Who Let the Dog Out? Implementing a Successful Therapy Dog ...

Yale Law School

Yale Law School Legal Scholarship Repository Librarian Scholarship Series

Yale Law School Other Scholarship

2011

Who Let the Dog Out? Implementing a Successful Therapy Dog Program in an Academic Law Library Julian Aiken Yale Law School, [email protected]

Femi Cadmus Yale Law School, [email protected]

Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/ylss Part of the Animal Law Commons, and the Education Law Commons Recommended Citation HeinOnline - 21 Trends L. Libr. Mgmt. & Tech. 13 2011

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Yale Law School Other Scholarship at Yale Law School Legal Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Librarian Scholarship Series by an authorized administrator of Yale Law School Legal Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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IN LAW LAW LIBRARY MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT AND Edited b Philip Phlibp C Berwick Edited by

+ For ndgovernmen claw ibrasus + For academic, finn, flnn, corporate, :mdgovemment l1w hbran~111s

Who Let the Dog Dog Out? Implementing Dog Program Program a Successful Successful Therapy Dog Library in an Academic Academic Law Library By By JUuAN JULIAN AIKEN, Access Services Librarian, Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale Law School & &FEMI CADMUS, Associate Law Librarian for Administration, Lillian Goldman Goldman Law Library, Yale Law School

Concept Background and the Therapy Animal Concept The motivation for introducing introducing a therapy dog to the Yale Law Library was twofold. Inarguably, attending law school can sometimes be stressfuL stressful. Studies indicate indicate that, particularly particularly in the first year oflaw of law school, when newcomers newcomers are adjusting to internal expectations, expectations, and even even new teaching methods, materials, external and internal geographic experience elevated stress levels. levels.'T The evidence geographic locations, locations, students can experience evidence

that visits from therapy dogs have resulted in increased calnness, and and increased happiness, calmness, overall emotional well-being was a strong factor in proposing the introduction of overall emotional well-being introduction of Monty, the therapy therapy dog, to the stacks: the health and general happiness of the students in our school is of paramount and paramount importance importance to the Yale Law School and 2 Library.2 Library. 13 I3

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HeinOnline -- 21 Trends L. Libr. Mgmt. & Tech. 13 2011

Trends Tren& The concept concept of therapy therapy animals providing providing psychological psychological and and physiological physiological benefits to humans mankind itself. Around classical temple humans is almost as old as mankind Around the classical of Epidaurus Epidaums tablets were found testifying to the local local belief in the miraculous cures dogs.] More recently, serious scientific cures to be wrought there by the temple dogs.' investigations of the benefits oftherapy of therapy animals animals have taken place. In 200 I, a study investigations ofthe 2001, of stockbrokers suffering from hypertension concluded concluded that exposure to therapy therapy dogs was more effective prescribed medications medications in blunting blood pressure effective than prescribed 4 responses to mental stress.' stress. of course, our ongoing Another area of great importance importance to the Library Library is, of efforts efforts to meet the needs and support the broader interests of our user population, to remain remain relevant in an era in which collections collections are increasingly electronic electronic and in which, indeed, a J.D. can be obtained entirely online. In a 2008 conversation conversation about the future of law libraries, Blair Kauffman, Director of the Yale Law Library, discussed discussed the law library in terms of "what architects place'architects call call a 'third 'third place'where your home is your first place, an office or a classroom is a second second place, and social places, like dining halls and lounges and coffee shops and bookstores bookstores and individual place that speaks to individual libraries are a third place. The library is a third place study and research. It's the one thing that really distinguishes distinguishes residential education education from other types of education ... ... the library is what holds the students students to the law schoo1."5 school."' There is existing evidence evidence attesting to the fact that libraries which spend time focusing upon becoming more welcoming and attractive attractive to to students enjoy students enjoy 6 increased increased usage.' usage. At the Yale Law Library a good deal of creative thinking is encouraged, in an effort to provide provide creative, non-traditional non-traditional services to our encouraged, patrons. The library lends, for example, example, bicycles, soccer balls and goals, phone chargers, chargers, umbrellas, umbrellas, iPads, DVDs and and popular popular fiction, in addition to the customary customary print legal materials. These services have all been greeted positively by Yale law students. students.

