Policy

The Firearms/Weapons & Workplace Violence Policy ensures that the Metropolitan Library System provides a service and work environment that is free from unauthorized firearms, illegal weapons, and acts of physical violence or verbal abuse while engaged in library business.  The policy applies to all library system employees, volunteers, customers, visitors, vendors or contract personnel on or in library property or vehicles.

Regulations:

1.         Firearms / Illegal Weapons / Illegal Substances

The Library strictly prohibits the possession or use of firearms or other illegal weapons of any kind in any library building or library vehicle regardless of whether the person is licensed to carry the weapon or not. Oklahoma Self Defense law allows individuals who are licensed to carry a firearm under this law the option to either carry a handgun openly or conceal it.   Possession of a Self Defense Act Concealed Carry Permit is not sufficient licensing to carry firearms into any Library facilities as all are owned or operated by a public agency for public services.  The law specifically prohibits carrying firearms on properties owned or leased by the city, state, or federal government.  Additionally, the Library strictly prohibits the possession of illegal or legally obtainable chemicals or explosives on library or library-controlled property.

Possession includes, but is not limited to, on oneself or in personal property and storage in lockers, desks, cabinets, library owned briefcases or any other container.

The exceptions to this policy are police officers, security guards, state or federally commissioned peace officers, or other persons who have been given consent by the Executive Director or Director of Human Resources to carry a weapon on the property.  Pursuant to state law, nothing in this policy prohibits a person from storing or transporting firearms in a locked motor vehicle in a library parking lot.

Weapons Defined

Prohibited weapons include any form of weapon or explosive restricted under local, state, or federal regulation. This includes all firearms, illegal knives, or other weapons covered by law. [Legal chemical dispensing devices such as pepper sprays that are sold commercially for personal protection is not covered by this policy.]  Questions about whether an item is covered by this policy should be referred to the Security Manager or the Director of Human Resources. Every person will be held responsible for confirming beforehand that any potentially covered item in his/her possession is not prohibited by this policy.

Searches

The Library System reserves the right to conduct searches of items carried into library-owned or operated property for weapons, legally obtained or illegal chemicals which may be explosive in nature, and other substances or materials the possession of which would be illegal or illegal when carried into a public library. Pursuant to this provision, the Library System is authorized to search lockers, desks, files, storage, and file cabinets and any other library owned or provided container in which illegal items may be hidden. Additionally, the Library System may search a vehicle owned by the library and used by the employee at any time.  The policy is expressly giving notice that employees should not have an expectation of privacy.  

Searches may be conducted by management or library security at the request of management. To the extent the search is to be conducted by or at the request of library management and the employee is present, the employee may refuse the search, provided, however, that such refusal can result in disciplinary actions including termination of employment for refusal to cooperate. The Library System reserves the right to conduct searches on its property or authorize searches on its property without the employee being present.

Violations

Failure to abide by all terms and conditions of the policies described above, including the spirit as well as the letter of the law, may result in discipline including termination of employment. Further, carrying a weapon into a library building is a violation of this policy and may be considered an act of criminal trespass, may be grounds for immediate removal from the library property, and may result in prosecution.

2.         Violence in the Workplace

The Metropolitan Library System is committed to promoting a safe and secure work environment that promotes the achievement of its mission. Violence, threats of violence, intimidation, harassment, coercion, or other threatening behavior towards people or property will not be tolerated.

Workplace Violence Defined

Workplace violence is any behavior that is violent, threatens violence, coerces, harasses, or intimidates others, interferes with an individual’s legal rights of movement or expression, disrupts the workplace, or the Library System’s ability to provide services to the public. Examples of workplace violence include, but are not limited to:

• Disruptive behavior intended to disturb, interfere with, or prevent normal work activities (such as yelling, using profanity, verbally abusing others, or posturing of arms and fists in a combative fashion).
• Intentional physical contact for the purpose of causing harm (such as slapping, stabbing, punching, striking, shoving, or other physical attack).
• Menacing or threatening behavior (such as throwing objects, pounding on a desk or door, damaging property, stalking, or otherwise acting aggressively; or making oral or written statements specifically intended to frighten, coerce, or threaten) where a reasonable person would interpret such behavior as constituting evidence of intent to cause harm to individuals or property.

Violations:

Incidents of workplace violence, threats of workplace violence, or observations of workplace violence are not to be ignored by any staff member or volunteer of the Library System.