Metropolitan Library System welcomes every member of the community to use and enjoy the Library’s facilities, collections, programs, and services. Our goal is to create a safe, welcoming, and pleasant place for education and enrichment where all individuals are respected.
To create a welcoming environment within the library, guests will:
- Adhere to the core values of equity, diversity, and inclusion, people first, integrity, innovation, and respect
- Respect staff and other guests
- Respect library and guest property
- Use library space only for its intended purpose
- Keep personal items under your control at all times
- Obey the law
Respectful behavior includes:
- Complying with staff requests
- Acting in a safe and welcoming manner
- No harassing or stalking library guests or staff, including verbal or physical intimidation
- No horseplay, fighting or challenging to fight, running, pushing, shoving, or throwing things
- Refrain from disruptive behavior, including maintaining a reasonable volume
- Attending to children and adults in your care while visiting the library. The library assumes no responsibility for unattended people.
- Refraining from visiting when you have a communicable disease, contagious illness, open wounds, lice, or other body or article infestation.
- Ensuring library materials are free of infestation when returned.
- Wearing appropriate attire while in the buildings, including shoes, at all times.
- Bringing only ADA-defined service animals into the library
- Practicing good hygiene by avoiding strong, pervasive odors, including fragrances such as perfume and cologne.
- Petitioning and protesting only within designated areas and soliciting or conducting polls only when authorized by the library.
- Remaining outside of staff-only workspaces, including docks and back alleys.
- Allowing the use of library spaces or resources by all guests.
- Foods that are easily cleaned and do not leave residue or mess may be enjoyed in the library. Please clean up accidental messes and report spills immediately.
To ensure a safe and welcoming environment in the library, the following behaviors are not allowed:
- Carrying firearms except by armed law enforcement officers or authorized security officers.
- Carrying dangerous weapons of any kind, including but not limited to pepper spray, walking sticks, knives, clubs, axes, and machetes.
- Using or preparing to use tobacco (including electronic vapor and e-cigarettes) indoors or use of tobacco (including electronic vapor and e-cigarettes) within 25 feet of building entrances.
- Intoxicated behavior, substance abuse, the use or possession of intoxicating substances.
- Engaging in acts of indecent exposure or sexual activity of any kind.
The Metropolitan Library System reserves the right to require anyone of any age violating the behavior policy to leave the library. Serious or repeated misconduct may lead to restrictions including loss of library privileges typically ranging from one day to two years, and/or appropriate legal action. Indefinite bans may also be issued due to egregious misconduct or repeated misconduct after returning from a two-year ban.
A person excluded from the use of the library building, property, and/or services may request in writing that the Chief Executive Officer reconsider such a decision and may present evidence to the Chief Executive Officer that the exclusion is not warranted under the circumstances or that they no longer pose a threat as described above.
The Metropolitan Library Commission authorizes the Chief Executive Officer to establish procedures to administer this policy.
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Comments
•Monopolizing library space, equipment, materials, or facilities preventing others from using them, including prolonged or chronic sleeping or lying down.
I am interested in this policy for many reasons. While I agree with it in principle, it is somewhat difficult for me to agree with in practice. If there are other spaces in the library available, should we still enforce this policy? Part of our core values are to serve everyone in our community, even those who are using our facilities for reasons other than checking out our resources. If we prevent this use, then I feel we are not serving them, therefore not fulfilling this value. Instead of turning them away with a copy of our policies and how they broke them, is there a way we could partner with a community shelter or center and give out their information instead? I feel this could potentially be a more positive interaction rather than a negative one. Or we could ask if they need help with job placement, maybe getting a GED, or simply a place to get some food. This may be too idealistic, but I wanted to point it out. It would also be helpful to know if we always have to enforce this policy even if there are spaces free, or if only there are no spaces free.
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While I do agree with certain aspects of your post (like having resource contacts or materials available to give out to those in need), I also think that the policy is still needed. At the DN library we frequently have cases of this policy being used. I have had members complain about other members that have fallen asleep using our public computers and then were still asleep when it was time for another person's session. I have had members get angry that someone was sleeping at the tables or in our more comfortable chairs because they didn't think it was appropriate that it was happening. We have also had members that appeared to be asleep that were actually passed out from intoxication which violates other parts of our rules of conduct. While we are a library that must meet the needs of our community, we are not a public shelter and do not have the appropriate resources or space to act in such a way while still upholding our main function of being an information institution.
We have the same issue with the computers here at Midwest City.
•Leaving children under 10 years old unattended. (The library assumes no responsibility for minor children.)
This is a question I have related to an incident here at RE yesterday. We frequently have children who are 10 (or claim to be 10, some are 8 or younger) that are in charge of much younger children, including toddlers. Children that young are seldom mentally or emotionally mature enough to provide adequate supervision for very young children. In previous systems where I've worked, children under 5 needed to be accompanied by someone 16 or older. Could a similar requirement be considered the next time this policy is up for review?
We will certainly consider this when we review AL 330. Would you mind posting this comment on AL 330 as well?
http://my.metrolibrary.info/drupal/policy_procedures/al/al-330-responsib...
Thanks!
It would be nice if,
•Using restrooms for bathing, shampooing or doing laundry.
had "shaving" in the there also.