EVENT MANAGEMENT

EVENT MANAGEMENT IN THE FACE OF CHALLENGES

Books are not the only subject of challenges. The American Library Association (ALA) data shows that 18% of challenges reported were about programmes, events, and displays (Garnar, 2021). The majority of their challenges related to LGBTQI+ programmes, but other topics are also the subject of challenges.

Challenges to events are different to challenges to books in a collection and must be handled differently. They are different in that they:

  • are time-sensitive. A programme or event has a deadline and a time when it will occur. The procedure for handling the challenge must fit within this deadline.
  • Can impact the physical safety of staff, attendees, event organisers and library users.
  • May involve personal identification for staff or organisers who are running the event.

Libraries may run events or programmes for informational, educational, recreational, or community engagement purposes, often alongside a community group or external partner. The library may use its budget to arrange or run an event. This might include allowing an external group to book your library space to run their own event. These are all factors that may arise in a challenge or complaint.

Given the time-sensitive nature of events and programmes, your procedures for managing an event challenge will be divided into three categories: pre-preparedness, planning for a challenged event, and after the event.

PREPARING FOR THE CHALLENGED EVENT

HAVE A PROGRAMMING POLICY

The USA Library Bill of Rights states that “library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all the people of the community the library serves.”

This notion of the library as a public forum raises tricky questions about deciding what events and programmes will be run, and what parameters to use for selection. However, much like books, libraries make decisions on what events they do and do not run, and what groups they do and don’t partner with.

Having guidelines and parameters set in policy will aid you in this decision-making. It may be that you share your building or library services with other places of work, such as a community centre or an arts facility. If there is some crossover in your work, you may want to collaborate with them on the programming policy and procedures.

Have a read through ALA’s Library-Initiated Programs and Displays as a Resource: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. It contains several statements you might include in your policy. For example:

  • Socially excluded, marginalised, and underrepresented people, not just the mainstream majority, should be able to see themselves reflected in the resources and programs that libraries offer.
  • Programs should not be cancelled because of the ideas or topics of the programme or the views expressed by the participants or speakers, nor should library workers censor or remove displays because someone may disagree with the content.
  • The content or topic of a programme or event does not necessarily represent the view of the library or its staff.
  • The library is not obligated to hold events or programmes representing opposing viewpoints.
  • Your programming/event policy should cover:The purpose or mission of running programmes and events.
    • Such as to highlight your collections, promote your services, outreach to wider audiences, or to benefit the community.
  • Guidelines for selection of programmes and events.
    • Include internally initiated events, choice of programming partner, and groups who use your spaces to run events.
    • State that the library holds the right to determine programmes and events and may impose restrictions on the use of its spaces.
    • Craft your parameters and restrictions by setting a clear statement about declining groups or events that represent a viewpoint that is detrimental or non-inclusive to other groups in your community.
  • Link into any governance strategies and policy e.g. from your council.
  • Link to any policies or procedures you have. Such as your complaints process or reconsideration policy.
  • Link to any statements or legislation that you endorse such as the LIANZA Freedom of Information statement.

Here are some examples of programming policy you can find online:

PLANS AND PROCEDURES

Review your current event planning process and add in a step to check if your event has potential to generate opposition, complaints, or protest. Stay in the loop by keeping an eye on the media and through professional channels for incidents that have occurred or the activity of community groups that may negatively impact your event. Consider nominating a designated spokesperson to communicate with the media, the community, and council executive or councillors. This will help send a consistent message to both the public and council and take the pressure off other staff.

Create an event safety guide or risk management plan that you can use to ensure risks and hazards are being managed. While risks cannot be eliminated, they can be effective for putting controls and escalation points in place to protect staff, library users and partner organisations. You could work with your health and safety team to help you create this. If your building or spaces are combined with other teams like a community centre or arts facility, ensure you’re creating this in collaboration with them.

Your guide/plan should involve:

  • A detailed contact list such as management, security, police.
  • The identification of risks and hazards, and control options.
  • Escalation processes.

Proactive advocacy

Build a relationship with your council executive team, elected members, and councilors. Include them in your promotional material and keep them in the loop with the excellent work your library does. Invite them to events and programmes and educate them on the principles that underlie your service. Promote all the facets of community engagement and diversity that the library undertakes. Having an existing amiable relationship will be beneficial if you need to call on them for support or advocacy.

PLANNING FOR EVENTS IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION

If there is likely to be challenges at your event it is important that you make sure the following steps are taken.

STAFF SUPPORT
  • Keep your staff well informed about the nature of the event and the steps being taken in the lead up to the event.
  • Ensure staff are across the risks and hazards associated with the event.
  • Ensure staff are trained on the health and safety plan and are aware of any escalation points and procedures.
  • Ensure staff know what their roles and responsibilities are on the day.
  • Create FAQ for staff, and for them to use in their communications with the public.
USE AN EVENT HEALTH AND SAFETY PLAN  AND RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN
  • Consider if you need to inform staff, the public, organisers, and event attendees about the potential health and safety risks.
  • Consider if you need to arrange security guards.
  • If you are anticipating protest activity, or there have any threats of violence made, reach out to the police.
  • Consider if your staffing on the day is adequate and appropriate.
  • Ensure you have a building map on hand and review the building layout and the layout of the surrounds outside the building.
  • Have an escalation process, including staff with designated decision-making carried out at escalation points. Such as when to cancel the event, when to contact police, when to lockdown the building.
SEEK SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY
  • Inform the management of your organisation.
  • Consider if you need to involve other parts of your organisation. For instance, in council-run public libraries you may want to involve the wider council communications and marketing teams, as complaints and challenges could come through to them and to the call centre. You could also consult with a wider health and safety team for assistance in risk management planning.
  • Gain support from council executive and local board members. Provide them with information and context early on.
  • Find allies in your community associated with the event or programme who may help garner support for the event and its message.
  • Reach out to your wider industry colleagues or library association for support. Talk to other libraries who have hosted similar events or programmes.
MONITOR YOUR COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
  • People may challenge or complain in person, on the phone, by email, via social media, or through vandalism. Ensure you are monitoring these channels and the staff overseeing them know how to respond. Complaints or challenges about events and programmes can be directed through the same process you have for other complaints.
  • Your social media policy should provide guidance on how to handle comments or messages that represent opposition, threatening communication, or mis/disinformation. Have a decision tree for deciding to remove or restrict comments.

AFTER THE EVENT

Ensure you set time aside to review the experience after the dust has settled. Learning from the experience will help you be better prepared in the future. Challenging events and the risks and hazards associated with them may also have taken a toll on staff, especially if complaints have been threatening or abusive.

  • Make time for staff support in the aftermath. Consider a peer-support style group, or a feedback, de-escalation session.
  • An emotional impact can be felt by library users or  public at the event, particularly if there was protest activity, threats of abuse and violence, or discriminatory and non-inclusive viewpoints. Think of ways you can reassure your library and make them feel welcome and safe to return in the aftermath of a challenged event.
  • Review your event planning and risk management guide. Did everything work? Were there things missing? Do the policies or plan need reviewing?
  • Share your learnings and any plan or policy changes with staff.
  • Debrief with upper management, councillors, and council executive on the nature of communications you received from complainants, risks that arose, and the impact on your service and staff.
  • Share your experiences and learnings with your industry colleagues or wider local community who might benefit from hearing about how you managed the situation.

OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES

REFERENCES

Garnar, M. &. (2021). Intellectual Freedom Manual, 10th ed. Chicago: American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom.

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