Question and Answer

Code of Conduct implementation guidelines

Code of Conduct LibGuide page

The library's Code of Conduct is in place to help library staff assure the safety of library users. All patrons using UA Libraries are subject to this Code of Conduct.

Violation of any portion of this code, or of any laws, can subject the offending party to liability for loss or damage, suspension or revocation of library privileges and facilities, or other disciplinary action.

This list is not comprehensive, and the Library reserves the right to address negative conduct as necessary.

The guidelines in this document will help you determine the best course of action, but if a situation which you are uncertain how to handle arises you can contact a supervisor for guidance.

General Implementation

  • When responding to reports of Code of Conduct violations, your role is to facilitate the best resolution to the situation and for the parties involved.
  • Gather facts before you act.
  • Be careful about making judgments.
  • Assess the situation carefully in determining the appropriate course of action.
  • Verify that there is a violation.
  • If you are uncertain about whether a person is in violation, you can come back and check again later.
  • If you need advice, find a supervisor or confer with colleagues (including making a phone call if a supervisor is not on-site).

Incidents of Hate Speech

If you encounter hate speech on a wall, whiteboard, etc., please: 

  • Take a picture 

  • Erase or remove the offending content if possible 

  • Contact Helpline ASAP if you cannot remove the content 

  • Report the incident in Advocate and upload the image to the report 

  • Please tag the incident with the “hate speech” label  

If you need to call UAPD

  • If someone reports being a victim of or witness to a crime, have them call UAPD so that officers can get the information from them first-hand.
  • Before involving the police:
    • Keep in mind that the actions we take must be defendable in court- you (or the customer) need to be able to articulate the behavior that is occurring that would merit UAPD presence and be able to describe the events in detail.
    • Consider stepping away from the desk to talk to UAPD so that the customer you are reporting doesn’t overhear your conversation.
    • Mentioning that you are going to call UAPD can unnecessarily aggravate the situation.
  • If you call UAPD about a customer with multiple Code of Conduct warnings, inform the officer of this.
  • If a situation arises where you feel your safety or the safety of others is at risk, always contact UAPD and request their help.

Addressing Concerning Language or Behavior Without Clear CoC Violations

If staff or a patron feel uncomfortable due to someone's language or behavior, but aren't sure if a CoC violation has occurred, they should contact UAPD for a "welfare check".

  • UAPD training includes being able to appropriately deal with mental health issues.
  • UAPD will also work with a CAPS co-responder if appropriate. 
    • CAPS co-responder's availability is limited to working hours. 
  • When UAPD makes contact with individuals, they will set boundaries, or “limit setting” – letting the individual know what they can and cannot do in the libraries.

  • UAPD will also document the conversations with individuals so that we don’t need to keep dealing with the same issues with the same people and will file a TAMT report if appropriate. 

    • UAPD & TAMT: Some cases end up having multiple TAMT reports from a variety of parties (UAPD, victims, departments) and they will pull everything together to evaluate a situation holistically. TAMT also shares their reports with UAPD.

When working with UAPD

  • Get the case number so that the building manager can a get copy of the police report.
  • Note the name of the violator, and gather relevant information--circumstances, time and location of the event, and a description. Record this information by making an Incident Report in Advocate and share the report with the *COC listserv
  • You can provide the first name, phone number or e-mail address of the staff members involved with a situation to UAPD.
  • Employees who are asked to report to court on behalf of the university should claim the hours as regular work time.

Warning C.o.C. customers

  • Tell the customer they cannot violate any items listed in the Code of Conduct.
  • The customer is responsible for knowing all items in the Code of Conduct.
  • When notifying AIS of a violation, include information about warnings.
  • Contact UAPD when customers won't comply with library requests.

Removing customers from the Library vs. Exclusionary Orders

  • Removing: Any staff member can tell a patron in violation of the code of conduct that they’ll need to leave all libraries for 24 hours. This is different than having the campus issue an Exclusionary Order.
  • Exclusionary Orders: Exclusionary Orders prohibit individuals who are not affiliated with the UA from returning to campus for a certain period of time.
    • Before an exclusionary order can be issued, library staff (or UAPD) must inform a violator about their C.o.C. violation.
    • We need to be able to provide UAPD with all factual details surrounding the violation, and any previous violations, if they are going to be able to pursue an Exclusionary Order. 
    • Prior warnings/informing the patron of a violation is not needed in cases of extreme circumstances, which are defined as acts or threats of violence, and aligns with the type of individuals we post on our Sharepoint site.

Pursuing an Exclusionary Order

  • When UAPD arrives, an officer should stay with the subject and provide staff with a positive ID. Staff will search in Advocate to see if there is already a history and provide these details to UAPD.
  • Staff should request an exclusionary order on the spot without involving a supervisor so the exclusionary order can be issued right away.
  • Let UAPD know that we would like to pursue an Exclusionary Order.
    • It's preferable to request the exclusionary order with UAPD in the moment
    • Any staff member can request an exclusionary order.
  • Clearly state to the responding officer(s) that the EO is for all libraries. (Clarity is necessary here. While this has not been an issue in the past, it did come up recently when an officer issued an EO for just the Main Library rather than all libraries, so the excluded individual was still legally able to patronize WSEL.)
  • Provide UAPD with details about the current violation and the previous violations, in the event the case goes to court.
  • If an exclusionary order needs to be requested after UAPD has left, staff should email Ella Peterson and David Borycz, and CC Robyn, Travis, and Scott.
  • Ensure Advocate has been updated with all factual details, including if an exclusionary order was requested, in the incident report.
  • If an excluded patron has a public computer card, do not block or delete their card in PC Reservation. This will aid in limiting further interaction with employees, Scott/Op Leads will update PC Res to include the exclusionary order. 
  • If someone with an active exclusionary order returns to the buildings, contact UAPD. Do not attempt to ask them to leave the library yourself.  

Use these phrases when reporting C.o.C. violations to UAPD dispatchers and officers:

  • Disruptive behavior
  • Hygiene violation
  • Sexual offense
  • Public display of explicitly sexual material on library computers
  • Sleeping or loitering
  • Smoking
  • Substance abuse
  • Theft
  • Threatening behavior
  • Unattended belongings
  • Weapons
  • Trespassing
  • Unauthorized off-hours access

 

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