"Policies and Training Empowers Staff and Management to Act": Preliminary Findings From the Patron-Perpetrated (PPSH) Policies and Procedures Survey

Abstract

Library workers across Canada view library policy, training, and reporting as important interventions to prevent and address patron-perpetrated sexual harassment (PPSH). A nation-wide survey indicates that Canadian public libraries vary widely in their development and usage of PPSH policies, procedures, and training. While 40% of libraries surveyed have PPSH policies, 78% have patron codes of conduct and 74% have policies that address workplace violence, harassment & discrimination. Only 26% of participating libraries offer staff PPSH specific training. Of the 69% of participating libraries who had formal incident reporting processes, only 13% list sexual harassment as a reporting option. More positively, findings demonstrate a strong interest by participants to address PPSH in their workplaces.

Tami Oliphant

School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta.

Tami is an associate professor at the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta. Her research draws upon intersectional feminist anti-violence theory and practice, theories of justice (particularly epistemic injustice and more recently climate justice), and other library and information studies (LIS) theory that centres people and their relationships to information institutions such as libraries, librarianship, publishing, and their social information practices. Working alongside Dr. Danielle Allard and Angela Lieu, our most recent SSHRC funded research (2024-2027) advances our findings from the Patron-Perpetrated Sexual Harassment (PPSH) in Libraries project that explores library workers’ experiences of gender-based violence in a “pink collar” profession and feminized workplace and focuses on policy and PPSH interventions.