Patron Code of Conduct
Approved: April 20, 2016
Revised: July 15, 2020
Revised: July 21, 2021 Dec. 13
Revised: 2023 Feb. 19, 2025
Revised: May, 21, 2025
Revised: Nov. 19, 2025
The Troy-Miami County Public Library seeks to a provide a secure and supportive environment for use of its resources and services. To achieve this, the library has established standards of behavior to protect the rights and safety of patrons and staff and to preserve and protect the library’s materials, equipment, facilities, and grounds. Conduct that violates the safety of others, threatens to damage premises or disrupts the use by others of any library area under library control is prohibited. Actions of a person that present an imminent danger to the life or safety of others in the library is prohibited.
Definition & Scope
The Patron Code of Conduct applies to all persons using Library facilities, interior and exterior, controlled and operated by Troy-Miami County Public Library. Such facilities and grounds are referred to in this document as “premises.” Persons who violate this policy may be asked to leave the premises and may be suspended from all Library premises for the periods listed on the chart below.
Inappropriate Behavior
For the safety and comfort of all, patrons should comply with staff requests. Refusal to comply with staff requests will result in removal from the library.
Inappropriate behavior includes but is not limited to the following situations:
Behave in a way that damages, disturbs, or defaces the library’s materials, equipment, facilities, and premises. This includes but is not limited to:
- Attempting to steal—or stealing—library property or property of another library user.
- Destroying or defacing any library property or premises.
- Failing to dispose of trash in proper receptacles.
- Bringing alcohol, weapons, or drugs into library facilities or onto library premises.
- Fighting, challenging someone to a fight, physical abuse or assault.
Engaging in any activity prohibited by local, state, and federal laws or library policy. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Possessing anything unsafe, including firearms or weapons. A weapon is defined as a handgun, rifle, knife, and/or any other object whose purpose or use is to inflict physical harm to another individual.
- Be under the influence, consume, or possess alcohol or illegal substances.
- Panhandling, gambling, or soliciting for sales or charity inside library buildings or on library premises.
- Engaging in or soliciting any sexual act. Indecent exposure.
- Bringing animals into the library other than service animals necessary for those with disabilities
Disturbing the staff or other library users or disrupting the legitimate use of the library by others. This can include but is not limited to:
- Conduct that disrupts or interferes with the normal operation of the Library including, but not limited to: loud voices, or use of personal electronic equipment (laptops, cellular devices, etc.) at a volume that disturbs others, use of profane, obscene, abusive language, which may reasonably create an intimidating or hostile environment, running or walking in an unsafe or disruptive manner
- Viewing sexually explicit images on the internet or violating the library’s Internet Use Policy
- Sleeping. This includes overnight in the park.
- Improper petitioning and distributing non-Library approved materials on Library premises, including interior spaces, parking lots, and sidewalks or other exterior areas that are under Library control.
- Congregating inside library buildings or on library premises in a manner which obstructs access or interferes with others’ use of the library.
- Using personal transportation items such as rollerblades, skateboards, roller skates or similar devices inside the library.
- Blocking aisles or other spaces with personal items.
Disturbing others with conduct related to health and hygiene. This could include, but is not limited to:
- Significant body odor or other excessive odors
- Visible presence of pests on person, belongings, or library materials.
- Entering library wearing improper attire, including, but not limited to: no shoes or no shirt.
- Smoking or using tobacco products or vapes inside library buildings, on library premises, on any area under library control, or within 25 feet of building entrances or operable windows.
For the Safety and Comfort of All
- Do not leave personal items unattended in library buildings or on library premises. Unattended items will be subject to immediate confiscation and disposal.
- Eating or drinking of snack-sized items is only allowed in certain areas. Eating and drinking is not allowed in the Maker Lab and Local History and Genealogy Center or by public computers, including library laptops.
Conduct Relating to Children
- Responsibility for the care, safety, and behavior of children using the library rests with the parent/guardian or assigned caregiver, not with library staff no matter the age of the child. Under no circumstances does the library accept responsibility for a child at any age.
- Children should not be left unattended by a parent/guardian or assigned caregiver. Unattended is defined as no longer within eyesight.
- If children are left unattended after hours, they will be referred to local law enforcement.
- Adults should not attempt to solicit or engage any minor who is not under their care. This does not include library staff, volunteers, or law enforcement.
Refusal to leave library premises
Police will be called on any person refusing to leave the library or any area under library control after the hours set for closing and may be viewed as criminal trespassing per Section 2911.21 of the Ohio Revised Code.
Violations of Code of Conduct
Any person who violates the Library’s Patron Code of Conduct policy may be asked to leave library premises and/or have library privileges suspended. Authority to prohibit patrons from entering any TMCPL location beyond a single day will fall to branch managers and/or administrative staff. If a patron is suspended from one location, they are suspended from all Troy-Miami County Public Library Locations.
To consistently enforce the code of conduct, TMCPL has established guidelines for specific and/or repeated violations, resulting in loss of library privileges as described below. Consequences for violations not specified here will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Failure to abide by imposed suspension periods may be viewed as criminal trespassing per Section 2911.21 of the Ohio Revised Code and violators may be prosecuted. Persons convicted of damaging or stealing library premises will be held liable for full restitution.
Appeal Process
In cases where there is disagreement with the suspension, a patron may appeal the suspension by making an appointment to discuss the matter with the Executive Director. Final appeals may be presented to the Library Board via the Public Participation portion of a monthly trustee meeting.