Another common crisis that occurs in library spaces is a patron suffering a psychotic episode. A librarian may press a panic button, or otherwise call for help, but again, they are responsible for managing the situation while additional help is on the way. The librarian may attempt to calm the patron and keep space between them and others in case they behave violently, and a librarian may also utilize de-escalation skills they have formally or informally been trained in. This work of being both first and second responder is often missing in conversations about the daily challenges facing
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