Saint Paul Public Library outlines expanded safety model after $1.5 million grant

Saint Paul Public Library staff told the Library Board and city council members on Feb. 5 that a safety model funded with $1.5 million in one-time city funding has supported new staff roles, training and technology intended to make library spaces safer and more welcoming while preserving their role as a low-barrier public place.

Library staff said the safety of library employees is their highest priority and described three pillars of the updated plan: building a culture of safety, responding consistently to incidents and adopting restorative practices. Rebecca Ryan, a library presenter at the meeting, said "the safety of our staff is our highest priority." She added that the library remains a place where people “do life” — sheltering from weather, accessing bathrooms, attending meetings and using materials — which makes managing safety and service simultaneously complex.

The city-funded efforts already in place include: site-specific safety playbooks that lay out actions (lockdown, secure, etc.) using a common standard response protocol across branches; five safety specialists hired in December 2024 with training in behavior management, first aid/CPR and administering naloxone; and a pilot of vapor…