03.14.20 BLC Packet
City of Boulder
2020 Library Commission Agenda
Meeting date: Saturday, March 14, 2020
Location: Open Space and Mountain Parks HUB at 2520 55th St., Boulder
Meeting time: 8:30 a.m. meeting set up and morning refreshments
9 a.m. meeting start
10:30 a.m. 20-minute break time
12:00 to 1:15 p.m. lunch
2:30 p.m. 20-minute break time
4:00 p.m. adjournment
1. Approval of agenda
2. Library District Process – David Gehr, City Attorney’s Office
3. Discussion with Library Champions – Joni Teter
• Debrief February 11, 2020 City Council Study Session
• Update on library district campaign activities
• Recommendations for library district trustees
4. Discuss planning and outreach to stakeholders and potential trustees for scenarios related
to sustainable funding for the library.
• District formed by City Council resolution and ballot item for funding
• Ballot item to form and fund a library district, initiated by Library Champion
citizen initiative petition
• Library continues as a City of Boulder department
• Discuss response to March 17, 2020 Memo for City Council regarding public
hearing on formation of a library district Commission recommendation for library
district trustees
5. Items from the Commission
6. Appreciation of Library Commissioner Tim O’Shea for his service to the library
7. Discuss options and commission’s position on social services in the library
• Review 2019 suspension report
2020 Library Commissioners
Tim O’Shea, Chair Juana Gomez Joel Koenig Jane Sykes-Wilson Steven Frost
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March 9, 2020
To: Boulder Library Commission
From: David Farnan, Library and Arts Director
Jennifer Phares, Deputy Library Director
Subject: Background Information for Retreat Discussion Topics
This memo contains links to information that may be useful during the March retreat discussion.
Library District Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) Information
Links to previous Library Commission meetings materials below may have useful information for item 1
of the agenda.
02.7.2018 Discussion with Jacqueline Murphy, Colorado State Library and Sara Wright, CLiC
Minutes
03.7.2018 Discussion with Robin Gard and Mary Atchison Poudre River Library District Trustees
Minutes
Handouts with example IGA
12.14.2019 Timeline & Recommendations on Key Issues in the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for a
Boulder Library District, page 10.
https://boulderlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/12.4.19-BLC-Handouts.pdf
Library District Board Information
The Colorado Public Library Board & Trustee Handbook may have useful information for item 4 of the
meeting agenda.
https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/librarydevelopment/publiclibraries/trusteehandbook
2019 Boulder Public Library Suspension Report
The commission is provided with information annually about violations of the library rules of conduct
that result in suspensions for the purposes of evaluating efficacy of the rules, trends in inappropriate
patron behaviors, and to inform decisions about services for at-risk or vulnerable community members.
In 2019, the rules of conduct were updated to address all forms of harassment and any library policy
violations. Staff and the contract security officers follow the guidelines in Attachment A to determine
the length suspension imposed for violating the rules of conduct.
A comparison of total suspensions by year from 2012 through 2019 is figure 1.
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Figure 1. Total Suspensions from 2012 through 2019
The Library Rules of Conduct were updated in 2012, 2015, and 2019. In 2015, the library worked in
collaboration with the Boulder Police Department to apprehend individuals with active warrants for
their arrest. This may have contributed to the lower number of suspensions that year. The library
changed contract security vendors in 2018. The current security firm is JCJ National Security.
Violations of the rules related to: use or possession of alcohol or illicit drugs in the library, behavior(s)
that disrupt others’ use of the library, and harassment or physical threats to others’ safety combined,
comprised approximately 60 to 72 percent of the annual suspensions for 2015 through 2019 (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Rule violation type from 2015 through 2019
Suspension are often the result of a patron violating more than one rule of conduct. Sleeping and
intoxication are often cited together. Repeated violations for sleeping and leaving belongings
68
90
61
43
76
97
53
102
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Suspensions
10
17
29
9
21
9
23
20
15
24
7
7
21
11
19
17
29
27
18
34
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
RULE VIOLATION TYPE
Alcohol /Drugs Disruptive Harassment /Threaten Other violations
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unattended, or bathing often result in patron behavior that becomes disruptive or threatening. The
2019 suspensions by rule violation and length are in Table 1. In the cases of multiple rule violations, the
root violation was selected for the totals in Table 1.
VIOLATION Week
30
days
60
days
90
days
120
days
180
days
364
days TOTAL
Alcohol / Drugs 6 1 2 1 11 21
Animal 0
Bathe 1 3 4
Computer policy 2 2
Disruptive behavior 1 6 1 6 2 8 24
Harassment /Threaten 1 3 15 19
Sleep 5 1 2 8
Smoking 1 1 2
Theft 9 9
Trespass 8 8
Weapon 1 1
Unattended 1 2 1 4
Table 1. 2019 Suspensions by rule violation and length
Social Services in the Library
Links to previous Library Commission meetings materials below may have useful information for item 8
of the agenda.
