[Publib] On repeat offenders and retaining applications

[Mary Browder]

We have put restraining orders on library users who seriously disrupt services. This usually means drunk and disorderly.  Gallup was once given the title of Drunk City USA. Although it isn't as bad as it used to be, we do have some interesting incidents.  We can and will call the police if we are visited by some of our repeat unruly library visitors.   This does not mean homeless, because we have a lot of homeless that use the library for legitimate purposes. I have had conversations with persons using the computers that have chosen to display materials that are  contrary to library policy and have restricted their cards.  In our library, you need a permanent or temporary card to access the internet.  No card, no internet.   

We keep applications forever on anyone who currently uses the library.  We destroy applications that have not been used for more than 5 years and delete them from the system.  If someone has not returned materials, we keep the application forever and we refer to these applications frequently.  Several times a week, we will get someone who has overdues on  one card and wants to get a new card, but claims to never had a card before.  We ask them to clear the old card before we issue another card. They are often surprised and amazed to recognize their own signatures. 
At my age, short term memory is becoming a problem, and there are days when it seems to be an epidemic among library patrons.

Subject: [Publib] Repeat Offenders of Library Policies
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I would especially like advice coming from Canadian libraries, but anything that any library can offer is great.

I would like to know how libraries out there handle situations of customers who repeatedly break library policy, despite being offered the maximum ban of 6 months.  

In this particular case, we are looking at repeat viewers of internet porn in public spaces, but I would appreciate strategies for any other breaches of library policy that are not illegal, but are a) serious enough to warrant barring from the premises for 6 months (as per Protection of Property Act) and b) recurring to the extent that a 6 month ban is really not stopping the behavior.

Currently, we serve a notice every time we catch the person.  But we wondered if there was any fair, ethical yet effective way to, for instance, restrict Internet access, extend the ban etc..   

To be clear, I am looking for solutions for cases where there is an obvious, unambiguous breach of library policy -- not "grey area" situations.  (Although the grey areas might be interesting for future discussion on the list.)

You can respond to me privately or to the list, but I would really appreciate being cc'd to any responses via the above email.

Thanks,

Ryan Deschamps