Crime at micro-places in public libraries

Public libraries are multifunctional places where visitors come to borrow books, use computers and socialise—all these activities impose a diverse set of safety demands on those responsible for these facilities. Drawing from environmental criminology and CPTED principles, this study proposes and tests a conceptual model to investigate the spatiotemporal nature of crime and other safety-related incidents in public libraries. Incidents recorded by personnel from 2017 to 2020 from two public libraries in Stockholm, Sweden are mapped using a three-dimensional model in CAD and compared with notes from fieldwork inspections and interviews with library personnel. Findings show that staff feel safe in the library, but mention unsafe situations that they avoid by taking precautionary measures. In addition, public disturbances, aggression, followed by crimes against property and vandalism vary both temporally and across different types of library environments. The design and layout of public libraries play a role in the libraries’ safety conditions (e.g. territoriality, surveillance opportunities), but some places are more challenging than others because of the activities they attract (e.g. entrances). The study concludes by critically assessing the proposed methodology and making suggestions to improve safety in public libraries and advance the role of place managers in multifunctional places.