The Procedures Committee for AL 320 Rules of Conduct proposes replacing the current procedures with the following text. We look forward to hearing your feedback.  

Proposed New Procedures

To provide an atmosphere that is conducive to the appropriate use of the library’s facilities and services, these procedures provide staff with a means to address the behaviors of members and other visitors that do not comply with the Rules of Conduct.

Illegal Acts

If the unacceptable conduct is reasonably considered by staff or security to constitute a violation of criminal law or the City municipal code, police assistance may be requested immediately.

Responding to Disruptive Conduct

Normally, disruptive conduct is identified by library staff or security personnel or through a member report. Library staff and security personnel will apply the Rules of Conduct in a fair and reasonable manner with the goal of providing a path for the member to correct their behavior and continue to use library services.

While most incidents will be addressed by starting with Step I – Inform, staff has the authority to begin at the Step appropriate to the level of the violation.

Step I – Inform

1. To ensure that members and guests are aware of behavior expectations, staff and security will first inform individuals of the library’s Rules of Conduct when a violation is recognized.  

Step II – Warn

1. When a member is aware of the Rules of Conduct and does not comply, the member will be warned that behavior needs to be corrected to continue use of services. For incidents involving a juvenile, staff may contact a parent or guardian as part of Step II.
2. Staff and/or security will document the incident. Staff is authorized to request identification of a member who violates library policy.

Step III – Evict for the Day

1. If a member fails to comply with library policy after being warned within the past month, staff or security will direct the member to leave the library building and grounds for the remainder of the day.
2. If the member does not comply with an order to leave the premises or returns after eviction, staff or security will request assistance of the local authorities to escort the member from the premises. 
3. Staff and/or security will document the incident for manager review.

Step IV– Suspend Local Library Privileges

1. For repeated incidents of disruptive conduct at the same location, the manager will suspend the member’s library privileges for a period from 30 days to six months depending on the nature of the violation. 
2. If the member violates the terms of the suspension, staff or security will request assistance of the local authorities to remove the member from the premises for trespassing.
3. As an alternative to suspension of a juvenile, the manager may restrict a juvenile from independent use of a specified library for a period from 30 days to six months. The juvenile whose library use is restricted may use the library during the specified period when accompanied by a responsible parent or guardian. The juvenile’s parent or guardian will be notified via certified mail of any restriction greater than one day. Failure to abide by the restriction may lead to suspending the juvenile from local library services.
4. The library manager will document the incident for senior manager review. The senior manager is responsible for communicating Step IV incidents to all relevant departments.

Step V– Bar All Library Privileges System Wide

1. Only the Executive Director or his/her designee may bar a member from all library privileges system wide. 
2. When member behavior has escalated beyond Step IV, a library manager in agreement with a senior manager will make a recommendation to bar the member from all library privileges system wide for a time deemed appropriate by the Executive Director or his/her designee.
3. Appropriate legal action will be pursued at the discretion of the executive director or his/her designee.

Guidelines for Handling Unattended Items

To ensure a consistent experience for members visiting more than one library, the following guidelines are recommended for handling items that are left unattended:

• Valuable items such as electronics (phones, game systems, laptops/tablets and accessories) or items containing personal information (wallets, purses or similar) will be held in a secure location for at least 48 hours and then turned over to the local authorities.   
• Fabric items or anything that could be at risk of infestation (clothing, bags, bedrolls, blankets) will be sealed in plastic bags and kept for at least two weeks and then disposed of at the discretion of the location. Items that are clearly infested with bugs, offensive in odor or could reasonably spoil or mold or pose a health-related exposure will be bagged and disposed of immediately. 
• Items that do not fall within the prior two descriptions and are not a danger for pests will be kept for at least 2 weeks and then disposed of at the discretion of the location.  

Guidelines for Food and Drink in the Library

Food and drink is to be addressed when it results in a disruption of library services and will follow the same procedures as any other Rules of Conduct violation.