrons.

The presenter, Michelle (Shelley) Roossien, is Accessibility & Inclusion Specialist with the Kent District Library.

This webinar is for library staff at any type of library that are involved in patron interactions, especially frontline staff.

This webinar will be offered using Zoom. Speakers or a headset for listening to the presentation are required. Closed captioning is available in the Zoom platform. You may interact with the presenter and ask questions through text-based chat. The webinar will be recorded and the link to the recording shared with registrations shortly after the live information.

For questions or additional information, please contact Ninah Moore at nmoore@ala.org