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Trends Tren& Implementing the Pilot Project Implementing administration and staff about impleIt was not difficult to convince library administration periods, such as exams. In fact, menting a therapy therapy dog program during stressful periods, when our access services librarian came up with the idea, everyone everyone in the library was uniformly uniformly enthusiastic, enthusiastic, especially especially since he personally personally owned the therapy therapy dog to be used, eliminating the need to look to outside agencies for therapy dogs. Monty Monty had had been certified in the United Kingdom Kingdom and had to go through through a certification process in the United States under the auspices of the Delta Society. certification This proved to be the easy part; part; what would prove more difficult was was navigating navigating workplace and existing existing university policies and and practices practices relating relating to animals in the workplace confronting unserious idea. confronting the perception perception that this was an unserious (restated by the Our first major roadblock roadblock was a human resources policy (restated environmental health health and safety) which in essence precluded precluded university's office of environmental the presence of pets in the workplace for health, safety, and courtesy reasons reasons. 7 We presence ofpets requested requested a review review of our particular situation, contending contending that a library library therapy dog should be excluded excluded from this policy policy because it was not a pet but a trained, been to a service animal. While therapy animals animals have not been certified animal, akin certified legally defined under federal federal law (unlike (unlike service dogs within the context context of the American Disabilities Act), some states have laws defining American defining therapy dogs. In New York for example, a therapy dog "means any dog that is trained trained to aid the emotional retirement emotional and and physical health of patients in hospitals, nursing homes, retirement owned homes and other settings and is actually used for such purpose, or any dog owned by a recognized recognized training center located within the state during the period such dog center located is being trained or bred bred for such purpose." purpose."s forwarded to a special committee in the human Our request for a review was forwarded resources resources department, and and after extended deliberation we received extended deliberation received tentative approval to initiate a pilot program. Approval was tentative pending further initiate approval review by the university's of general counsel and law school administration. university's office ofgeneral agreement taking review, Monty's owner had to sign an indemnity indemnity agreement As part of this review,

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Trends Tren& behavior and actions of ofthe full responsibility for the behavior the dog. Law school administracontend tion also signaled signaled final approval of the pilot project, but we still had to contend with perception issues about the seriousness of the program. It was helpful helpful to be able to point to other successful successful therapy therapy dog programs already existing and successfully implemented in a few universities and public libraries successfully implemented libraries across the country. In essence considered essence this was not a novel idea, although it would would be considered novel to academic academic law libraries as we were unaware of any existing programs programs in the the United United States or elsewhere.

Feedback and Results of the Pilot Project of 2011, The three-day therapy dog pilot program, initiated in the spring semester of20! 1, was very successfuL successful. A total of 27 half-hour sessions were scheduled scheduled and student student interest was extremely high. In fact, interest interest was so high that at the end of the interest pilot we had 84 student visits, with another 29 students students waitlisted. Students visited with Monty, the therapy dog, in groups of three to four per session in aa secluded location in the library (the access services librarian's office). office). private and secluded Initially Monty's Monty's owner and handler, our access services librarian, worked at a cubicle cubicle near his office but soon moved back into his office as this seemed to help Monty acquainted with his new environment. The Monty get more comfortable comfortable and acquainted member did not inhibit student interaction presence of a library staff staffmember interaction with Monty and actually helped direct helped with observing observing the ongoing interactions interactions and obtaining direct feedback from the students. students was overwhelmingly overwhelmingly positive and and one student Feedback from students commented: commented: "I have to say that I left my session today completely completely calm and with a big smile on my face. That is definitely definitely not my typical state of being when I'm I'm incredibly refreshing change from the status quo." at school, and it was an incredibly We forwarded a report to university university and law school administrators providing student feedback and observations, as well as recommendations recommendations for moving moving forward forward if the program program were to become permanent. One of our recommendations recommendations was a reduction in the number of sessions to avert owner and dog fatigue. We also also expand visits beyond had several requests requests from students to expand beyond the private dedicated dedicated

