Introduction
The public library's purpose is to welcome and serve all individuals and groups who wish to use appropriately its materials and facilities. The Code of Conduct is not meant to restrict library use or to deny library services and facilities to people who need them. Instead, the Code defines major public library services which citizens should be able to use and the staff should be able to provide in a safe, pleasant environment without harassment or interference.

Services Provided by Some or All Stanly County Public Libraries, According to Written Policies and Procedures

1. Books and related materials for reading and study within the library buildings, and the lending of some of these materials for use outside of the buildings.
   
2. Information and reference services to people of all ages in person or by telephone.
   
3. Conference rooms when scheduled in advance to educational, cultural, civic, and governmental agencies.
   
4. Exhibits and displays which are approved and scheduled with library personnel.
   
5. Library tours and programs for educational, cultural, and entertainment purposes.
   

To the End of Providing a Suitable Environment for Use of the Libraries, These Forms of Conduct are not Permitted in the Libraries or on Library Property:

1. Conversations which disturb or interrupt readers in reading/study areas.
   
2. Blocking or interfering with the free movement of individuals.
   
3. Sitting at tables beyond the limit of chairs normally assigned to that table.
   
4. Sitting, standing, or lying on tables, stacks, or stair steps inside library buildings.
   
5. Unauthorized or unscheduled group meetings.
   
6. Smoking in the library buildings.
   
7. Food and beverages brought into and used in public areas of library buildings.
   
8. Loitering or sleeping.
   
9. Animals in library buildings except seeing-eye dogs.
   
10. Listening to radios, recordings, or cassettes except with earphones.
    
11. Sexual activity, solicitation, and harassment of staff and patrons in the library buildings or on library grounds.
    
12. Consumption or exchange of alcoholic beverages and drugs on library property.
    
13. Use of rest rooms for meetings, loitering, solicitation for immoral purposes, consumption or exchange of drugs and alcoholic beverages.
    
14. Solicitation of money, selling of any kind (except sales of public library material by library staff or Friends Association as authorized by the library), or distribution of literature not approved by the library administration.
    
15. Use of library telephones by anyone other than library personnel unless use is approved by an employee. There is a phone for public use in the entrance way of the library on which local calls may be placed.
    
16. Entry to non-public areas except by invitation or approval of library personnel.
    
17. Theft, mutilation, and defacement of library property.
    
18. Threats, abuse, and/or physical harm to library patrons or employees.
    
19. Taking library property outside library buildings without authorization by library personnel through established lending procedures.
    
20. Other activities which are illegal or which prevent staff and patrons from using library services, furniture, facilities, and materials for their intended purposes.
    
21. Use of elevator except by library personnel.
    
22. Automobiles parked on library property when the driver is not using the library.
    
23. Bearing unauthorized firearms or other lethal weapons.
    
24. Bringing bicycles up the ramp of the library building.
    
25. Skateboards, roller skates, and rollerblades are prohibited on library property.
    
    

Persons who take any of the above actions will first be asked to cease by library personnel. After being warned by library personnel, violators will be asked to leave the public library premises. Persons who persist in disapproved conduct or who refuse to leave the public library buildings and grounds will be considered as trespassers and will, be subject to arrest. The Police Department will be contacted by library staff for assistance whenever necessary.

(Amended June 10, 1993)

Authority

• All publicity materials placed on library property must be approved by the Information Services Librarian. Branch Supervisors and the Bookmobile Supervisor will have authority over displays in the branches and the bookmobile respectively, provided the displays conform with this policy.
  

Priorities

• Priority will be given to the Library's own announcements and materials.
  
• Announcements and materials from other units of government will have priority before those of non-government units.
  

Location and Size

• The display of materials will depend upon the amount of space available in assigned areas.
  
• No materials will be placed on Library windows or doors.
  
• Non-Library materials must be within size limits set by the Library.
  

Time Periods

• All materials will be marked with the date of receipt.
  
• Materials will be displayed for a two week period from the time received, and will then be taken down.
  
• Materials of a general nature may be displayed for a one-month period from the time received.
  

Restrictions

Materials will not be displayed on Library property if they are advertisements for commercial products or establishments.

Definitions

• Publicity materials are understood to be flyers, brochures, pamphlets, or posters advertising any service, product, or activity.
  
• Assigned areas are those areas normally provided for the display of materials such as display stands, countertops, tables, and kiosks. Other areas may be used at the discretion of the authorizing librarian.
  
• The size limit for non-Library materials as of May 6, 1981 is 14 inches by 22 inches.
  

(Adopted May 7, 1982;
Amended June 10, 1993)

All computers within the SCPL inventory and in general use by staff or public will have one of the following designations applied: Comprehensive, Basic, or Limited.

1. "Comprehensive" indicates a high-end, network ready computer, capable of performing an extensive variety of applications- including multimedia and Internet access- within a graphic operating environment.
   

2. "Basic" indicates a mid-range, network ready computer, capable of performing a variety of select applications- including adequate multimedia and/or Internet access performance- within a graphic operating environment.
   

3. "Limited" indicates a low-end computer adequate for performing a few select applications- ideally but not necessarily within a graphic operating environment.
   

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• All computer printers within the SCPL inventory and in general use be staff of public will have one of the following designations applied: Network Capable or Non-Network Capable. (A secondary designation, reflecting the required quality of output [i.e., laser, ink jet, dot matrix, and colour], may also be applied).
  
• All other computer equipment (i.e., scanners, communication servers, automated system file servers, etc. will be designated Unique and not fall within the bounds of this policy).
  
• New computer equipment will be assigned a designation at the time of purchase; assignment of a designation to donated or surplus equipment will be done at the discretion of the Director and Head of Technical Services prior to installation of the equipment.
  