07.17.2017 Minutes from the 2017 Library Commission Retreat are Attachment B.
12.14.2019 Request to Boulder’s Library Commission: Provide Professional Service to Address the Needs
of Homeless and Other At-Risk Populations
https://boulderlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/12.4.19-BLC-Handouts.pdf
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ATTACHMENT A.
Guidelines for Determining Suspension Length
There are degrees of severity regarding rule infractions. For example, staff or security officers often
must ask some patrons to stay awake. If a patron has been asked multiple times, they should be asked
to go outside and wake up a bit before coming back in. The length of suspension should be consistent
with those of other similar violations.
General Timeframes for Common Violations
Threat of Violence: 180 to 364 days
Drug Use/Dealing: 180 to 364 days
Theft: 180 to 364 days
Belligerent/Verbal Abuse: 90 to 180 days
Intoxication/Chronic Sleeping: 30 to 90 days
While many violations clearly fit within one of these categories, determining the length of the
suspension is not a black and white process and should be adjusted depending on the unique
circumstances.
Threat of Violence can describe many different situations, but most commonly are behaviors which
violate Library Rule #3 which states that “no person shall Engage in behavior that jeopardizes the safety
of any person or service animal.”
Often, a patron is asked to leave for another violation and they choose to escalate and threaten
violence. In those situations, the suspension length of the initial violation is overridden by the threat of
violence. Determining between 180 and 364 days is at the discretion of the staff person or officer based
on the threat. Actual physical violence such as, knocking the phone out of the staff members or officer’s
hand or taking a swing at the staff member or officer should result in a 364-day suspension. Verbal
threats (Library Rule #3) may warrant a shorter suspension. Again, it is at the staff members or security
officer’s discretion to determine the appropriate suspension length in these cases. If you think a
physically violent situation is imminent, call 911 and ask for police intervention.
Drug Use/Dealing includes any smoking, injecting, drinking or other consumption of alcohol and drugs
(Library Rule #6) or tobacco or e-cigarettes (Library Rule #7). A patron caught smoking on the outdoor
library balcony may be suspended for 180 days, but any use within inside the library would likely
warrant a 364-day suspension.
Theft is an uncommon suspension category and the incident should be reported to Boulder Police.
Security officers or staff members should never search a patron’s person or bag for stolen items. Always
call the police if someone reports something was stolen. If the police come to the library and find that a
patron is in possession of stolen property, they will ask you how long the library would like to suspend
the person. If the stolen items are library property (library cards or materials), typically a 180-day
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ATTACHMENT A.
suspension is issued. Stolen items from other patrons (laptops, phones, etc.) warrants a 364-day
suspension.
Belligerent/Verbal Abuse commonly occurs after the patron has been asked to stop disruptive behavior
or leave the library for violating the rules. Sometimes the patron causes a scene as they exit and may
direct verbal insults or threats at staff or the security officer. Generally, if the patron causes a serious
disruption in the library or is hostile towards staff, a 180-day suspension would be issued to start. If the
patron is belligerent without causing a disruption, a 90-day suspension may be more appropriate. Verbal
abuse can quickly escalate into threats of violence, which would increase the suspension time.
Intoxication and Chronic Sleeping are patron behaviors that are encountered daily. Attempt to awaken
a sleeping patron by speaking to them loudly, making a loud noise, or shaking the chair (try to do this
without touching the patron). If the patron awakens, inform them they cannot sleep in the library (you
can suggest they get up and walk around to wake up). One to two warnings are often given before
asking the patron to leave for the day. If a patron repeatedly falls asleep over multiple days, they can be
suspended for 30 days to start. Often, sleeping patrons are also intoxicated. If the patron admits to you
they are intoxicated, you can ask them to leave as they are violating Library Rule #6. If the patron has
not caused any sort of disruption (besides sleeping), you can ask them to leave for the day. If the
intoxicated patron caused any disruption (e.g. the patron was stumbling into people or furniture) a 30-
day suspension is issued to start. If the patron repeatedly violates these rules, they can be suspended for
progressively longer periods of time. If the patron escalates to belligerent behavior or threatens
violence, those suspension length guidelines apply.
*On the Suspension Notice, please note any of these behaviors, even if the suspension length is based
on a threat of violence or belligerent behavior.
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ATTACHMENT B.
7
ATTACHMENT B.
8
ATTACHMENT B.
9
ATTACHMENT B.
10
ATTACHMENT B.
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ATTACHMENT B.
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Commission Memo
Meeting Date: March 14, 2020 – Open Space and Mountain Parks HUB, 55th St.
1. Items from Commission (verbal)
a. BLDG61 momentum and new Bookstore (Tim/Steven)
2. Updates from Commissioners Representing the Commission in
other Venues (verbal)
a. BLF Update (Jane / Joel);
i. Ongoing fundraising efforts w/r/t North Boulder branch capital
campaign.
