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Article
For Your Enrichment: Assistance Animals in the Library: How One Academic Library Developed Best Practices
Reference & User Services Quarterly
  • Rebecca M. Marrall, Western Washington University Libraries
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-1-2016
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.

DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.5860/rusq.56n1.8
Required Publisher's Statement

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

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
Citation Information
Marrall, R. M. (2016). “Assistance animals in the library: How one academic library developed Best Practices.” Reference & User Services Quarterly, 56(1), pp. 8-13. (Peer/Editor Reviewed)