On Dec. 22, 2022, a storm raged inside and outside of the Collingwood Public Library.
While snow drifts blocked out visibility outside, a woman overdosed in the halls of the library.
The woman was transported to hospital and survived the event, however the incident left an indelible impression on library staff, which spurred action to ensure the safety of all library users. The library has started a pilot project, hiring a security firm from January to March to provide support to staff due to rising tensions in the public space.
Based on the outcome of the pilot project, the town will be looking at the possibility of continuing security in the library, with the possibility of also extending security to other public municipal spaces.
“We certainly welcome marginalized users in this space, but we expect everyone to adhere to a code of conduct. It’s something we try to enforce, but some days it’s really challenging,” said Collingwood Public Library Chief Executive Officer Ashley Kulchycki. “My staff have to weigh the pros and cons in their head before they approach somebody. They are potentially putting themselves in danger.”
The Collingwood Public Library acts as a daytime warming or cooling centre for those experiencing housing insecurity and has for many years.
Currently, the cost of the pilot project is being split between the three town departments that use the library building. The service is being provided by CHIME Security, and is costing $12,000 for the three-month pilot. The cost covers 30 hours per week of security service.
If the program were extended beyond the pilot, early estimates indicate it could cost between $60,000 and $80,000 per year.
Pre-pandemic, Kulchycki says there were some behavioural issues staff experienced with patrons, however the incidences were mainly with youth attending the library. To address these issues at that time, some measures were put in place such as a zero-tolerance policy, rearranging furniture, and serving trespass notices to worst offenders.
In 2019, staff relocated the youth services department to the second floor to help with sight lines and continuous monitoring of the department.
Following the worst parts of the pandemic, Kulchycki says staff have noticed a shift that more of the problematic behaviour at the library is now in adults experiencing homelessness.
“We’re seeing a lot of hostility... where people are going through a really tough time and are feeling frustrated and they’re taking it out on our staff or in this environment,” she said.
Specifically, Kulchyski notes staff were dealing with more verbal harassment/aggression and suspected narcotics and alcohol use in library spaces and bathrooms.
On Dec. 22 specifically, she said there were multiple factors that led up to the potentially dangerous situation.
“It was a tough one, and as we reflected on it, a perfect storm,” she said. “Some social support came through earlier than usual because of the holidays. We were leading into a significant weather event that shut down the province. And, we were going into the holidays which can be a really tough time for some people.”
“That week, my staff saw some behaviours... that culminated in that event. We just can’t control that public factor. It escalated quite quickly,” she said.
Kulchyski made the call to close the library effective immediately following the overdose event to give staff extra time to address their own mental health leading into Christmas. She also scheduled mental health supports for staff on-site in the days following the overdose.
“I witnessed my staff really struggling,” said Kulchycki. “It’s really rewarding work to serve vulnerable people, but it can be really challenging and draining as well.”
While hiring security for the library is something she had considered pre-pandemic, she said it was something the library had ultimately had leaned away from in the past.
“It’s one of those double-edged swords,” she said. “There is something helpful about having someone in a uniform here, but at the same time, if there is someone in a uniform here, does it say that it’s not safe to be here?”
“It can be a mixed message, in some ways. We had always leaned toward not having it. As we saw (incidents) increasing, we decided to trial having a guard on-site,” said Kulchycki. “It’s been going well.”
Kulckycki notes that since the December incident, there has been a significant decrease in people experiencing homelessness attending the library, but she clarifies that this is normal when major events occur. She says she’s interested in seeing if the trend continues as the months go on, or if the area’s homeless population will return over time.
“Historically, there’s a bit of a cycle where we see an increase in problematic behaviour, and then there’s a breaking point and a bit of a lull after that,” she said. “Right now, it’s hard to tell if that’s because of the security, or if we’re in that lull.”
“This is part of the pilot. As we get farther from a major incident, are we going to be able to keep waters calm?”
Overall, Kulchycki says the situation points to the changing role of public libraries in any community.
“Our mandates are to serve our community. Libraries are really great at being reactive to that. This is not unique to Collingwood,” she said. “Social services are something more and more libraries are becoming adept at.”
She notes staff at the library are provided with ongoing training when it comes to serving vulnerable people which can include training on mental health, first aid, deescalation techniques, non-violent crisis intervention and compassion fatigue for their own mental health.
“It’s something we’re doing every day,” she said. “I really hope if people see something, they say something. We try to cover this entire building and I think we do a good job, but we can’t have eyes everywhere all the time.”
“Please report to us. We want this to be a safe facility for everybody,” she added.
