Addressing the broader challenges faced by the library, including mental health issues, homelessness, and instances of hostility—including threats against staff—the library director discussed the implementation of an incident tracking system inside the library
WORCESTER—Amidst an increase in incidents, Worcester Public Library Executive Director Jason Homer has been outlining a series of measures to enhance security, promote harm reduction, and provide critical social work services and crisis management. Homer has been in collaboration with the office of City Manager Eric D. Batista and the local Police Department since January in response to these challenges.
While the library initially hired one full-time security guard, the library expanded its security measures by adding a part-time guard temporarily and is now in the process of hiring another full-time guard. Additionally, the introduction of a social worker position and the establishment of a community resources department are aimed at addressing the needs of high-need patrons, Homer said.
Addressing the broader challenges faced by the library, including mental health issues, homelessness, and instances of hostility—including threats against staff—Homer discussed the implementation of an incident tracking system inside the library.
“We see a mixed bag of types of incidents,” said Homer, “and we have an incident tracking system in the library that allows us to respond to people, but also seeing when things are escalating and working with the appropriate organizations to help de-escalate those incidents.”
Homer said he and the city have been working with our individuals who are in crisis and not just those who are experiencing homelessness or are unhoused, to gain more insight into the situation.
“This includes those with substance use and drug addiction,” he said. “We’re the truly only free and open place for people to exist, so we see people sometimes at their best and sometimes at their worst. We offer a lot of programs that help people, but we also help people who are in crisis, whether that’s domestic violence, drug addiction, assistance with homelessness, and finding housing. We don’t do the work for them, but we make sure to partner them with the correct resources to help them.”
An internal response to these challenges has been critical, Homer stressed.
“We have a staff member who’s been working for over a decade with all the local non-profit organizations that deal with people in crisis,” he said. “Her work ultimately resulted in us creating a department where she’s the department head. The department is called Community Resources and that group focuses on staff training and documenting the issues that arise.”
Homer said the library’s visitor statistics reflect the growing need for its services, but more incidents have been seen simultaneously.
“We had almost a 30% increase in visits to the library, but also a 44% increase in incidents,” said Homer. “Those incidents only represent 1% of the daily visitors to the library, but it does mean that we have to respond and deal with what’s happening.”
The staff plans to continue to implement measures that will help those in need and continue to welcome people from the greater Worcester community.
“We’re super excited to be working with the city manager,” Homer said, “who helped us hire a part-time security guard to help flatten the curve of incidents. He has authorized us to hire for a full-time role ahead of next fiscal year, which is great.”
Plans are underway to fill this role promptly.
“I am pleased to report on the work being done at the Worcester Public Library to meet the needs of the city’s population, including its unhoused,” said Worcester City Manager Eric Batista. “In the over century and a half that the library has existed, it has served as a meeting place for residents to check out books, learn new skills, and pursue their interests.
“The library also works to meet the needs of the city’s residents, needs which have evolved over the last several years. My office has worked closely with the library to make changes to the services it provides to meet those needs.”
Emphasizing the personal impact of the library’s work, Homer reflected, “Our staff gets to know our patrons and can help bridge the connection when they’re ready for assistance. Lots of times, we see them at their worst and then we get to see them a year later out of addiction and in recovery, working towards a degree or finding a job. These experiences can at first be scary, but we want to be sure we are treating everyone like a human and making sure that they are set up for a successful tomorrow.”
Matt Olszewski is a freelance content and news writer based in Boston, MA. In his free time, Matt enjoys running, hiking or skiing. Matt is currently finishing up the MPH degree program at Tufts University. He can be reached at mattoskier@gmail.com
