As Strong as Its Weakest Link: Developing Strategies for a Security Program
As Strong as the Weak Link: People
Laurie Sowd
Operations Director, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

Whether we work in a university art gallery, public library, science center, or research collection; whether we have in-house security employees, student gallery aides, campus police, contract security, or rely on our collections and other staff to uphold security standards, the components of our security programs are basically the same:

• people;
• technical systems;
• and policies and procedures, with training tying them all together.

I believe we too often fail to give full weight to the importance of our people -- the human element. If we haven't managed people, we haven't managed risk at all. So, although each element of our security program is critical, I will focus on the people factor, the potential "weakest link." I'd like to focus further still on one aspect of the human element -- ongoing training, motivation, and development. I may have selected qualified people with good work ethics, but if they are bored, they will be weak links. I can have sophisticated technical systems, but if my staff isn't trained to monitor and respond to alarms appropriately, the systems themselves are of minimal use. I may have beautifully crafted policies and procedures, but if my staff can't articulate what they are, why they exist, and how to implement them, they're not worth the paper they're written on.

So, how do we manage the human element in our operations? How do we keep our folks attentive, aware, loyal, and acting as outstanding stewards of the institution's assets?

This paper will look at what motivates staff responsible for the security of the collections; what they seek in a work environment. We will consider issues ranging from a sense of purpose, to social interaction; from clarity of role, to opportunities for advancement. We will give examples of ways cultural institutions are attempting to meet these needs of our protection staff, thus helping to ensure the safety and security of the collections.