Library Code of Conduct

This policy establishes guidelines and expectations regarding standards of conduct among the patrons of the Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library while in the Library and its immediate premises in order to ensure the highest standard of health and safety for all who use the Library.

General Rules

The following behaviors are prohibited on Library property:

Any behavior that is prohibited by law, including but not limited to:

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  • Sexual misconduct or harassment (e.g. unwanted physical contact, leering, sexual innuendoes, sexual propositions, acts of physical aggression)
  • Tobacco use on Library premises
  • Using the internet for unlawful purposes (e.g. all forms of pornography)
  • Theft or vandalism of Library property or items belonging to staff and/or other Library users
  • Unapproved entry in non-public areas of the Library (e.g. trespassing)
  • Being under the influence, possessing alcohol or drugs, selling or using drugs or alcoholic beverages
  • Unlawful possession of weapons
  • Brandishing of weapons, using weapons to threaten or intimidate others, or using weapons in an unsafe manner that could reasonably result in personal injury or property damage

Any activity that unreasonably interferes with others’ use and enjoyment of the Library, including but not limited to:

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  • Harassing, threatening, or intimidating patrons or staff
  • Loud or disruptive behavior which disturbs Library activities
  • Recording video or audio in a manner that disrupts library services or the ability of patrons to use the library
  • Disregard for bodily hygiene, or any scent so offensive as to constitute a nuisance to others
  • Improper dress, including lack of shoes, tops, and bottoms, while in the Library
  • Monopolizing/obstructing space or interfering with the free passage of staff or patrons in or on Library premises
  • Solicitation or other commercial activities inside the Library or on Library grounds unless it is associated with a Library or Friends of the Library-approved event
  • Use of electronic devices in a manner that is disruptive to others (e.g. mobile phones)
  • Sleeping, bathing, shaving, or washing clothes on the premises

  • Insufficient supervision of children

  • Using Library materials, equipment, fixtures, furniture, buildings, or grounds in any manner that is inconsistent with normal Library uses, can damage Library property or the property of others is likely to cause personal injury to one’s self or others
  • Disobeying the direction of a Library staff member and/or remaining on Library property when requested to leave

Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated as it may interfere with the legitimate Library business of other users or staff and may serve as grounds for removal from the Library.  The Library reserves the right to evict from Library premises and refuse further admission to any individuals, and/or groups who infringe upon the rights of Library staff or patrons in their proper use of Library facilities.  

Patrons who are behaving inappropriately or disruptively will be warned that the behavior must stop.  If the behavior is not immediately corrected, the person will be told to leave the premises. For serious violations, patrons may be asked to leave immediately. Anyone who does not leave after being told to do so, will be considered a trespasser and will be treated accordingly.  This may include asking the West Jefferson Police Department to intervene, if necessary. Habitual abusers of Library rules may be banned from the premises for a period determined by the Director.  A minor (anyone under 18 years of age) who creates chronic problems may be required to bring a responsible adult, who will remain with him or her in the Library.  

Solicitation

• The Library is considered a limited public forum and therefore provides access and use of designated Library spaces to the general public. However, that access and use are limited to Library purposes and approved activities.
• Restrictions and prohibitions to petitioners/solicitors apply to all paid and volunteer canvassers for candidates, partisan or non-partisan, and petitions to get issues on the ballot or those simply seeking support for a cause or issue. This policy is content-neutral and applies to all regardless of the candidate, issue, or cause.
• Petitioners/solicitors may offer literature to individuals but are prohibited from placing leaflets on vehicles in Library parking lots.
• Patron comfort and safety requires petitioners/solicitors to remain a minimum of fifteen (15) feet from Library entrances and exits to ensure safe ingress and egress into the library for patrons, deliveries, or emergency vehicles.
      
• Petitioners/solicitors may not block doorways, prevent patrons from getting in or out of cars, use abusive language or behave in any way which is harassing or intimidating. 
• Petitioners/solicitors must stay clear of traffic lanes and vehicular entrances.

Unattended Minors

The Library wishes to provide a safe environment for visitors of all ages; however, Library facilities are open to the public, which can present risks to children. Parents, caregivers, and group leaders need to be aware that staff cannot be responsible for the safety and security of unattended children. “Unattended” is understood to mean that:

• A child is out of view of the parent or caregiver and/or not actively engaged with the parent or caregiver.
• A child is alone at the Library without appropriate supervision.
• A child is dropped off at the Library without appropriate supervision.

