Written By Anne Griffin
Pictures By Richard Lopez
July 10,2026
For about a year and a half, the Timberland Regional Library has employed Library Safety Specialists at a few of our largest branches. This position replaced our contract with a private security firm. We know that change was noticeable to many of our community members, and we wanted to take some time to let you know why the change was made and what the impacts have been. We also want to introduce you to Richard, the Olympia Library Safety Specialist. Richard has been in Washington for just about a decade, but is fairly new to the Olympia area. His previous experience was mostly working in private security so the library is a totally different experience for him. Richard says, “Here I actually see the same people every day, develop relationships with patrons, and see the ups and downs. In private security, it was rare to see someone again after an interaction.”
There were several reasons we moved from contracting with a private company to employing Library Safety Specialists directly. There were limitations in the use of private security. To maintain the privacy of our patrons and community members, contracted security guards couldn’t access our cameras or library records. This resulted in the documentation and follow-up actions after incidents falling onto the frontline library staff, taking time away from helping patrons, checking in and out materials, and creating programming for the community. Having a staff member who could focus on creating a safe environment, develop a working relationship with the community, and do all follow-up allows us to apply the rules evenly and frees up other staff members' time for essential library tasks.
We also found that having uniformed security staff in the building didn’t always create a feeling of safety for all our community members and neighbors. A uniform can make interactions start out feeling adversarial. Staff members in normal clothes keep things more casual and can prevent situations from escalating. It reminds patrons that library staff are human and just want to create a safe space for everyone! Since Richard has always been uniformed at previous jobs, he is having fun exploring what he wants to wear at work with more freedom. He has been moving into a wardrobe with more colors and patterns. My favorite of his shirts is the one with the orange flowers and cat!
Our goal at the library is to create a space that feels safe and welcoming to every member of our community. Allowing everyone from all walks of life to use the library freely and confidently can be a balancing act. In order to maintain safety in the library, we enforce our rules and policies, but we also leave room for humanity and compassion. We don't allow disruptive or illegal behaviors at the library, and we do ban people from the library for more serious offenses. When interacting with patrons around our behavior expectations, we have clear boundaries while remembering our goal of allowing everyone to have access to this space. Richard says, “I enter every interaction knowing I never want to ask anyone to leave. Starting with a calm and casual approach, focusing on checking on patron wellbeing, and discerning when something is critical and when it can be left for a bit. Each interaction is different, and I can use judgement about people’s emotional state and how they will react when approaching them.”
When asked what his understanding of his role with the library is, he said, “I see the library as a place where anyone should be able to come in and feel safe. A place to access materials, entertainment, sometimes a place to just be if that’s what they need. My focus is on making sure that people can enjoy it in those ways in the most safe and stress-free way possible.” His favorite parts of the job include “hearing the good news that people are doing better, getting the resources they need. Connecting with regulars is a unique thing about working in the library.” This is a common feeling among library workers. We are always rooting for our community members and doing our best to help them get their needs met. For a lot of people, the library is the only place they can be without spending money. Our goal is to not only be a place for books and fun family programs, but also a place where we can connect patrons to community services. We partner with multiple organizations and services locally, including the Washington Department of Social and Health Services, and Thurston County Public Health and Social Services.
As staff members, we all choose to work at the library because we believe in its value and position in our society as a place to access resources, connect with community, and sometimes to just be human. Outside of work, Richard has a cat, Jamie. He is a tabby (or as Richard calls it, basic American cat) who is about five years old. One of his current hobbies is befriending wildlife. He has three birdfeeders; one for hummingbirds, one for woodpeckers, and a more general one. He also feeds peanuts to the squirrels and a chipmunk, hoping to get them used to him being around so he can eventually hand-feed them. He recently checked out a fishing kit from our library of things collection so he could enjoy a day fishing.
