NORTHBROOK — The Northbrook Public Library’s Board of Trustees approved updates to two policies at its Jan. 19 meeting: the Public Code of Behavior policy and the Meeting Room policy.
In light of the recent graffiti in the building, the Board and Director Kate Hall felt the Public Code of Behavior Policy should clearly reflect the Library’s mission to create an inclusive and welcoming environment and describe what patrons can expect from the Library. In a section on building usage, the updated Code of Behavior now includes a regulation that states patrons may not interfere with the use of the Library by use of abusive, threatening or insulting languages, which includes language and behavior that offends or threatens groups or individuals based on race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and other traits.
“By taking our stance on hate speech and intolerance from a philosophy to a policy, we are sending a positive message out to the community,” said Hall. “This shows that the Library welcomes everyone and that we will provide equal access and courteous service to all and will not tolerate any form of discrimination within the Library.”
The updated Public Code of Behavior policy is one of many ways the Library has committed to being a safe and inviting place for everyone. Each year, the Library holds their annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of service and participates in Light It Up Blue, an annual initiative that spreads awareness of autism. This year, the Library will offer an Accessibility Hour on Sunday, March 19 for patrons with special needs. During this early opening, patrons with special needs and their families can browse and check out materials in a quiet and sensory-friendly environment.
In further dedication to the Library’s mission, the Board of Trustees also voted to update the Library’s Meeting Room Policy, which had previously restricted use of meeting rooms for partisan political meetings or rallies, as well as religious rallies that promote a specific religion. The restrictions had initially been added in 2015, but thanks to a unanimous vote by the Board, the restrictions have been lifted, effective immediately.
Hall recommended opening up the Meeting Room policy so that the Library would be in accordance with the American Library Association’s Bill of Rights, which states that meeting spaces must be available on an equitable basis, regardless of a group’s affiliation. Additionally, after hearing members of the Northbrook community voice their opinion on the policy restrictions at the January 19 meeting, the Board of Trustees quickly voted to open up the policy.
“We believe that the Library is the place where community happens. For that to occur, we needed to have a policy that allowed the people in the community to come together an engage in civil discourse on issues that are important to them,” said Hall. “In addition, the Library is here to serve our taxpayers and when those tax payers come to the Board and state that they want a change, the Board listens and works hard to provide them with what they want.”
The Library welcomes all patrons and visitors. The Northbrook Public Library is located at 1201 Cedar Lane. For more information on the Library’s policies, please visit www.northbrook.info/about/policies.
Submitted by the Northbrook Public Library