[MSN] A Day in the Life of a Library Security Guard

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

A Day in the Life of a Library Security Guard
By Whitney Alexander - 10 Oct 2006
 

The locker resonates as it slams shut. His white shirt, khaki pants, dress
shoes and tie hang stiffly on his body, and he dons a blue blazer with
shoulder pads for the finishing touch. Time stops as he clocks in. 

This is how a typical shift starts for a library security guard. Joel
Hilton, a senior from Layton, majoring in English, has participated in this
routine since he was a freshman at BYU. 

To add to his security persona, he straps on a flashlight and pepper spray. 

In order to legally carry pepper spray, a security guard must attend pepper
spray training in which they must be sprayed with it themselves. This helps
them become more wary about being too quick to push the red button. 

Because of this training, Hilton often receives flashbacks of the pain he
endured while being sprayed a few years prior. 

"It really is a miserable experience," Hilton said. " It's like having your
eyes on fire and you can't put it out."

Hilton walks to the control room, anticipating which station he is starting
off for the day: either the east or west desk, control room or "rove route."

During rove route, one of his favorite assignments of the day, a security
guard can roam wherever he wants in the library to make sure all is secure
and peaceful.

Hilton enters his first station, at the west desk. He scans the computer
screen and cameras to verify current safety. 

After a few minutes of people watching, a loud Baam! comes from a few feet
away. A student's face is glowing red because he just ran into the plastic
library sensor machines while checking out a pretty girl. Hilton writes down
the time it happened so they can go back later and watch the tape for a good
laugh. 

He chuckles to himself and remembers other similar situations that make his
day amusing, such as students tripping up the stairs or falling on their
face.

A student walks over and hands Hilton a book. He stamps the book
robotically, without thinking too much about it. 

He sits back and once again begins to people watch. And then, it happens:
his biggest pet peeve. A couple walks in holding hands, and instead of
letting go of each others' grasp while walking through the plastic sensor
machines, they raise their clasping hands over. 

"It's like, 'Can you not let go for one second?' " Hilton said. "Your love
will continue if you're not touching."

Another annoyance of the security guards is students' lack of concern for
the no food and drinking policy. 

A student enters with a hand full of books in one hand and a Jamba in the
other. Jamba Juice is their nemesis because so many students try to sneak
their fruit drinks into the library. 

Hilton repeats the same phrase multiple times daily, "Excuse me, ma'am, you
know you are not allowed to bring that into the library." 

After Hilton reprimands the student he sees a couple of friends who say
"hi." Not only does he constantly see people he knows, but he also finds
dates for the weekend. 

"Girls love us," Hilton said. "You meet girls at the desk and they come up
and talk to you and you ask them out. I try not to ask girls out in uniform
though because I think it intimidates them."

It's time to change to rove route. During his roam, he finds students having
make-out sessions or parties in the study rooms. Sometimes students will
have a full out food party with chips, salsa, drinks and candy. It can be
quite an exciting experience. 

Soon it is time to go home. Obnoxious music fills the air to drive students
out. Hilton has a hard time understanding why people would want to stay at
the library so late. 

"People don't want to leave," Hilton said. "I don't know why they want to
stay at the library. Leave. Go home and eat or something."

As Hilton walks back to the locker room to change, he contemplates the day
and compares the excitement to days past. Although there were no fire
alarms, medical assists or sting operations, he still had a good time. More
importantly, he feels he has accomplished his task. 

"We're really here as a preventive tactic," Hilton said. "If we're walking
around and people notice us we're hoping they will be less likely to steal a
backpack or make out in a study room."

With the end of that thought, he opens his locker, changes and clocks out,
making time stop once again. 


Top 10 Stupid Questions Students Ask Library Security Guards: 

1. So, where are all the books?

2. Are you open?

3. Is this the library?

4. What are you doing on Friday...Oh, you're married?

5. Am I allowed to come in here?

6. Is the cafeteria downstairs?

7. Where is the yearbook?

8. Do I need to pass my keys and cell phone around these machines?

9. Do you work here?

10. Can I ask you a stupid question?

http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/61352