User Conduct Policy

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Last Updated: Aug 23, 2024, 02:43 PM

Morris Library seeks to provide all users (faculty, staff, students, visitors, and community members) with a welcoming, comfortable, and safe environment that promotes intellectual exploration, learning, creativity, and innovation. All users are expected to follow the User Conduct Policy to do their part to maintain a pleasant and productive environment for study and research.

The Library has established policies in the following areas:

When users do not follow one or more portions of the user conduct policy, library employees will take a series of steps to ensure compliance:

  1. Ask the user(s) to observe the policy.
  2. Ask the user(s) to leave the library building.
  3. Call Campus Police who will escort the user(s) out of the building.
  4. Campus Police may ban the user(s) from the building and/or the campus.

Users may approach other users to remind them when they are not following one or more portions of the user conduct policy. Users may contact the nearest service desk for staff assistance when they observe others not following one or more portions of this policy.

The Library encourages users to keep their personal belongings with them at all times and to remain alert to their immediate surroundings. Morris Library is open to the public and theft of personal property is a possibility. The Library is not responsible for the security of personal belongings brought into the building.

Morris Library reserves the right to temporarily suspend these policies, as appropriate, in order to accommodate library or university-sponsored activities as well as necessary maintenance issues and/or repairs.

Cell Phones and Video Calls (See Noise & Study Zones)

Children

Rationale

Morris Library provides an unsupervised environment for the purpose of academic research and support of the University's curriculum. Library resources are primarily intended for use by the SIU community. Morris Library recognizes that children may be legitimate users of the library and its resources and that SIU students may need to bring their children with them when using the library. However, Morris Library must maintain an environment that is conducive to achieving its mission of supporting research and student success. To balance these competing interests, Morris Library maintains a Family-Friendly Study Room for the use of SIU students who bring their children with them to the library. Visit the Circulation Desk to gain access to the room.

Policy

  1. Academic libraries hold content designed for adult use, as well as computers with unrestricted access to the internet. Unsupervised children may gain access to books, websites, and other content that parents may deem inappropriate for their children. It is the responsibly of the parent or accompanying adult who is escorting children to control the behavior of and access to information by the children while they are in the building.
  2. Children under 14 may only enter the building when under the supervision of a responsible adult, must stay within sight of the accompanying adult at all times, and may not be left unattended.
  3. Accompanying adults are expected to ensure that children follow all library policies including those pertaining to food and beverages, noise (loud talking or playing, loud cell phone usage, crying, etc.), conduct (running, abusing library materials or equipment, etc.) and other behavior likely to disturb persons using the library for research and study.
  4. Library staff is not responsible for the supervision of children left unattended by their parents or for the content openly accessible through its many resources.
  5. Children may only use public computers and may not “borrow” an SIU account to access restricted resources.
  6. As non-affiliated users, children under 14 may be asked to yield resources (such as computer workstations) for use by SIU affiliates.

Implementation

The staff on duty has the authority to act on the library’s and SIU’s behalf if inappropriate behavior occurs. Adults with children may be asked to relocate to the Family-Friendly Study Room. Staff may contact the parents of unattended children.

Computers

Morris Library provides open access to all forms of information within the building. Some forms of expression are not protected by the First Amendment, are illegal (child pornography), and will not be tolerated by the University and Morris Library.

In order to maintain a comfortable environment for library users, anyone offended by material being viewed by another patron should contact a library staff member at the nearest service desk for assistance. Library staff will attempt to relocate the offended patron to another computer. If this is not possible, the offender will be asked to move to another computer or to a more private area of the library. Refusal to comply with a request to move to another computer is considered disruptive behavior.

Disruptive Behavior

Users are expected to abide by the rules on social misconduct established by the SIUC Student Conduct Code. In addition, the library has established its own guidelines on disruptive behavior.

Disruptive behavior is understood to be any activity which endangers an individual, interferes with the library activity of other users or staff, or is illegal. This includes behavior that results in damage to library equipment or materials.

Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to:

  1. Creating a disturbance or behaving in a manner which interferes with normal use of the library, such as rowdiness, noise, loitering and offensive interpersonal behavior.
  2. Threatening, abusing or intimidating library users or staff through language or action.
  3. Engaging in sexual harassment or overt sexual behavior.
  4. Displaying overt signs of substance abuse, including drunkenness.
  5. Inappropriate use of cell phones or video calls in quiet study zones.
  6. Entering unauthorized areas (staff only areas) of the building.
  7. Remaining in the building after closing or when requested to leave or relocate during emergency situations or drills.
  8. Refusing to identify yourself to library staff, when requested.
  9. Not following other University and/or library policies concerning food and drink, underage children, tobacco use and/or alcohol or illicit drugs.

Food and Drink

Morris Library's food and drink policy is an effort to achieve a balance between the comfort and convenience of our users and the need to ensure the long life and value of our collections, equipment, and furnishings.

Users are expected to be responsible and adopt the “leave no trace” philosophy in their use of food and drink in the library by properly disposing of all trash, recycling whenever possible, removing any traces of food and drink, and cleaning all surfaces.

Special permission may be granted by library administration to allow food and drink in the areas listed below for a special event. Visit our Events page for instructions on scheduling an event.

Consumption of alcoholic beverages in Morris Library is regulated by campus policy.

Guidelines

  • Patrons are encouraged to enjoy food and meals in the Delyte’s area, but non-greasy, non-messy food may be taken throughout Morris Library, except in the food- and drink-free areas listed below.
  • Beverages in covered, spill-proof containers as well as non-greasy, non-messy food, may be taken throughout Morris Library, except in the food- and drink-free areas listed below.
  • Wipe up any spills and dispose of waste properly.
  • If clean-up is required, report it immediately to the nearest service desk, staff member, or 453-1455.
  • Deliveries of food can ONLY be accepted in the north or south entrances. Library and Delyte’s staff will NOT assist with deliveries.

Food- and Drink-Free Areas

  • Computer classrooms or near computer equipment
  • Book Stacks
  • John C. Guyon Auditorium
  • Special Collections Research Center
  • Geospatial Resources

Noise (including Cell Phones and Video Calls) & Study Zones

To maintain an optimal environment for research and study and for library staff to work:

  • Set cell phones to silent/vibrate at all times while in the library.
  • Move to a Green or Collaborative Zone for cell phone calls.
  • Respect others using the library and keep calls brief even when in approved areas.
  • Refrain from using cell phones while interacting with staff at public service points.
  • Contact a library staff member at the nearest service desk if you wish to report inappropriate cell phone use or are bothered by excessive noise.

Morris Library offers numerous spaces for quiet study, collaborative group work, and everything in-between. We ask all library users to respect others by complying with our Noise Policy by acknowledging the rules in each Study Zone. Please honor requests for quiet and move to another location if unintended distraction occurs. Look for signage throughout the library to help identify the type of Zone.

Some special events may temporarily override the noise policy.

Collaborative Zone

green circle image

Group work and conversations, including on cell phones, at normal speaking volume.

Music and other audio only if inaudible to those around you.

Areas of the Library:

  • 1st, 6th, and 7th floors – including Delyte’s area
  • Group study rooms with closed doors on 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors

Quiet Study Zone

yellow caution sign image

Brief conversations, including on cell phones, at a low speaking volume.

Music and other audio allowed only if inaudible to those around you.

Areas of the Library:

  • 2nd floor
  • 3rd floor
  • 4th floor

Silent Zone

red stop sign image

No talking, including cell phone conversations.

No music or other audio.

Areas of the Library:

  • Special Collections Research Center
  • Basement
  • 5th floor

Approved by Morris Library Steering Committee on June 20, 2013; revised January 22, 2015.

Morris Library users are also expected to follow all other SIU policies, including (but not limited to):