The Long Beach City Council will vote Tuesday on a proposed law that would allow public libraries to suspend access to visitors who violate the code of conduct. Banned patrons who return to the library could be arrested and charged with a misdemeanor.
“All public libraries wrestle with ensuring that environments are safe, that basically a library is being used the way it's intended to be used,” said Cathy De Leon, director of the Long Beach Public Library.
Serious rule violations like fighting and bringing weapons into the library can lead to a year-long suspension. Less extreme violations like sleeping on the furniture, bringing in food, and failing to “reasonably manage personal hygiene” can be grounds for a 3-month ban from library property.
The Long Beach Post notes that some of the rules appear to target unhoused people, who often use libraries for computer access, electrical outlets, and an air-conditioned place to rest.
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While the code of conduct has been in place for decades, the new ordinance would allow police to remove banned patrons from the premises. Anyone who returns and refuses to leave during their suspension period could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The ordinance would also create an appeals process for patrons who think they were wrongfully banned
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