• New computer equipment will meet or exceed the minimum standards established by the North Carolina State Library and the County of Stanly, North Carolina, regarding such purchases.
  
• The acquisition and utilization of all equipment will be designed to further the implementation of the overall SCPL Technology Plan.
  
• Computers that are to be fixed as being Comprehensive shall include those used by the Library Director, Library Administrative Assistant, Head of Extension, Head of Reference/Circulation, Head of Technical Services, and Head of Youth Services. The Branch Internet computers, as well as fifty percent of the computers used by the public for Internet access at the Main Library, will also be designated.
  
• Remaining staff and public Internet access computers will generally be designated as Basic.
  
• All other public computers will generally receive the low-end designation of Limited.
  
• It is the intent of SCPL to replace one quarter of Comprehensive machines annually. This will provide for a replacement cycle of some four years for current inventory.
  
• As existing Comprehensive machines are replaced, their designation will be appropriately downgraded and they will then be reallocated to less intensive use within the library. Said reallocation(s) should have the effect of removing the lowest-end machine from general staff and public use.
  
• Surplus Limited machines should be kept on site or otherwise available for use as replacements for the automated system's dumb terminals and/or other emergency use.
  
• Purchase of new computer printers or other equipment will be done on an as needed bases; existing equipment will nonetheless be similarly recycled when possible for less intensive, less exacting use.
  
• All newly purchased computer printers should be network capable, designed to reduce the use of stand-alone machines.
  
• Upgrades and extensive repairs will be considered on a case-by-case basis and as practicality and/or economic feasibility allow.
  
• This policy will be reviewed annually by the Director and the Head of Technical Services.
  
• This policy will not take effect until it is adopted by the Stanly County Public Library Board of Trustees.
  
• Policy approved and adopted by the Stanly County Public Library Board of Trustees on October 21, 1998.
  

(According to the Stanly County Public Library Code of Conduct, persons who violate the Code of Conduct will be asked to cease by library personnel. After being warned, if behavior persists, then the violator will be asked to leave the premises. Persons who continue to violate the Code of Conduct will then be considered trespassers and will be subject to arrest).

If a person exhibits behavior that violates the Code of Conduct and constitutes a threat to other library patrons or library staff, then the library can ban a patron from the library premises by following the procedures outlined below:

1. The Library Director has the authority to ban from the library premises for a period of six months any individual whose behavior is a sufficient threat to the ability of the library to operate in a safe manner or whose behavior prevents staff and/or patrons from using the library services, furniture, facilities and materials for their intended purposes. If the patron facing exclusion is under the age of sixteen (16), then banning will not occur until the person's parent(s) or guradian is notified.
   
   
2. If the individual who has been banned wishes to appeal this decision, then the notification must be made in writing to the Library Director within ten (10) days from the date of the exclusion. The appeal will be heard at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Trustees. Trustees will decide by a majority vote to uphold the exclusion if the behavior is a sufficient threat to the ability of the library to operate in a safe manner or if the behavior prevents staff and patrons from using the library services, furniture, facilities and materials for their intended use. The ban will be in effect until this vote is taken.
   
   
3. Trustees will instruct the Library Director to contact the person making such an appeal by letter and inform him of the decision of the Board.
   
   
4. If an individual who has been excluded attempts to return to the library premises, such an act will be considered trespassing and the police will be called to remove the person from the library premises.
   

(Approved by Library Board of Trustees 1/10/96)

The Stanly County Public Library appreciates the many gifts which are donated each year. The library accepts gifts and donations with the following conditions:

• The Library accepts gifts of materials, but reserves the right to evaluate and dispose of them in accordance with the criteria applied to purchased materials. Materials may be disposed of without notifying the donor if later examination indicates that the library cannot use it.
  
  
• Gifts of a more specific nature, such as works of art, furniture, equipment, special collections and real property, shall be referred to the Library Director for acceptance in consultation with the Board of Trustees. When funds are donated for specific purposes, the amount and nature of the expenditure must be approved in advance if not in accordance with the Library's current programs and policies.
  
  
• Any gift accepted by the Library is subject to the following two conditions:
  
  
  The Library retains unconditional ownership of the gift; and
  

  The Library makes the final decision on the use of gift or any disposition
  

  of the gift.
  
  

  Requests to have materials housed temporarily in the library, i.e. materials that are not outright gifts, will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Generally speaking, such requests will not be honored unless their benefit to the community as determined by the Library Director outweighs the extraordinary administrative procedures required to service them and they cannot be reasonably made available to the community through any other source.
  

(Approved by the Library Board of Trustees on October 19, 2000)

Definition

• Through OCLC, an interlibrary loan network, Stanly County Public Library may borrow materials from and lend materials to other libraries across the country.
  

Criteria

• Stanly County Public Library lends to other OCLC participating libraries all but the following types of materials: current best sellers, new items (materials entered within the past six months), reference and Heritage Room materials, non-print media.
  
• A Stanly County Public Library card in good standing is required to request materials to borrow through interlibrary loan (ILL).
  
• A patron agrees to handle interlibrary loan materials responsibly, taking care not to damage or alter the materials in any way.
  
• The Stanly County Public Library Staff can rescind interlibrary loan privileges in the event that damage or failure to return materials jeopardizes the library's agreements with member libraries.

Additional Notes

• All ILL materials must be picked up from and returned to the circulation desk at the main library in Albemarle.
• ILL materials may not be renewed.
• Overdue fines are $1.00 per day.
• A fee of $30.00, plus the cost of the material, will be charged in the event an ILL item is lost or damaged. Other charges may be added if required by the lending library.
• No more than three ILL items per patron may be requested at any one time.

(Adopted by the Stanly County Public Library Board of Trustees Sept 19, 2001)