Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Fall 2016

Keywords

Assistance animals, Assistance animals in the library

Abstract

Effectively addressing concerns about assistance animals in any library setting is often problematic due to a lack of awareness about assistance animals in general, which then leads to uncertainty on how to proceed in these situations. Library personnel, regardless of library type, are often unaware of legal definitions of assistance animals. When compelled to respond to a patron complaint about “a dog in the library,” many library professionals are uncertain about which questions they may legally ask a patron who is accompanied by an animal. This uncertainty then creates concern about how to act in these situations, and thus, many library personnel may seek to avoid it entirely. However, with knowledge, time, some organizational development, and the appropriate legal vetting, it is possible to establish a best-practices protocol for handling complaints or concerns about patrons with an assistance animal in a library. This article details one such case study at an academic library in the Pacific Northwest.

Publication Title

Reference & User Services Quarterly

Volume

56

Issue

1

First Page

8

Last Page

13

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.5860/rusq.56n1.8

Required Publisher's Statement

Published by Reference and User Services Association

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5860/rusq.56n1.8

Comments

RUSQ allows the deposit of articles in institutional repositories as long as they are not modified and the original publication is cited.

Link to original publication: https://journals.ala.org/rusq/issue/view/611

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

Animals as aids for people with disabilities--Washington (State)--Bellingham--Handbooks, manuals, etc.; Animals--Therapeutic use--Washington (State)--Bellingham--Handbooks, manuals, etc.; Library rules and regulations--Washington (State)--Bellingham

Subjects - Names (LCNAF)

Western Washington University. Libraries

Geographic Coverage

Bellingham (Wash.)

Genre/Form

articles

Type

Text

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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