Children under the age of 10 must be accompanied at all times by a parent or caregiver. Parents and caregivers must exercise their own judgment regarding whether to leave their children over the age of 9 unattended in the Library. The Library cannot monitor children who enter and leave the Library. Children who are disruptive may be asked to leave the Library. Parents and caregivers should only leave unattended children at the Library if they are capable of coming and going by themselves.

Children who become disruptive, have a security or safety issue, or endanger themselves or others anywhere on Library property will be asked to correct their behavior. If the behavior continues, the child will be asked to leave the Library as indicated by the eviction policy above.

Parents and caregivers are responsible for arranging transportation to and from the Library for unattended children. Transportation for these children should arrive prior to the closing time. If a child’s transportation has not arrived before closing time, the Library may call the police if the child expresses concern or if the Library staff member believes there is reason for concern.

If a child has been left at the Library at closing time, staff will attempt to contact the parent or caregiver. At least two staff members shall remain with the child. If the parent or caregiver cannot be reached within 15 minutes of closing the police will be called. If the police pick up a child after closing time, staff should place a note on the Library’s main doors indicating that the police have been called to assist with an unattended child. The note should not mention the name of the child but should include the date, time, the child’s age, and sex. Under no circumstances will staff take the child away from the Library.

Video Surveillance

In order to deter crime and to aid in protecting the safety of individuals and the property of the Library, the Library uses video surveillance equipment. Video surveillance is limited to areas that do not violate the reasonable expectation of privacy; such as areas of public usage, staff work areas, parking lots, and grounds. Targeted video surveillance is prohibited if such observation is based on the characteristics and classifications that would be considered discriminatory under the law (e.g., race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, etc.).

The Director, Coordinators, support staff, and authorized contractors are the only persons authorized to access the video surveillance system.

The Director will review all requests received by the Library to release recordings obtained through video surveillance. Video recordings and photos obtained through video surveillance will be released in accordance with applicable laws. Under exigent circumstances or in response to a search warrant or court order, recordings and photographs may be released to the police. Exigent circumstance is defined as an emergency situation requiring swift action to prevent imminent danger to life or serious damage to property or to forestall the imminent escape of a suspect, or destruction of evidence. No release of video recordings or images will occur without prior authorization by the Director or his/her designee.

Requests for recordings and photographs which show identifiable persons, identifiable Library materials in the possession of a patron, or identifiable requests or other readable communication from a patron to a Library employee shall be evaluated prior to any release outside the Library, under the Library’s confidentiality policies or state laws.

The recorded video will be saved no longer than the memory of the system allows and will then be automatically erased unless retained as part of a criminal investigation or court proceedings (criminal or civil), or other bona fide use as approved by the Director.

Video footage or images retained as part of a criminal investigation or court proceedings will be stored in a secure location by the information technology personnel.

Meeting Room Policy

Use of Community Room and Quiet Study Room:

Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library has a Community Room and a Quiet Study Room. These rooms are intended primarily for Library-related activities such as story times, film programs, book reviews, staff meetings and training, discussion groups, and other events sponsored by the Library and intended to encourage the use of Library materials and services. When these rooms are not needed for Library-related activities, they are made available to non-profit community groups.  Additionally, private or public corporations, organizations, or businesses may book various meeting rooms on a fee basis. In all cases, the use of the rooms must be in accordance with the meeting room policy adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library.

Library meeting rooms are available under the following conditions:

• Free use of meeting facilities at the Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library is limited to educational, cultural, civic, social, political, religious, professional, or other non-profit organizations. These meetings must be open to the public.
• Meeting rooms may be used by private or public corporations, organizations, or businesses, for a fee of $50.00 for the Community Room and $25.00 for the Quiet Study Room.  This fee may be waived if there is a benefit to the community at large such as a job fair.  These meetings are NOT open to the public.
• Parties, weddings, or showers of any kind are prohibited.
• Library meeting rooms are available during regular Library business hours.
• The Library may permit presenters at Library-sponsored programs to sell merchandise related to the subject or activity of their programs. The Library will grant this permission either to reduce the cost of the program to the Library or to raise funds for the Friends group.
• Special room arrangements may be requested, but cannot be guaranteed.
• The Library does not provide equipment for meetings.  The Library cannot provide technical support or operators nor can it assume any responsibility for non-Library equipment.
• The Library prohibits:

-the use of any open flame

-the use of deep-fat fryers

-propping open the outside doors or windows

-alcohol, tobacco, or controlled substances.

