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Recently Asked Questions (RAQs)

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Question Submission Date
Is a Public Library Responsible for Patron Conduct Outside the Library?

Our public library has been told by patrons that another patron is following up on interactions at the library, including at the circulation desk, by showing up at the reporting patrons’ homes. Such behavior, if harassing, is against our Code of Conduct. Does our library risk legal liability for this?
2025 “First Amendment Auditor” in The Library Roundup

[We got some questions from a library in the midst of revising a policy on recording in the library...]

Are staff required to give their first and last names (or any name) to an auditor or member of the public on demand?
Is photographing and videotaping members of the public in the library without their consent permissible?
Is photographing and videotaping in the library allowed “only when consistent with the nature or purpose of the facility (during programming, etc.) or “at the discretion of the Library Director”? Our current policy language reflects this, and it isn’t clear whether this is legally sound.
What exactly can a 1st Amendment Auditor film or photograph?
Are permissions for these activities different for members of the media; both commercial and independent, self-identifying journalists or media organizations?