{"id":5978,"date":"2018-03-02T13:01:18","date_gmt":"2018-03-02T21:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bclaconnectrev.wpengine.com\/perspectives\/?p=5978"},"modified":"2025-01-22T11:26:04","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T19:26:04","slug":"sexual-harassment-by-library-patrons-timesup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bclaconnect.ca\/perspectives\/2018\/03\/02\/sexual-harassment-by-library-patrons-timesup\/","title":{"rendered":"Sexual Harassment by Library Patrons: #TimesUp"},"content":{"rendered":"

A patron at circulation asks a staff member to go out for a drink with him, coming back throughout the day to insist she share her phone number even after she politely declines. A much older man calls a library worker \u201cbeautiful,\u201d then tells her that her \u201cnext husband will be very lucky\u201d while leering at her crotch as she helps him on a public computer. An intoxicated man in his 40\u2019s hits on several young women in the library, including a teenaged library assistant. A patron prints pornography from the public computers and shows it to a librarian, saying \u201cThis looks a lot like you.\u201d These are true stories from British Columbia library workers, and it\u2019s time for it to stop.<\/p>\n

Sexual and gendered harassment of library staff by patrons is not only a feminist and human rights issue, but a health and safety concern as well. With the cresting of the #MeToo movement, and workplace harassment in the spotlight, it\u2019s time for libraries to say #TimesUp.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not uncommon for library staff to encounter inappropriate comments, demeaning nicknames, unwelcome touch, or worse on the job. A survey done as part of an American Library Association Annual Conference session (Civitello, 2017) found that 63 per cent of respondents, primarily female public library workers, had encountered sexual harassment on the job. Another informal survey, conducted by BookRiot writer Kelly Jensen (2017), received 250 responses in only a few days. Her article \u201cThe State of Sexual Harassment in the Library\u201d links to over 200 personal stories she collected from respondents, ranging from shiver-inducing to horrifying.<\/p>\n

My own encounters with sexual harassment from patrons have ranged from microaggressions to downright scary. I\u2019m called inappropriate nicknames on a weekly basis. Leering or staring is common as well. There was one man much older than me who stared at my chest every time he asked for a computer, and another who sat in the magazine section and watched me work several times a day, for weeks.\u00a0 I had a group of patrons whistle and jeer at me as I walked by. One patron insisted on dealing only with me at front desk; he then followed me for four blocks after work.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve heard of worse from other paralibrarians. One was harassed over a period of a year by a patron who asked her to marry him six times. She was clear with him that she wasn\u2019t interested, and he wouldn\u2019t stop. She says, \u201cone time, he asked me how old I was. I was 26 at the time, and he said, \u2018Oh good, you\u2019re young. We can start having kids in a couple years\u2019\u2026I didn\u2019t even know his name and he\u2019s asking me to have his kids.\u201d Another, a library supervisor said, \u201cThe pages get it the most…some of them are teenagers or young students. They\u2019ll get cornered in the stacks by men.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is a lack of academic study specific to harassment in libraries. Studies of a broad range of professions indicate that sexual harassment on the job is not uncommon. An Employment and Social Development Canada (2017) survey had 60 per cent of respondents indicate that they\u2019d experienced harassment at work, and 30 per cent had experienced sexual harassment. 94 per cent of those who reported experiencing sexual harassment were women.\u00a0 A Quebec study (Lippel, 2016) found that those working with the public are more likely to be exposed to harassment.<\/p>\n

Library culture and environments open staff up to harassment in ways unique to our profession. For service industry staff, interactions with a bad customer are limited by the money the customer has to spend or the length of a meal. Front line library staff are available to be targeted by anyone who walks through the door, and patrons may visit an unlimited number of times, staying all day if they choose. Our commitment to freedom of information means we are there to answer every question no matter how offensive we may find it. The high value we put on equal access makes us reluctant to stop uncomfortable interactions or refuse service to anyone, however repugnant their behaviour: even creeps have the right to access the library. Libraries need to find a balance between the values we hold dear, and the psychological safety of staff. We\u2019ve worked so hard to make libraries safe spaces for our patrons, now it\u2019s time to make them safe spaces for staff too.<\/p>\n

Sexual harassment on the job isn\u2019t just an annoyance; it\u2019s a health and safety concern. The impact of workplace harassment on mental health is well-known. Consequences can include fight-or-flight response to the trigger event (like increased heart rate and sweating), chronic physical symptoms (such as headaches, digestive problems and sleep disturbance), low morale, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. (For example: Butterworth, 2016; Lippel, 2016; Kendrick, 2017)<\/p>\n

According to the BC Human Rights Code, sexual harassment is a form of discrimination. It includes treatment by a customer or client, co-worker, supervisor, or employer. BC government factsheets (British Columbia, 2016) say sexual harassment can include:<\/p>\n