• All publicity by the organization or business about the meeting must state clearly that the Library is merely the site of the meeting and not its sponsor. Additionally, any use of the Library’s logo is expressly prohibited. The agreement with the Library to make meeting room space available does not imply that the Library either advocates or endorses the viewpoints expressed in the meeting, or by meeting sponsors or speakers. If the organization or business engages speakers to address the meeting, the organization is responsible for all arrangements regarding the speaker.
• All meetings must be conducted in an orderly manner and in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth in the Library Code of Conduct and the Community Room Reservation Agreement.
• Meetings or events held in the Community Room must not disturb normal library operations
• The Library will develop rules and regulations for the use of the meeting rooms based on its experience with the use of the space by groups in its community. These rules will determine the frequency of use and number of advance bookings that may be made by an individual group; consequently, rules and regulations may vary between agencies.
• As indicated earlier, Library meeting rooms are made available to outside groups only when they are not needed for Library purposes. On the rare occasion that the Library finds it must use its space unexpectedly for its own purposes, even though a community group has reserved it, the Library will make every effort to provide the group with alternate space or an alternate meeting time in Library space. In reserving a Library meeting room, an organization assumes the risk that the Library may need to preempt the space for its own purposes.

This policy does not restrict the Library, however, from engaging commercial or professional resource people as speakers in Library-developed and sponsored programs nor does it prohibit the Library or its affiliated groups such as the Friends of the Library from using meeting rooms for book sales and other fund-raising events, the purpose of which is to support the needs and mission of the Library.

The Library reserves the right to deny the use of the meeting room to any group that does not meet the above criteria or that violates the policies for the use of the room.

In order to use the room, a responsible individual must fill out a Community Room Reservation Agreement.  These forms are considered public records.  The name of the group or individual using a meeting room may be released if there is a public records request.  However, contact information is considered confidential.  Therefore, if an individual or organization wants their contact information released upon request, it must be marked on the agreement.

The Library Board of Trustees authorizes the Library staff to implement this policy, but it reserves the right to review any or all agreements for the use of the Community Room and shall have final authority to grant or refuse permission for use of the Community Room if the implementation of this policy is questioned. The Board of Library Trustees reserves the right to amend this policy at any time.

The signed agreement form assigns responsibility for loss or damages to the room or other library property to the signatory of the application. The signature also denotes that the group and designated responsible individual agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library Board of Trustees and members, employees, and agents from any claims and liability arising out of or related to the use of the facilities.

Board Approved 8/8/2023

The Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library website is provided for information purposes only. Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library collects no personal information from website visitors. Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library uses cookies to collect traffic data for analysis, and Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library uses Google Analytics to track general use, but does not track or permanently record information about individuals and their visits. While the information contained within the website is periodically updated, no guarantee is given that the information provided in the website is correct, complete, and up-to-date. Through the website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. All users of the website agree to hold Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library harmless from any and all claims, losses, damages, obligations or liabilities, directly or indirectly relating to the website and/or the networked information available via the website, caused thereby or arising therefrom. In no event shall Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library have any liability for lost profits or for indirect, special, punitive, or consequential damages or any liability to any third party, even if Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library is advised of the possibility of such damages.

Public Records Policy

Introduction:

It is the policy of the Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library to adhere to the state’s Public Records Act (ORC 149.43). Ohio Revised Code Section 149.43 generally provides that all public records be promptly prepared and made available for inspection to any person at all reasonable times during regular business hours. Any denial of public records in response to a valid request must be accompanied by an explanation, including legal authority as outlined in the Ohio Revised Code.

