South Pasadena Municipal Code § 2.78 Powers and duties generally

The board of library trustees shall have the following powers and duties:

• (a) The public library shall be administered by a board of library trustees;

• (b) Prepare such bylaws, rules and regulations as may be necessary for the administration of the city library;

• (c) Review and submit an annual operating budget to the city manager;

• (d) Purchase and acquire books, journals, maps, and other supplies for the library, consistent with the budget;

(e) Appoint an ad hoc committee to recruit, screen and select candidates for the position of city librarian. Make recommendations to the city manager with respect to the appointment, suspension or removal of the city librarian, who shall serve as a department head under the direction of the city manager;

(f) Accept money, personal property or real estate donated to the city for library purposes, subject to the approval of the city council;

(g) Contract with schools, county or other governmental agencies to render or receive library services or facilities, subject to the approval of the city council. (Ord. No. 2187, § 2, 2009.)

(a) No person shall willfully disrupt the orderly operation of the library of the city of South Pasadena or violate any rule adopted by resolution of the city council or bylaw, rule or regulation adopted by the library board of trustees to protect the orderly operation of the library. All such policies, rules and regulations are referred to collectively as “library rules.”

(b) The library director or the “staff member in charge” of maintaining order and securing compliance with the library rules may notify a person that their library privileges, including the ability to occupy the library premises, has been suspended and then may order such person to leave the library premises whenever there is reasonable cause to believe that such person has willfully violated such library rules. For purposes of this section, “library premises” includes the library and library park, except for the entry way to the senior center and the area within the senior center.

(1) A suspended library privilege shall automatically be reinstated at the end of 24 hours unless within that time such person is notified by the library director or said designated person that consent shall not be reinstated for a specified period, not exceeding 14 days.

(2) In addition, expulsion(s) from the library premises and suspension of all privileges of the library may be imposed against a person whose conduct is sufficiently disruptive to merit expulsion or suspension of privileges for a period of 15 days or more.

(3) Expulsion and suspension of privileges up to 30 days may be imposed whenever there is reasonable cause to believe that a person has done any of the following:

(A) Engaged in loud or disruptive conversations, talking, singing, or other disruptive, noisy, or boisterous behavior; or

(B) Behaved in a manner which reasonably can be expected to disturb other patrons, volunteers, or library staff; or

(C) Violated the standards of behavior adopted by the library board of trustees or the city council from time to time as posted in a conspicuous location in the library such as near the front door and public service area.

(4) Expulsion and suspension of privileges of up to 180 days may be imposed whenever there is reasonable cause to believe that a person has done any of the following:

(A) Violated library rules and been expelled for a period of 30 days each on two or more occasions within the prior 12 months; or

(B) Engaged in any behavior, conduct, or activity which may damage library property or pose a written, oral or physical threat to other patrons, volunteers, or library staff, as reasonably determined by the library director, or designee, and refused or failed to cease such behavior, conduct, or activity when requested by library staff.

(5) Expulsion and suspension of privileges of up to one year may be imposed whenever there is reasonable cause to believe that a person has done any of the following:

(A) Seriously threatened verbally or physically, seriously harassed verbally or physically, or aggressively or annoyingly stared at or followed other patrons, volunteers, or library staff about the library premises, as reasonably determined by the library director, or designee; or

(B) Destroyed, defaced, or illegally removed library materials or property in violation of California Education Code Section 1991; or

(C) Behaved in any manner prohibited by federal, state, or local law.

(6) Only the library director or the “staff member in charge” of maintaining order and securing compliance with the library rules may expel a person from the library premises; only the library director or person designated in writing by the library director may suspend all privileges of the library, for the foregoing periods, as befitting the person’s conduct.

(c) Appeals of Suspension of Less Than 30 Days. Any person expelled from the library for a period of 30 days or less may appeal the expulsion to the city manager, whose decision regarding the appeal shall be final and conclusive.

(d) Appeal of Suspension or Expulsion for More Than 30 Days. Any person expelled from the library for a period of more than 30 days may appeal the expulsion to the library board of trustees. Such appeal must be submitted in writing to the library board of trustees no later than 30 calendar days following the issuance of the notice of expulsion to the appellant. The library board of trustees shall render its decision in writing to the appellant to uphold or overturn the expulsion, with a copy to the library director no later than

45 calendar days following completion of the board’s hearing on the appeal. The decision of the library board of trustees shall be final and conclusive.

(e) Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, a notice of expulsion or suspension of privileges shall remain in effect during the period of any appeal thereof.

(f) Any person who willfully violates any rule adopted and posted in accordance with this section or who willfully enters or remains in the library premises during the period for which consent has been withdrawn or the individual has been expelled is guilty of a misdemeanor. (Ord. No. 2310, § 1, 2017.)