Courthouse libraries are for library users to conduct legal research and access legal information. Library users expect courthouse libraries to be clean, comfortable, and safe places to work. Library users are expected to behave in a responsible and courteous manner and use library resources for legal information purposes.
This Library Use Protocol is to protect the rights and safety of everyone who uses a courthouse library funded by LiRN, and to preserve and protect the libraries’ materials, equipment and facilities. Staff will enforce these protocols in a fair and reasonable manner.
Library staff reserves the right to set time limits on the use of library equipment and/or resources. At the discretion of staff, library users whose actions violate the protocols may be asked to leave the library, may be removed by courthouse security and/or may have library privileges suspended.
Library Users Should:
- Be courteous toward other library users and library staff.
- Abide by all borrowing policies set by the County or District Law Association operating the library, including deadlines for returning materials.
- Abide by all policies set by the County or District Law Association operating the library regarding time limits on materials or equipment.
- Respect copyright law and licensing of programs and data.
- Exit the library at closing, during emergency evacuations such as fire alarms, and whenever requested to leave by library staff or courthouse personnel.
- Comply with requests from staff.
Library Users Should Not:
- Engage in violent, threatening, abusive, discriminatory or harassing language or conduct of any kind, including behaviour that is unreasonably distracting or impedes the ability of staff or library users to use the library for its intended purposes.
- Come into the library if sick.
- Remove materials without permission.
- Damage, deface, alter or destroy library resources, including books, furniture, equipment, software, hardware or data.
- Enter any unauthorized areas without permission.
- Disturb other library users.
- Leave personal possessions or valuables unattended.
- Eat or drink while using library computers.
- Bring in animals, other than guide or service animals.
- Solicit, canvass, sell or distribute circulars or other articles.
- Use the library resources for illegal, actionable, or criminal purposes, including using the Internet:
- For any purpose that violates the law, including obscenity, child pornography, sedition and the incitement of hate, or in any manner that disrupts or interferes with other individuals, including displaying or sending graphics which may be reasonably interpreted as offensive.
- To gain unauthorized access to resources or entities, invade the privacy of individuals, or represent themselves as other users.
- To engage in the widespread dissemination of unsolicited and unauthorized electronic communications.
- Library computers may not be used for personal or recreational purposes, including streaming video or audio.