The Palo Alto City Library welcomes all individuals to use and enjoy our facilities and services. To help uphold our service values, the Library maintains established policies supporting Intellectual Freedom and the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read principles.

Our Patron Code of Conduct supports the Library’s mission and principles by ensuring a clean, respectful, and safe environment for all users and staff of the library, regardless of identity, beliefs, associations, or status. Illegal conduct or behavior that threatens or interferes with the Library’s mission is prohibited under our Patron Code of Conduct.

Individuals using library facilities and services must comply with all policies and with directions from staff. Library staff interpret, uphold, and enforce policies as necessary. Failure to comply with library policies and/or staff instructions may result in temporary or long-term suspension of library privileges, including access to library facilities. The Palo Alto City Library welcomes all individuals to use and enjoy our facilities and services.

Prohibited Activities

• All conduct or activities that are illegal under local, state, or federal law are prohibited in the library.
• Bringing firearms, weapons, or other weapons into the Library in violation of California Penal Code 171b, which prohibits bringing weapons including firearms, knives with blade length in excess of four inches, stun guns/tasers, tear gas, and other metallic projectile instruments into any state or local public buildings, including public libraries. (Exemptions from this prohibition are recognized for Law Enforcement).
• Activities or behavior that may result in injury or harm to any library patron or staff member.
• Verbal abuse or harassment of library staff or other patrons. Verbal abuse and harassment is prohibited when conducted inside library facilities, within the grounds of
  library facilities, and through communication channels such as phone, email, social media, or other digital platforms.
• Engaging in or soliciting any sexual activities, including, but not limited to, unwanted or inappropriate touching, unwanted or inappropriate advances including offensive staring, harassment, or indecent exposure.
• Destruction, damage, defacing, altering, or soiling of library property, furniture, equipment, or materials.
• Using the library while barefoot, shirtless or without outer clothing and footwear.
• Exuding offensive, pervasive, and persistent odors, including odors caused by perfume or other scented products and/or smoke, so as to constitute a nuisance that unreasonably interferes with others’ enjoyment of the library.
• Placing feet on furniture, with the exception of designated footrests or step stools.
• Bringing animals into the library, with the exception of service animals in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Interfering with or preventing access to library resources or facilities, including but not limited to:

• • Physically blocking or impeding access or passageways,
  • Monopolizing spaces or furniture,
  • Leaving personal belongings unattended,
  • Adults unaccompanied by children occupying designated areas designated for children or teens.
  • Sleeping. As a safety check, Library staff may attempt to wake patrons who appear to be unconscious or asleep.
  • Conducting any activities that interfere with the patron experience in the library, such as business solicitation, or unwanted pamphleteering, advocacy, etc. Please see our Policy on Posting of Distribution of Materials for additional related information.

Noise and Disruptions in the Library

The Library does not require visitors to whisper or refrain from speaking at conversational volume if needed. But Library patrons should make a reasonable attempt to minimize noise that would cause a disturbance to others in the library. Conversations, activities, or sounds from devices should be kept at a level that does not pose undue disturbance to others. Loud, lengthy, or full-volume phone conversations should be taken outside the building. Library staff reserve the right to request modification to noise levels if there is a reasonable complaint or if staff deem noise levels to be inappropriate. Failure to comply with staff requests would constitute a violation of our Patron Code of Conduct.

Children in the Library

Children are welcome and important patrons of the library and have the right to enjoy its resources and facilities. Library staff cannot supervise or monitor children. Parents or guardians of children are responsible for the behavior of children while in the library and their use of its resources. Children and their caregivers should make reasonable attempts to comply with the Library’s policy on noise. See our Children in the Library policy for more information, including
the Library’s policies for unattended children.

Computer Use in the Library

The Library maintains policies for access and use of its computers and internet in the building. The Library maintains daily session limits to ensure equitable access to computers to all patrons. Patrons using the Library’s public computer terminals agree to the user agreement and the Library’s Internet Public Use policy. Patrons must not use the computers in a way that creates visual or audible impacts to other library patrons to the extent they cannot reasonably use adjacent facilities. Food or drinks are not allowed at public computer terminals.

Enforcement of Patron Code of Conduct

Library staff reserve the right to require an individual to leave the library for violating policies and/or for refusing to comply with staff requests to modify behaviors that are in violation of our policies. Library staff reserve the right to contact the Palo Alto Police Department to assist with removal if the individual violating the Patron Code of Conduct refuses to leave. Repeated and ongoing violations may result in longer term loss of library privileges, including extended suspensions ranging from one week to a permanent ban.

Individuals who are suspended from using the Library are required to meet with the Library Director or their designee before returning to the Library to review the terms of returning to the Library, including the implementing of further suspension if the individual continues to violate
policy after their return.

In order to be fair and equitable in the application of library policies, upon determining that a patron has failed to comply with this code of conduct or another library policy library staff shall follow the following procedures.

In the event of a first-time, minor infraction, staff may:

1. Ask the patron to stop the prohibited behavior;
and/or
2. Warn the patron that he/she may be required to leave the library for the day if
prohibited behavior does not stop;
or
3. Suspend the patron’s library privileges for the remainder of the day.

• • Any patron displaying dangerous, destructive, illegal, or threatening conduct may have his or her library privileges suspended immediately and without a
    warning.
  • If the customer refuses to leave, the Police Department may be called for assistance.
  • If the safety of staff or customers is endangered or a crime is in progress, staff will immediately call the police.

In the event of a severe infraction or repeated behavior in violation of library policies, staff may recommend that a patron be suspended for more than one day. Depending on the severity of the conduct, extended suspensions may range from one-week to a permanent ban.

In the event of an extended suspension:

• An incident report will be prepared and may include staff’s recommendation that the patron’s library privileges be suspended at one or more branches.
• The Library Director or his or her designee shall determine whether an extended suspension is warranted and issue a letter to the patron informing him or her of the
  grounds for the suspension.
• In the case of a minor (under the age of 18), the library will attempt to notify the parent or guardian and provide the parent or guardian with a copy of the suspension letter.
• A patron may appeal an extended suspension in writing within seven (7) days of receipt of the suspension letter. Appeals will be reviewed by the Hearing Officer within thirty (30) days thereafter, during which time the suspension will remain in effect. The Hearing Officer’s decision is final.\
• Any patron who violates the suspension by entering a library facility while the suspension is in effect will be asked to immediately leave the building and will be automatically suspended for one (1) additional month from the date on which their suspension was scheduled to end.

Approved by: Gayathri Kanth, Library Director (Date: July 2025)
Approved as to form: Madeline Salah, Deputy City Attorney