Libraries are in a unique position to offer resources and referrals to those experiencing domestic and sexual violence and stalking. In this webinar, learn how to identify the signs of domestic/sexual violence and stalking, what/when/how to say something to a survivor, and how to provide resources to someone who does not disclose abuse.  

You will learn how to: 

• Identify ways to research and navigate reporting laws and resources for survivors and allies in your state
• Recognize best practices for listening to a disclosure 
• Select ways to improve your library's programs and procedures for survivors
• Collaborate with crisis centers and other local partners to support survivors

Presented by: Miranda Dube, Victim Witness Advocate, former academic librarian, and co-author of LIS Interrupted: Intersections of Mental Illness and Library Work

Access recording

• View webinar recording (You will be prompted to login to our free Course Catalog.)

Webinar attachments

• View slides (pdf)
  
• View chat (xls)
• View captions (txt)
  
• Learner Guide (doc) Use alone or with others to extend your learning. 

Related resources and links

• Webinar resource list (doc) of books, articles, and other resources
  
• Library of Congress, Domestic Violence: Resources in the United States
• New Hampshire Public Library Services for Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence, Miranda Dube, In the Library with the Lead Pipe
  
• Out of the Shadows, Programming Librarian
• Librarian Hides Phones in Books to Help People Escape Domestic Violence, I Love Libraries
• www.domesticshelters.org to find a shelter or program nearby
• National Sexual Violence Resource Center and their Directory of Organizations
• Children and Domestic Violence Facts, Center for Family Services
• About Stalking, CDC Intimate Partner Violence Prevention
• Kimberlé Crenshaw on the urgency of intersectionality in the movement to end sexual and domestic violence
  
• Crisis information concerns: Information needs of domestic violence survivors by Lynn Westbrook, Information Processing and Management, 45(1), 98-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2008.05.005
• Knowing if you are a Mandated Reporter
• https://mandatedreporter.com/child-abuse/
• https://mandatedreporter.com/domestic-violence/
• https://mandatedreporter.com/elder-abuse/
• Out of the Shadows, San Diego Public Library Human Trafficking awareness program 
• Reducing barriers for domestic violence survivors at Monroe County Public Library
  
• BiblioUnderground: Program creating “Book-it 2 Freedom Kits," prepaid burner phones, uploaded with DV and Safety Planning resources, hidden within discarded library to assist those fleeing domestic violence 
• Safe Refuge or Unseen Opportunities: How Libraries Can Fight Human Trafficking, LibLime, 2024
• Human Trafficking: Prevention for Libraries by Uprising Wyoming, webinar recording hosted by the Wyoming State Library, 2024
• End Human Trafficking: An Underground New England Community Forum, Wallingford Public Library program example
• Blue Campaign, a national DHS public awareness campaign designed to educate the public, law enforcement, and other industry partners to recognize the indicators of human trafficking, and how to appropriately respond to possible cases. See also Human Trafficking 101 Information Sheet
• National Forum on the Prevention of Cyber Sexual Abuse (NFPCSA), a grant project funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and hosted by Tufts University
• Additional links shared in chat:
  
• Improving Access to Civil Legal Justice through Libraries, a set of training resources from WebJunction
• The True Story Behind the Surprise Netflix Hit Baby Reindeer, Time [Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Netflix series Baby Reindeer]
• Baltimore County Public Library, Mental Health Resource Hotline Numbers (pdf) shared by Amelia Eldridge as an example of the kind of resource to have to hand out to patrons or to display in bathroom stalls.
• Miranda provided responses to a few outstanding questions we didn't get to in the webinar:
• "Since so many libraries are having issues with book banning and anti-library sentiment, with much of blamed on sexual content, do you have any suggestions for how to put this info out without vulgarity/sexual content complaints?" I think no matter what we do, someone, somewhere is always going to have an issue with the materials we put out. Keeping the topic of domestic violence and sexual assaults focused on the issue of power and control that it is rooted in may assist in defusing some of the complaints.
• "There is a debate going on with our staff about chat reference. One librarian has said that we can give out specific title information as long as their phone number shows in the chat because they are "logged in." I have a hard time with this in that all we know is that someone has that phone at that time. I am reluctant to provide title specifics because of this. What if an abuser has their phone, etc. can you speak to this at all? This is a great question. Online spaces are always going to prove challenging for verifying patron safety since we can't see them, and there is always the possibility an abuser is watching. If it's a sensitive topic they are asking about, you could encourage them to give the library a call or stop in. At the end of the day though, if library policy is to release titles via chat, we may end up having to do that.
• How can we tell if the victim is a human trafficking victim? We touch on this briefly in the beginning slides, and as I mentioned there are also so many more things we could learn about with each type of violence. I'd encourage you to keep engaging in conversations about human trafficking, and check out the resources we listed which include a library who is doing great human trafficking awareness!
• Resources specifically for Native American communities:
• StrongHearts Native Help Line
• National Indigenous Women's Resource Center
  
• Alaska Native Women's Resource Center