Code of Conduct

It is the mission of the Portsmouth Public Library to provide a quiet, comfortable, and safe environment so that all patrons may enjoy library facilities for study, research, individual reading, using computers, or attending library programs or meetings.

To this end, patrons at library facilities should be free from disturbance, distraction, or interruption. Each patron has a responsibility not to interfere with the peaceable use and enjoyment of library facilities by other patrons.

PROHIBITED CONDUCT

In order to fulfill this mission, the following types of conduct are prohibited in any library of the Portsmouth Public Library System:

• Possession, use, or distribution of illegal drugs.

• Possession, use, or distribution of alcoholic beverages.

• Being under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol.

• Making any sound or noise, or engaging in any conduct or physical activity, that is determined by library staff to be materially distracting and disruptive to other library patrons.

• Use of obscenity, profanity, threats, conduct, or language that insults any other library patron or library official.

• Being without shirts, shoes, and pants or skirts, or disrobing or changing clothes.

• Smelling of urine or feces.

• Use of restrooms for bathing.

• Assault, battery, or threat of unauthorized physical contact with another patron or a library official.

• Impeding access within a library, including without limitation stacks, aisles, stairs, and doorways.

• Fighting, rough housing, running, or throwing items.

• Eating, drinking, or spitting.

• Panhandling.

• Use of any tobacco products, including but not limited to smoking, chewing, rolling cigarettes, and filling pipes.

• Sleeping.

• Littering or discarding trash.

• Indecent exposure, engaging in obscene or sexually provocative conduct, or engaging in sexual activity.

• Wearing any mask, hat or hood that conceals the face, unless for bona fide religious reasons.

• Sexual harassment or sexual solicitation.

• Stalking, following, or staring in an intimidating manner which causes fear to any patron or library official.

• Damaging, stealing, vandalizing, defacing, misusing or destroying library property.

• Using cellular telephones.

• Using pagers which ring or buzz loudly enough to be audible by other patrons or library staff and using radios, tape recorders or CD players with external speakers.

• Violation of any posted computer protocols.

• Bringing animals into a library (except assistance animals).

• Possession of numerous or large items that are for personal use and are unrelated to use of library facilities.

• Unauthorized use or occupation of meeting rooms, children’s areas or nonpublic areas.

• Violation of any law of the Commonwealth of Virginia or the City of Portsmouth

UNATTENDED CHILDREN

• Children under the age of 12 may not be left unattended by an adult in a library at any time. Children between the ages of 12 and 15 may not be left unattended for more than three hours.

• If a child is left unattended in violation of this policy, library officials are authorized to contact the Department of Social Services to report the incident and request appropriate action under the circumstances.
   

Leaving a child unattended after being requested not to do so on a previous occasion is a violation of policy and may result in the parent or responsible adult losing his/her library card and privileges for up to ninety days.