For the second time in as many days, a USM employee was attacked on USM property. On Feb. 14, a student in Hastings Hall assaulted USM police officer Benjamin Moreland. On Feb. 15, police responded to an incident at the Glickman Family Library on Forest Avenue in Portland where a USM library employee was assaulted.
The incident occurred at 2:30 p.m. USM police were unable to locate the offender.
“We have no suspects, no leads, and no one has seen the suspect back at the library,” USM police detective Sgt. Ronald Saindon said. The investigation is still open.
According to Steve Bloom, director of University Libraries, the incident unfolded as follows. A patron tried to exit through the front door with security tagged library material. When the security alarm sounded, an employee reminded the patron to check out. The patron pushed the employee and ran. The employee was not injured and the library property was not recovered. A security officer was not present at the time of the incident.
The Glickman Library is open to the public just as the Portland Public Library is. It’s open a lot later though. The Portland Public Library is open until 9 p.m., three days a week. The Glickman Library is open until 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and is open until midnight during finals’ week.
The Portland Public Library employs a full time security guard. Some employees of the Glickman Library like Carolyn Hughes, head of acquisitions and serials services, who has worked for USM for 34 years, think their library should have a full time guard as well.
Bloom said there is not always a police presence at the Glickman library.
“There is a pattern of random visits several times a day by USM police.Employees are briefed on security and counseling services. There is an emphasis on usable approaches without putting themselves in harm’s way. For the most part, patrons respect the library, and we count on that.”
When asked how the incident might have been avoided, Bloom said, “I’m not sure what could have been done. We’re proactive, not reactive. We’re always looking for improvement.”
Some of the staff at the Glickman Library are concerned about their safety as well as the safety of students. Loraine Lowell, a library assistant who works at the circulation desk, said the library is essentially working with the same number of staff that they had a decade ago.
“Staff shortage is a problem. Students can be alone. Understaffing of police does pose a security risk. Officers are always quick to respond, but preventative security is the problem.”
Carolyn Hughes also expressed concern.
“Sometimes there is only one employee to a floor at the library. There are no employees on the fourth floor after 4:30 p.m. and on the weekends. The isolated environment makes some of our patrons and employees feel uncomfortable. When you have open public areas that aren’t staffed, that can be a problem.”
Carolyn said she thought full-time security personnel would make the staff and patrons feel more comfortable. At a minimum, there should be more security walk-throughs. She also expressed concern about the lack of adequate lighting outside the building.
“There is a light out in back. We need better lighting outside of the building.”
Bloom thought the isolated rear parking lot was safe.
“I do think the parking lot is safe, some people don’t, but escorts are available.” He pointed out an emergency call box in the back lot, and feels there is a fair amount of lighting back there.
There is an emergency call box in the parking lot of the Glickman Library, but it’s not near the isolated and dark rear parking spots. At least one of the lights in back was out as recently as March 7.
Contributing writer Stuart Koretsky can be contacted at: [email protected]