UK and USA public libraries

UK and USA public libraries - guns drawn?

I found this story on a US library news blog. It's about a UK public library story (which in itself is entirely horrific), but the comments show an interesting cultural difference. As a UK resident, I find the sometimes easy American acceptance of gun ownership quite unsettling. I understand that there’s a Constitutional right to bear arms (and a huge debate about that in itself), but the culture of acceptance of the need to have access to a weapon is, to me, quite scary. For a personal example - while working in America, I managed to gain a stalker. The response of my workmates? Did they offer to help me report him to the police / give me a lift to the police station, accompany me there, offer moral support, give me safety tips, work out a strategy of how to lose him and distance him from me?

Nope – they offered me various handguns to protect myself with. I had never even seen a real gun, let alone handled one, had no weapons permit and no intention of (or probably legal basis for) getting one, and would be more of a danger to myself than anyone else with a gun, but I was being offered a deadly weapon to protect myself with, as if this was normal. Familiarity with guns can lead to them being seen as the entire solution to a problem, rather than a possible part of a strategy to solve a problem.

The comments section shows a debate over whether allowing the library staff or security staff to be armed would have stopped this. I can’t see that this is a debate that could ever even be opened in the UK.

Would YOU feel safe in a library (or any area) where the staff were armed? I know I feel LESS safe in the airports where intimidating , riot-geared police loiter with guns casually slung over their arms. Would thinking that staff could access a gun if needed make you feel reassured, or nervous?
Do you think arming staff / security will ever make a public library safer?
And would that mean that library staff would have to be checked for suitability to carry a gun? Would you progress faster if you were ok with having a gun? Would a personality test that revealed you to be unsuitable to be armed prevent you from being employed?
What's to stop a staff member being the one who 'goes postal' and opens fire?

Library words

Putting words about libraries and books onto posters is very popular, so there's all sorts of options out there. These items are here because they have a quote or slogan about libraries or books printed on them. There's one quote in particular that seems to be a favourite of poster makers: see if you can spot which one it is.... Library bird (ok, it's a magnet, but hey...) Print Print Print Print Digital printable Hand-lettered quote Print Linocut block print Vinyl wall sticker Print Letterpress print Digital printable Print Print Linocut print Print Print

Mini Christmas gifts

Miniature things are one of my favourites, and miniature books are no exception. These tiny books are available either as volumes or sets of volumes on their own, or as parts of dolls house or in specialised miniature library settings. And some of the miniature libraries are just insanely good! I've not included here the many options of wearable miniature books - earrings, necklaces, bracelets, badges... A book with its own drawer for safekeeping Mini clay books Decorative mini books Ghosts in the library books Not exactly miniature, but very small "Little Leather Library" collection How about a Medieval illuminated book, in miniature? Or one with a secret compartment? There are even illustrated erotic mini books! You can theme by colour! Dollshouse insta-library (including 50 Shades of Grey, and the Hunger Games trilogies) Miniature haunted library Miniature Victorian library Still one of my favourites: themed mini

The library look - part two

Continuing the theme of art featuring libraries and librarians...let us pick up again where we left off.... In the rural library Shields library Original life portrait Library lion Birds nest In the library browsing Library freak Book lover At the library Library love Library gal Book lovers Read with me Book store girl Bath reading room Owls going to the library Sometimes, some other animals manage to creep into the library... Reading bear Bookworm

Abigail said…

Unfortunately an armed community also means we've had the recent (last decade) phenomenon of the first person shooter--starting with Columbine. We had an officer speak to us recently about how best to react in a fps situation. That we have to actively consider that is sad and a little scary.

26 March 2008 at 16:24

Dumpling in a Hanky

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