William M. Brish Library - Hagerstown Community College: Code of Conduct

Noise in the Library

• Quiet conversation and collaboration are permitted in the main library area as long as patrons are considerate to those around them.
• Headphones are required for playback of audio material and may be checked out at the information desk.  If noise from headphones or other devices is audible to surrounding patrons, staff may request that the sound be turned down.
• Staff may ask patrons to stop talking if they are causing a disruption - especially if another patron comes forward with a complaint of excessive noise.
• Cell phone ringers and sound must be silenced, and patrons must take all cell phone calls outside of the Library.
• Respect the Quiet Study area in rooms 206 & 208.  No conversations or other noises are permitted in this area.

Children in the Library

• As per college policy, children under the age of 12 who are not registered credit or non-credit students, who are not participating in an authorized college activity, or who are not attending a scheduled event shall not be left unattended anywhere on the college campus. Unattended children in the Library will be turned over to Campus Police for their own safety.
• Children who are attending an official school or are home-schooled, and have proof of being at or above the ninth-grade level, are welcome to use most Library physical resources and may obtain off-campus borrower cards. A valid driver's license, state, or school photo ID will suffice for this purpose.

Computer Use

Hagerstown Community College has a policy for acceptable use of computers on campus. By signing in to a computer, all users agree to this policy.

Additionally, the Library maintains specific, internal computer use policies that are applicable to students and members of the public as outlined below.

• Community patrons wishing to use the computers must provide either photo ID or an HCC Community Library Card as identification.  Staff will then sign them in to a computer workstation with a guest account.

• Currently, there is no time limit for computer use. However, if all computers are occupied and there is a student waiting to use a computer for class work, community patrons or students engaged in leisure activities may be asked to relinquish their workstation for a student needing to do academic work. Games, email, and social networking sites do not support the mission of the college and must not delay or interfere with students engaged in class work.

Please Note

Users may be barred from the Library and campus for:

• Downloading and/or viewing obscene, harassing, or pornographic sites
• Printing from obscene, harassing, or pornographic sites
• Changing computer settings
• Using computers for non-academic purposes including, but not limited to, running a business, illegal file sharing, system hacking, identity theft, etc.

Personal Property Guidelines

• The library staff is not liable for unattended items left in the library area.
• The library accepts lost and found items at the information desk and will attempt to notify the owner if known.  Periodically, lost and found items will be transferred to the Campus Police office.

Food in the Library

• Covered drinks and small food items are permitted in the Library.
• Use care when consuming food and drink while using computers and library materials. Dispose of food and drink containers in trash or recycling bins.
• To minimize odors and messes from food, please limit items in the group and single study rooms to dry snacks and drinks.

Enforcement

Library users found in violation of the Library Code of Conduct may be:

• asked to present photo identification to library staff;
• directed to leave the premises and not return, and reported to Campus Police.
• Disciplinary or legal action may also be taken in accordance with applicable laws and policies.

Step 1

Patrons will be given a copy of the Library Code of Conduct and the issue will be identified.  They will be asked to take corrective action.  If they comply, no additional action will be taken. Cooperation with library staff is expected. Library staff will be polite and non-threatening. Patrons are expected to be polite and non-threatening to the staff, and to respect other library users. If patrons do not cooperate with staff or fail to comply with the request, the process moves to Step 2.

Step 2

If the offending issue needs to be addressed a second time on the same day or a different day, or the patron does not cooperate with the request politely and quietly, they will be asked for photo identification, an incident report will be completed, and then they will be asked to leave the library. Step 2 may include a referral to meet with the Library Coordinator or a college representative. If the patron refuses to comply with the staff request, the process moves to Step 3.

Step 3

Campus Police will be called, a Code of Conduct Violation will be reported, the patron will be escorted from the Library, and library privileges will be revoked.

Serious offenses will be handled accordingly.