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Trends Tren& courtyard. Initially the library was space in the library to outside space like the courtyard. only able to obtain permission inside of the library in aa permission to host the program inside private secluded secluded space to protect patrons with dog phobias or allergies. Since Monty Monty is hypoallergenic, allergy issues never came into play. In the end we received received the necessary approval to continue with the program program on a permanent permanent basis during stressful periods periods like exams. exams. We tweaked the extend it program by reducing reducing the sessions but did not receive permission to extend beyond requested by many students beyond the confines of the library to the courtyard as requested (maybe this this will be granted in the future). (maybe

Conclusion Conclusion considered a very natural extension of the The provision provision of a therapy therapy dog was considered Implementing a library library's innovative innovative and positive approach to its users. Implementing therapy dog program program has created yet another another avenue avenue for the library to interact interact directly traditional role as directly with students, cultivate face time, and solidify our traditional pioneering service embraced as librarians while providing providing a pioneering service which students students have embraced invaluable. While it exacts a substantial investment of time and resources, substantial investment resources, if if carefully planned out it yields excellent results in terms of solidifying relationships carefully excellent ofsolidifying with one most important library patron base-students.

Notes Notes I. I. Suzanne C. Segerstrom, Perceptions Perceptions ofStress ofStressand and Concrolih ControlIn tilt' nrstSemester ofLa w theFirstSernesterofLaw (1996). Willamette L L. Rev. 593 (1996). School, School, 32 Willamette 2. James A. and Human Well-Being: Hstorical A. Serpell, Animal Aminal Companions Companions and Well-Being: An Historical Exploratl"on of tilt' Value ofHuman-AmnwlRelationships, In HANDBOOK ON ANIMALANIMALExplorationofthc Value ofHunan-AninaiRelationshis,in ASSISTED THERAPY: THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS AsSISTED THERAPY: THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS AND AND GUIDELINES FOR PRACTICE

33 (Aubrey H. Fine ed., 2000). 3. HlistoricalPerspectives 3. Linda M. Hines, Historical Perspectives on the Human-AnnhalBond, Human-Aminal Bond, 47 Am. Behav. (2003). Scientist 7 (2003). L. Izzo, Jr., Pet Ownershi2, but NotACE 4. Karen Allen, Barbara Barbara E. Shykoff Shykoff & Joseph L Pcc Ownership, Not A CE inhibitor Therapp Therapy, Blunts Home Home Blood Pressure Pressure Responses to Mental Stress, Stress, 38 inhibitor 38 Hypertension (2001). Hypertension 815 (2001).

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Trends Tren& 5. Richard A. Danner, S. Blair Kauffman & John G. Palfrey, TIlt' The Twenty-First Twenty-First G'ntury Century Kauffman & Law Library, 10I Law Libr. J. J. 143 143 (2009). (2009). Library, IOI 6. Id 6.Id 7. For a review accommodation access rules relating to therapy review of public public accommodation therapy animals, animals, see John Ensminger & & Frances Frances Breitkopf, Breitkopf, Evolving EvolVing Functions Functions of of SerVI'ce Service and Therapy Therapy Ammals implicationslOr for Public PublicAccommodation Access Rules, 6 J. J. Animal LL. Animals and the Implications I (20IO). (2010). 8. N.Y. Agric. & & Mkts. Law §I08 §108 (26) (2011). (20II). /ulian Aiken Access Access Services Services libraran, librarian Lilan Lillian Goldman Law Lbrary, Library, Lillian Goldman Law Lilan Goldman JuhanAiken, Library, School,New Haven, . Library, Yale Law Schooi Haven, Connecticut. Connecticut. Emai: Email: . Femi Cadmus,Associate LibrarianforAdminiStration orthe Lillian Lilian Goldman Goldman Law Femi Cadmus, ASSOCiate Law Librarian for AdmlnI:~tratI'On ofthe Law Library, Yale Haven Connecticut. Connecticut. Emaid:

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