3. Update on Emails & Phone Calls to Library Commission
a. Exchange of emails between Juana and Duncan Coker regarding
disruptive patrons at Main and at future NoBo
Interesting Upcoming Dates (from ALA Website)
Freedom of Information Day - on or around March 16
Freedom of Information (FOI) Day is an annual event on or near March 16, the birthday of James
Madison, who is widely regarded as the Father of the Constitution and as the foremost advocate for
openness in government. Each year, the James Madison Award and the Eileen Cooke State & Local
Madison Award are presented by the American Library Association Washington (DC) Office on
Freedom of Information Day to recognize those individuals or groups that have championed,
protected, and promoted public access to government information and the public's right to know.
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Re: Boulder Main Library suggestion
From:juana@lawrenceandgomez.com
To:duncan@rivercastcapital.com
Cc:tim@engagecolorado.com
Date:Thursday, February 20, 2020, 2:58 PM MST
Hello, Duncan,
Thank you for sharing your observations and for suggested changes.
In this response I have included Tim O'Shea, since you addressed a separate email to both of us and
this is a related subject.
In my experience visiting the library at different times of the day and week, I have observed those
booths being empty, used by one or two people, or, like you say, populated by groups. Public library
use has no time limit and is open to anyone who observes the rules of conduct. These can be found in
this link:
https://boulderlibrary.org/about/rules/
It is difficult to judge disruption at a distance, so when disruptive behavior occurs, please bring it to
the attention of security or library staff. Historically, these instances are few and far between, but
when they happen they should be addressed.
In general, I would hesitate to remove the booths so that no one can use them, just to eliminate the
rare possibility that they could be misused.
As with all of our patrons' correspondence, I will bring this up at our next Commission meeting that
will be the annual retreat. Feel free to join us then or at a subsequent meeting if you would like to
personally voice your concerns. At the retreat there will be no formal time for public comment. At the
subsequent meetings, public comment is the first item on the agenda.
Commission annual retreat - March 14, 2020, 9 am at OSMP Conference Room, 2520 55th St.,
Boulder
Monthly meeting - April 1, 2020, 6pm at Canyon Meeting Room, Main Library
Best regards,
Juana Gomez
On Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 11:51:13 AM MST, Duncan Coker <duncan@rivercastcapital.com> wrote:
Hi Juana,
I love the library and use the main branch oŌen with my kids of 12 and 10. I have a suggesƟon.
Please pull out all the booths on the main floor west side. They serve no funcƟon other than for
people to congregate there for long periods disrupƟng the library experience for kids and others.
The same goes for removing most of the lounge chairs on the first floor, but removing the booths
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would a good start. There are tables upstairs and in the cafe if users need a flat surface for work.
We could put books or kids art on that west wall since it is so close to the kids areas instead of
booths. I think it would add to the overall community experience in using the main library in a very
posiƟve way.
Please feel free to bring up in your next meeƟng.
Best Regards,
Duncan Coker
Lover of Libraries
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Fw: North Boulder Library interior design
From:juana@lawrenceandgomez.com
To:farnand@boulderlibrary.org; pharesj2@boulderlibrary.org; tim@engagecolorado.com
Date:Thursday, February 20, 2020, 4:00 PM MST
David and Jennifer,
See email exchange below to include in our Patron interactions.
and also please relay to Antonia.
P.S. Duncan's emails brought to light for me that we need to update the Next Meeting box on the
Commission page. The NoBo page also needs updating. If a member of the public looks at it right
now, it is very hard to tell what's going on and what's up next.
thnx
Juana
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: juana@lawrenceandgomez.com <juana@lawrenceandgomez.com>
To: tim@engagecolorado.com <tim@engagecolorado.com>; Duncan Coker <duncan@rivercastcapital.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2020, 3:55:10 PM MST
Subject: Re: North Boulder Library interior design
Hello, Duncan,
Thank you again for your email and suggestions. I will pass these along to the staff in charge of the
library design team. As you illustrate, it is a careful balance in every public project to design for the
broadest public and encourage love of the library while discouraging inappropriate use.
Similar to my response to your note about the booths at the Main Library, my own thoughts are
that the library is open to all who observe the basic rules of conduct. Civility is expected. Mini-
encampments, sleeping, bathing are not allowed. There is no screening of people based on housing
status nor residency.
In several of our meetings, we the Commission have listened to advocates for the unhoused and
discussed whether the library has a role in formulating a solution. Perhaps, as you mention, the
new library can be used for meetings and other resources to help people experiencing
homelessness. In fact, this will be one of the topics of our upcoming retreat on March 14th at 9
am. The subject is on the agenda at approximately 2:45 pm.
Thank you again for your input. I look forward to meeting you at some point.
Juana Gomez
On Thursday, February 20, 2020, 9:15:18 AM MST, Duncan Coker <duncan@rivercastcapital.com> wrote:
Hi Juana and Tim,
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