Violent and threatening disturbances are on the rise at Greater Victoria libraries at a time when the library system is facing critical staff shortages — a combination of challenges union officials warn are taking a toll on staff and patrons.

Last year, the library system saw 732 incident reports filed across its 12 branches, a 200 per cent increase from 2021. The majority of those — 583 incidents — were recorded at the downtown central location.

The reports include a range of incidents, from pat…