Document text
67 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, June 1, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Britt Festival Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Biz Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 31, 2005 Security guard Warren Osborn walks through the stacks at the Central Library in Medford. Since Osborn began in April he has helped calm down a runaway girl, dealt with a drunken man outside the building and 86ed a man viewing porn on a library computer. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven When ‘Shhhh’ just won’t do it Jackson County Library officials have decided to hire a security guard to deal with unusual problems at the Medford Central Library By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune A few months ago, one man struck another for no apparent reason at Medford’s Central Library. Then last week, a 13-year-old girl who was distraught after running away from home had to be calmed down. These and other problems have prompted library officials to hire a security guard for all hours of operation to deal with situations beyond the scope of a librarian. "This is really not what the library staff are trained to deal with," said Meghan O’Flaherty, Medford library manager. Jackson County Library Director Ronnie Budge defended the decision to hire EBM Security Inc. of Medford in April for about $45,000 a year, despite recent budget cutbacks that resulted in reduced library hours and fewer staff members. Advertisement She said a security guard will allow librarians to devote their time and energy to helping customers instead of quelling disputes. The security guard, for example, was able to calm down the 13-year-old girl and call police to pick her up. On another occasion, he stopped a man who was spitting on the stairway and made him clean the mess. Just recently, he dealt with a man who appeared to be unconscious outside the building but was drunk. And he caught another man looking at pornography on the Internet and told him to stop or leave the building. "Our goal is not to arrest anyone," said Warren Osborn, chief of security for EBM. "Our goal is to make sure everybody has a safe and pleasant visit." So far he has been able to talk people into following the rules. But Osborn does have pepper spray and handcuffs in case someone really gets out of line. "The biggest part of my job is negotiation," he said. On Wednesday, a youth wheeled a bicycle into the library and knocked over a trash can. Osborn reminded him that bicycles aren’t allowed in the building and gently escorted him to the door. Since April, he’s stopped teen arguments, prevented someone from stealing library materials, helped an autistic child get home and assisted someone whose motorcycle had been stolen. O’Flaherty said that with fewer staff, it has become more difficult for librarians to patrol every corner of a building that is five times the size of the former Carnegie library. Also, the number of patrons at the circulation desk has increased by 30 percent. "We don’t have the supervision capability that we used to have," she said. Even at the former facility, O’Flaherty said librarians would have welcomed having a security guard because of similar problems. Library patron Aaron McCord said he liked the idea of a guard, particularly because the library is such a public place. "It doesn’t seem like people are good at policing themselves," said the Medford father of two. "I think to have security and keep people safe is the most important thing." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s