I. Who May Use the Library (Updated 2023)
- The library will serve qualified residents of the county and the public library system area. Service will not be denied because of religious, racial, social, economic, or political status. The service will not be denied because of mental, emotional, or physical conditions or because of age or sexual orientation.
- The use of the library in Moville, the branch libraries, or the bookmobile may be denied for due cause. Such cause may be failure to return library materials or to pay penalties, destruction of library property, disturbance of other patrons, or any other illegal, disruptive or objectionable conduct on library premises or within the bookmobile. Improper behavior will be determined by library staff.
- In accordance with Chapter 629A of Subtitle 1 of title 16 of the Code of Iowa, the Board of Trustees prohibits the presence of sex offenders convicted of sex offenses against minors within 300 feet of the library property. Persons barred from library property under the law will not be served by the library’s homebound delivery service (Bookmobile). The Woodbury County Library Board has directed the Library Director not to grant a known sex offender library privileges s described in the Iowa Code.
II. Patron Responsibility and Conduct
It is a patron’s responsibility to maintain necessary and proper standards of behavior in order to protect his/her rights and the rights and privileges of other patrons. If a patron creates a public nuisance, that patron may be restricted from the use of the library and/or bookmobile facilities. Those who are unwilling to leave or do not leave within a reasonable amount of time, after being instructed to do so by the staff, will be subject to the law.
- Young Children: The Woodbury County Library encourages visits by young children.
- Disruptive Children: Children of all ages are encouraged to use the library for homework, recreational reading, and program attendance. The staff realizes that the library will be noisier at busy times and that children by nature can cause more commotion. However, children who are being continually disruptive will be given a warning that he or she must settle down or will be asked to leave the library or bookmobile. If, after a second warning the child continues to be disruptive, he or she will then be asked to leave. If the child needs to contact a parent, they may do so and then wait a reasonable amount of time until the parent arrives. Depending on circumstances, the library staff will determine if the child should wait for the parent inside or outside of the library.