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Board discusses edits to patron code of conduct; smoking policy, wording and translation raised
Summary
The West Bend Community Memorial Library Board reviewed proposed wording changes to the patrons’ code of conduct, debated using 'rules' versus 'expectations,' considered aligning smoking language with city ordinance, and discussed translating the code into Spanish.
Board members reviewed edits to the library’s patrons’ code of conduct at the May 20 meeting, suggesting wording changes to improve consistency and clarity and asking staff to return a revised draft for approval.
The board discussed replacing the word “rules” with “expectations” but members cautioned that changing the term across multiple policies would increase the scope of revisions and require subsequent approvals. One board member argued rules are more authoritative and easier to enforce.
The meeting also reviewed the library’s smoking and vaping language. Members noted a city ordinance already prohibits tobacco use on city-owned property, and suggested the policy either reference that municipal code or retain a local prohibition to avoid enforcement confusion. “If it becomes a problem, then we can do that,” a board member said about extending prohibitions to outside areas; the board agreed staff should check municipal distances and legal language and bring that back.
Other edits proposed included tightening phrasing around disruptive behavior, device noise and responsibilities for patrons who damage library property. The board asked staff to incorporate the suggested grammatical and consistency changes, to consider Spanish translation for key materials such as storytime notices, and to return a redlined draft for the next meeting.
