Recently Asked Questions (RAQs)

I saw a leashed dog in the library and saw no obvious identifiers that it was a service animal. I approached the patron and told him that pets were not allowed in the library. He told me that if I looked down, I could see it was a service animal. In fact, I could not. He then turned the animal around and pointed at the collar, which had "service animal" embroidered in it. Upon turning around to face me, the dog licked both of my hands. The owner ignored this behavior and went back to looking for books. (We do have video footage of the incident and can clearly see in it that the dog licked my hands.)

Does the dog licking my hands constitute a failure to keep the service animal (whether legitimate or not) under control?

I have already contacted the Attorney General's office with this specific question, which they declined to answer, and an HR attorney for advice on what to do if it happens to someone I supervise, which they declined to answer other than saying to tell employees to be cautious around service animals.

My library knows that service animals provide vital assistance to patrons with disabilities, and that they must be allowed on library premises without pre-approval.

We also know that when a service animal is brought into the library by a visitor, we can only ask if the animal is needed for a disability, and what work or task it has been trained to provide.

We also know that some disabilities are not easily observed, and not every person using a service animal will be perceived as having a “real” disability.

Our library is small and we prohibit all animals—other than service animals—for a combination of reasons (including cleanliness, allergies, and fear).

Our question is this: we have a patron who we think is faking it. The patron sometimes comes in with a dog, and based on a variety of factors, it seems the patron is bringing in the dog not to accommodate a disability but to taunt staff members and dare them to confront this patron. What can we do?

A member of the public called me regarding the trend to switch to LED lighting in many libraries, especially rural libraries applying for NYS Public Library Construction Funding. She told me that she suffers from Photosensitive Epilepsy, and LED lights (among other light sources) cause her to have seizures, which result in injuries. She said this disease has limited access to much of what we all take for granted.

The local library, across the street, was the only place she could go because of the older lighting. The library is about to undergo renovation, and LED lighting may be part of the project because of its cost-savings and environmental impact.

She would like the library board to reconsider and asked why the library has not conducted a “reduction of access survey” because public libraries need to maintain or improve access. Are there reasonable accommodations combined to be fiscally responsible?

Thanks.

We have a large facility. Sometimes patrons have to walk far to get to various programs and spaces. We have had a few patrons in the recent couple of months ask if we have a wheelchair or walker they could use to help them get around. We consulted with our insurance provider about this and he basically said to ask a lawyer. We want to provide accessibility accommodations but are also concerned if doing so opens us up to liability issues. Thanks!

Sometimes, people nap in the library, particularly people who we believe might not have stable or sufficient housing. We feel that a library should not exclude people who need a secure place to rest, so long as there is no interference with library operations, but are there any legal considerations to this issue?