Records Commission:

A Records Commission of the Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library will be composed of the Fiscal Officer, Director, and Board of Trustees. This Commission shall meet annually for the purpose of approving records to be destroyed. The Fiscal Officer shall prepare the list of records to be destroyed and present it for approval to the Board of Trustees at the board meeting following the Records Commission’s annual meeting. A file maintained by the Fiscal Officer will serve as the official record of all actions taken by the Records Commission. This file shall contain all disposal lists and approvals. The file shall be an official record of the Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library Board of Trustees. In all cases, the Ohio Historical Society – State Archives – Local Governmental Records Program will receive an RC-1 or RC-3 (Certificate of Records Disposal) as needed before any records are disposed of, transferred, or destroyed.

Section 1. Public Records

In accordance with the Ohio Revised Code and applicable judicial decisions, records are defined as any item that (i) contains information stored on a fixed medium (such as paper, electronic-including but not limited to e-mail- and other formats); (ii) is created or received by, or sent under the jurisdiction of a public office; and (iii) documents the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the office. Public records are to be open to the public at all reasonable times with exceptions only as provided for in the law.

Section 1.1

As required by Ohio law, records will be organized and maintained so that they are readily available at all reasonable times for inspection and copying. (See Section 4 for the e-mail record policy). Record retention schedules are to be updated as needed and be readily available to the public. A poster describing the Library’s Public Records Policy is to be displayed conspicuously at all branch locations.

Section 1.2

By law, certain information including employee medical records, social security numbers, employee home addresses, and other information are not subject to disclosure. Requesters will be advised if any redactions are made. Any questions as to the exempt status of any record will be submitted to the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office. In such cases where a request is denied, the requester will be provided with a written explanation as to why the request was disallowed, including legal authority.

Section 2. Record Requests

Each request for public records should be evaluated for a response using the following guidelines: Requests should be addressed by the Director, or in the Director’s absence another member of the Administration staff.  By law, an individual is not required to make a public records request in writing.  If the requestor does not make a request in writing, the staff member receiving the request should attempt to accurately convey the request to the Director.   PRIOR to any request for an individual to make a request in writing, the individual MUST be informed that by law, they are not required to make the request in writing.

Section 2.1

Although no specific language is required to make a request, the requester must at least identify the records requested with sufficient clarity to allow the Library to identify, retrieve, and review the records. If it is not clear what records are being sought, the records custodian must contact the requester for clarification and should assist the requester in revising the request, informing the requester of the manner in which the office keeps its records.

Section 2.2

The requester does not have to put a records request in writing and does not have to provide his or her identity or the intended use of the requested public record. Staff members receiving the public records request should not ask for such information.   If a written request or disclosure of identity or intended use would benefit the requester by assisting the individual providing the records to identify, locate, or deliver the public records that have been requested, the individual providing the records may ask for such information.  PRIOR to asking for such information, the requester must be informed that a written request is not required and that they may decline to reveal their identity or intended use.

The individual may request copies in a specific format.  The Library will comply with this if possible.  If the request is to “view” or inspect the records (rather than receive a copy of them) the records are not permitted to leave library premises and will be viewed in the presence of an authorized staff member.

Section 2.3

Public records are to be available for inspection during regular business hours. Public records responsive to the request must be made available for inspection promptly. Copies of public records must be made available within a reasonable period of time. “Prompt” and “reasonable” take into account the volume of records requested, the proximity of the location where the records are stored, and the necessity for any legal review of the records requested.

Section 2.4

Each request should be evaluated for an estimated length of time required to gather the records.

Section 2.5

Any denial (in whole or in part) of public records requested must include an explanation, including legal authority. If portions of a record are public and portions are exempt, the exempt portions are to be redacted and the remainder released. An explanation of the redaction and legal authority supporting this will be provided in writing.

Section 3. Costs for Public Records

Those seeking public records will be charged only the actual cost of making copies.  The charge for paper copies is $.10 per page.

Section 3.1

Requesters may ask that the documents be mailed or delivered to them. They will be charged in advance for the actual cost of postage and mailing supplies or delivery fees.

Section 4. E-mail

E-mail is to be treated in the same fashion as records in other formats and should follow the same retention schedule.

Section 4.1

All employees or representatives of the Library are instructed to retain their e-mails that are related to public business and to store them in accordance with the Records Retention Schedule.

Section 5.

This policy and associated procedures will be posted on the Library’s website and information regarding the policy will be displayed in conspicuous places within the library.