Gun Control and the Dewey Decimal System
"If someone comes in with a gun, I'm leaving."
In that short sentence, a local mother confirmed the fears of many employees at the public library I work at in Athens, Ga. The mother, whose identity was kept anonymous in the Sky News story on Wednesday, July 2, represented the biggest crisis I’ve had to deal with in my short career.
The state of Georgia has made headlines this summer for passing a ground-breaking law that allows gun owners to carry guns in bars, nightclubs, churches and libraries. Since I spend 12 hours a week in a library, this concerns me personally. As a human being, not to mention one who spends so much time on a college campus, I have strong opinions about this law and the credibility of its intentions. My internship with the library, though, has led me to focus more on my feelings as a public relations professional.
In my mind, the library, especially one located in the poverty-rich Athens, becomes a panacea of resources that not only enriches lives, but also reminds patrons of equality. A library card in 2014 opens up a world of books, multimedia and tools for researching employment and other opportunities, genealogy and more. We even offer zoo and state park passes, proving the library’s worth well beyond its doors. And I said doors, not metal detectors.
The promise of equality is not a controversial claim, because it is part of our library’s mission. Implied in this mission is a safe space to learn and grow, much like a school. So when patrons are forced to question whether a family outing to the library is a risk or not, it becomes a business issue.
I’ve heard the employees of the library whisper about the law and voice their uneasiness, and I’ve heard the library’s board run through potential scenarios to ensure that patrons are as safe as possible. Friends have asked me about what’s being done at my place of work. This past week, a Colorado-native asked me if the law was real, and if we were really letting guns in.
The Sky News article describes Athens as a “liberal oasis” and I have yet to see any support of the law from the library’s leadership. Time and strategy will tell me what should be done. Will we publicly ask gun owners to leave their firearms at home? Will that risk us becoming a place of protest, which will keep families away? Will this issue fizzle out?
Unlucky for me, I won’t take Crisis Communications until the fall.
