Meeting name

ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition 2018

Meeting location

New Orleans, LA

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

6-24-2018

Abstract

After the mass terrorism event in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017, the University of Nevada Las Vegas community used the spaces of their school to shelter and heal. During that attack that occurred only three miles away from campus, the library was described as a sanctuary that students reportedly did not want to leave. In an attempt to gain insight into what makes a community space safe and comforting, especially during an attack like the Mandalay Bay shooting, survey data will be collected from UNLV students to evaluate their perceptions of safety within the school’s main branch library. What measurable factors contribute toward making a space feel safe, and what can be done to increase that sense of security? Possible research outcomes may explain students’ willingness or lack thereof to turn to public gathering areas for safety during terrorism events. The information found by this research can help shape future library initiatives connected to creating safe and welcoming community spaces, both at UNLV and at other institutions nationwide. The study will combine literature review of library spaces as community spaces, campus safety information, and survey data collected from willing student participants at UNLV to paint a realistic portrayal of student perceptions of safety. The most recent findings related to this scholarship will be shared at the time of the presentation in poster format.

Keywords

Libraries; Academic libraries; Safety; Perceptions; Campus safety; Library safety; Students; Interviews; Qualitative; Terrorism; Shootings

Disciplines

Library and Information Science

File Format

application/pdf

File Size

1.292 Kb

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