Rules of Conduct Ordinance

WHEREAS, the Board of Library Trustees of the Gail Borden Public Library District, Kane and Cook Counties, Illinois, is a body politic and corporate, and is organized and exercises powers pursuant to the Illinois Public Library District Act; and WHEREAS, 75ILCS 16/30/55 of said Act provides that the board of trustees of any library district is empowered to support and maintain a public library within the district for providing library services and has the following powers, without limitation.

1. To enact, amend or rescind ordinances and to make and adopt regulations and resolutions for their own guidance and for the government of the library as are expedient and not inconsistent with the Library District Act (75 ILCS 16/30-55.5).
2. To have exclusive control of the supervision, care, and custody of the grounds, rooms, or buildings set apart for library purposes (75 ILCS 16/30-55.15);
3. To exclude from the use of the library, any person who willfully violates an ordinance or regulation prescribed by the board (75 ILCS 16/30-55.55); and
4. To provide, by ordinance, fines, and penalties for injury to any real or personal property belonging to or in the custody of the library (75 ILCS 16/30-55.70); and

WHEREAS, this Board has received reports from staff regarding disruptive conduct, on occasion, of some individuals, and has also received recommendations from staff with respect to remedying said problems.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Board of Library Trustees of the Gail Borden Public Library District, Kane and Cook Counties, Illinois, as follows:

Section 1. No person shall act in such a manner as to unreasonably alarm or disturb any other person or employee within any library buildings, vehicles, or grounds.

Section 2. No person shall destroy, damage, or vandalize any library material or property, including, without limitation, library books, magazines, materials, furnishings, shrubs or landscaping, wall hangings, or any other property of the library; vandalism shall be deemed to have occurred when anyone knowingly tears, marks on, or maliciously renders imperfect or otherwise damages or destroys any library materials or property.

Section 3. No person shall otherwise violate any statute of the United States, the State of Illinois or ordinance of the City of Elgin within any library buildings, vehicles, or grounds of the Gail Borden Public Library.

Section 4. When a person violates any of the substantive provisions of Sections 1 through 3, inclusive, any security guard, police or peace officer, management level employee or designated person-in-charge of a library department may immediately exclude the violator for one (1) to thirty (30) days for an offense, and may recommend further action to the CEO/Executive Director; or may otherwise proceed as follows:

1. A person has violated the rules of conduct shall present, upon request, a valid form of identification. Failure to present an I.D. shall be a basis for immediate, and possibly permanent, exclusion from the library’s buildings, vehicles, and grounds, subject to the provisions of Section 5(B).

Section 5

1. Any individual excluded from the library for a violation or disturbance as defined in Sections 1 through 3 inclusive may be excluded for a period of time not to exceed one (1) year as determined by the CEO/Executive Director or her/ his designee(s) in consultation with the security guard, police or peace officer, management employee or designated person-in-charge of the library department in whose presence the incident or incidents giving rise to the exclusion occurred and may be readmitted only upon approval of the CEO/Executive Director or her/his designee(s). Exceptional circumstances involving extreme behaviors, including but not limited to violence or threat of violence, or injury or harm to any person, in violation of this ordinance may lead to a permanent exclusion on the first offense, with readmission to the library only upon approval of the CEO/Executive Director and the Library Board.
2. In all cases of exclusion greater than one month in duration where positive identification of the violator has been made, the CEO/Executive Director, management level employee, designated person-in-charge, or security staff member, shall reasonably attempt to give notice in person or by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the individual detailing the duration of the exclusion from use of the library and requirements, if any, conditioning the resumption of library privileges. In the case of individuals under the age of eighteen (18) and living with a parent or guardian, an attempt will be made to deliver any such certified notice to the parent or guardian, with an additional uncertified copy sent to the minor. Any such attempted certified mail notice shall be substantially as follows:
   

   Dear (name): Due to violations of rules of conduct adopted by the Board of Library Trustees of the Gail Borden Public Library District, Kane and Cook Counties, Illinois, (name) is hereby excluded from the Gail Borden Public Library District and excluded from the use of and access to the premises of the Gail Borden Public Library and excluded from benefiting from any library privileges through (date). Such exclusion applies to the buildings and grounds of the main library facility at 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin, IL and the branch library facilities at 2751 W. Bowes Road, Elgin, IL., 127 S. McLean Blvd., South Elgin, IL 60177, as well as bookmobile vehicles.
   The specific violations are as follows:
   Readmission to the library in the future will be granted only after the period of suspension, followed by a personal interview with staff appointed by the CEO/Executive Director. Final approval rests with the CEO/Executive Director. If you wish to appeal the exclusion from the use of the library, an appeal must be made in written form, and the CEO/Executive Director will grant an interview following receipt of the request. In the event you are not satisfied with the results of the interview, you may make a written request for a hearing with the Board of Library Trustees.
   If an excluded person enters the premises of the library during the period of exclusion without specific permission of the CEO/Executive Director, local police will be contacted to address the trespass.

   Sincerely,
   (Signature)
   CEO/Executive Director

Section 6. All incidents giving rise to exclusion from use of the library for more than one (1) month shall be submitted in a written report by the CEO/Executive Director or her/his designee to the Board of Trustees for approval at a subsequent Board meeting. The excluded person may request a hearing before the Board of Trustees in writing and upon receipt of the request the Board shall schedule the hearing at its next regularly scheduled meeting. The excluded person must appear in person for the hearing. Following the hearing, the Board will respond in writing within ten (10) days.

Section 7. This Board further specifies that it is the policy of the library to authorize employees to call upon local law enforcement personnel as necessary to ensure compliance with the terms of this ordinance, and to sign any complaint or other documentation required for enforcement.

Section 8. A copy of this ordinance shall remain posted before each entrance to the library.

PASSED by the Board of Library Trustees of the Gail Borden Public Library District, Kane and Cook Counties, Illinois, on January 10, 2023