Patron Policy

Disruptive Conduct and The Newburyport Public Library

The Newburyport Public Library welcomes Newburyport residents, consortium borrowers, visitors and guests, and does not prohibit access to any  person. The Newburyport Public Library encourages everyone to use the collections, services and facilities of the main and branch libraries. While offering opportunities for reading, information access, special programs and quiet study, the library strives to maintain a secure and welcoming environment in which patrons are expected to respect the rights of other users. Persons who, in the professional judgment of the library staff, engage in conduct inconsistent with the orderly operation of the library, will be asked to leave the library, should the following regulations not be observed.

Rules of the Library include the following: 

1. No smoking -  the Newburyport Public Library is a public building with no designated smoking area.

2. No food, beverages or cell phones. No rollerblading, skateboarding or rollerskating.  

3. Shirts and shoes must be worn in the library.

4. Other than guide dogs for disabled persons, patrons will not bring pets or animals into the library.

5. Patrons will not engage in any illegal activity in the library building or on the property. Patrons will not deface or mar any items of the library's collection nor damage or destroy library furnishings and equipment, structural features or any library property, as defined in the Massachusetts General Laws. No solicitation of any kind will take place on Library property. Only approved Friends of the Library fundraising efforts can take place on library property.

6. Any materials removed from the library must be checked out on a valid library card or through other standard library procedures. It is an act of larceny to remove library materials without having checked them out.

7. Parents are responsible for the supervision and behavior of their young children. Children under the age of 8 years must be accompanied by someone 15 years of age or older. Although children 8 and older may be left unattended for a reasonable length of time, children should know how to reach a parent or guardian, and parents should be aware of the closing time of the library. It is the policy of the library that staff members will not transport children from the library to any other location. Should children be left unattended in the library after closing, library staff will call the Newburyport Police Department after attempting to contact a parent.

8. A patron may be required to leave personal belongings which are being used inappropriately with the library staff until he/she leaves the library.

9. Each patron's right to privacy must be respected. Harassment or intimidation by threatening language or behavior toward other patrons or to the library staff will not be tolerated and may be cause for expulsion from the library.

10. Patrons may be required to leave the building if their personal hygiene prevents the orderly operation of the library or the ability of other patrons to use and/or enjoy the facility.

11. A patron who violates the library's regulations may be denied the privilege of access to the library by the Library's Board of Directors on recommendation of the Head Librarian. Any patron whose privileges have been denied may have the decision reviewed by the Board of Directors.