Responding to ICE at the Library: Real World Approaches

Free and available exclusively to ALA individual members

When agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enter a public library, staff need to know how to respond calmly, lawfully, and in ways that keep everyone safe. This webinar will highlight how libraries of different sizes and in different communities are navigating these situations in real life. Presenters will share how their libraries are approaching staff training, handling interactions, and ensuring everything is done professionally and legally. This webinar, sponsored by PLA’s Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice, is designed to offer practical, real-world perspectives.

Registration is free, but ALA individual membership is required.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Understand at least four ways libraries are successfully preparing for and responding to ICE encounters, with examples from three library systems representing a range of communities;
• Know practical steps to ensure responses are clear, consistent, and lawful, prioritizing staff and patron safety; and
• Use strategies for training and communication that help staff feel supported and confident in real-world situations.

Who Should Attend

This webinar, available free and exclusively to ALA individual members, is intended for all public library staff and trustees.

Panelists

Scott Duimstra (he/him) has worked in public libraries for over twenty years, with the last twelve years in library administration. Originally from Michigan, he obtained his MSI from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor. His work has allowed him to focus on library services, library facility planning, and strategic initiatives. In October 2023, Scott became the library director for Hennepin County Library (HCL) in Minnesota, where he directs library operations for HCL’s forty-one libraries.

 

Kimberly B. Knight (she/her) has served in public libraries in California, the District of Columbia (DC), Maryland, and Virginia. She served as an ALA councilor-at-large, president of the Virginia Library Association (VLA), and on the executive boards of the DC Library Association (DCLA) and the California Librarian’s Black Caucus (CLBC). She chaired the Public Libraries Advisory Group, participated in National Library Legislative Days, IMLS grant reviews, and presented at various conferences. She is currently a member of the Public Library Association’s (PLA) Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice and the PLA Conference Programming Subcommittee.

 

Jocelyne Sansing (she/her) is a big vision, responsible risk taker, and disruptive thinker who is passionate about changing lives through access to quality information. She takes an entrepreneurial approach to redefining customer service, workplace culture, and the user experience. Jocelyne has worked in public libraries in Montana, Colorado, Wisconsin, and currently serves as the director of the Middleton, WI Public Library. She holds an MLS in Library and Information Science and a BA in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with certificates in Folklore and Creative Writing.

 

Important Registration Information

An ALA eLearning account is required to register for this free event. Don’t have an account? Create one for free by going to the “Log in” menu located at the top right corner of your screen. Although no membership is required to create the account, you must be an ALA individual member to register for this ALA member-exclusive event. If you encounter any issues registering for this event, then please email ce@ala.org for assistance.

Accommodations

This live event will be captioned in English (United States). Zoom desktop client or mobile app is required to access captions.

Attendees using screen readers are advised to turn off speech prior to joining the Zoom event because PLA webinars make extensive use of chat functionality. Attendees who find chat distracting may wish to disable it in the Zoom event, as PLA moderators will verbally highlight important topics raised in chat.

If you have a physical or communication need that may affect your participation in this event, please contact us at plawebinars@ala.org or 800-545-2433 ext. 5PLA (5752) at least two weeks prior to the event. Without prior notification of need, we may not be able to provide appropriate accommodations for the live event.

Archived Recording

If you're unable to attend this live event, an archived recording will be available to all registrants typically within 1–3 business of the live event. Access to closed captions will be provided in the event recording.

Tech Requirements

This event will be presented using the Zoom platform. Please review Zoom technical requirements and support information, and test your connection.

Once you've joined the event, there are two ways to connect your audio: via computer (VoIP) or via telephone. No microphone is required. PLA works with its webinar platform provider to assure the highest quality audio is being delivered to attendees. However, variables over which PLA has no control—such as the speed of your Internet connection or traffic on your local network—can affect the end quality of the webinar audio delivered by your computer. Each webinar’s audio is also available by telephone via a toll number, so we recommend you have access to a long-distance enabled phone as a backup in case you experience audio issues with VoIP. If you do encounter any problems during the webinar, you will receive a link to its archived recording within a week of the live event and can review anything you missed.

Contact

This webinar is presented by the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

Questions about this webinar? Please contact us at plawebinars@ala.org or 800-545-2433 ext. 5PLA (5752).

PLA members make it possible for us to provide continuing education opportunities like this webinar at no cost. We thank our members for their continuous dedication to the advancement of the public library field and our association.