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stressful situations

They Want To Shut Us Down: The Threats That Canceled a Drag Queen Bingo Program and How the Library Handled It

Illustration of colorful silhouettes of people looking at phones on a dark blue background. There are illustrations of exclamation points and other imagery suggesting threat and alarm.

Amanda Klenk was looking forward to a fun, successful event hosted by a local drag performer, Aurora Divine. As the teen services coordinator for the Downers Grove (Ill.) Public Library, she strives to connect teens to new experiences in age-appropriate and accessible ways. Klenk’s upcoming Drag Queen Bingo event, designed for teens in seventh through twelfth grade, was scheduled for National Coming Out Day.

The event was turning out to be one of the largest teen programs in her four years programming with the library. The registration list was full and the waitlist was growing.

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library program

programming librarian

program cancellation

drag queen bingo

drag queen story time

intellectual freedom

censorship in programs

downers grove public library

stressful situations

De-Escalation Techniques for Real-Life Programming Scenarios

As a librarian, you may face stressful or potentially harmful situations on the job. Maybe you’ve recently had a run-in with a patron asking you uncomfortable questions or had a program that was met with protests. What are the best ways to de-escalate these situations? Luckily, they are techniques you probably already have in your librarian toolbox.

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library conflict

library program de-escalation

de-escalation tips

working with patrons

community engagement

techniques for de-escalation

stressful situations