[Libs-Or] Body Odor Policy

[Cindy Gibbon]

Ted, this matter was adjudicated back in the 1990s in Kreimer v. Bureau of
Police in Morristown, NJ related to the rules of behavior of the Morristown
Public Library.  The courts held that libraries can, indeed have rules
about offensive body odor. I would add that they should be applied
even-handedly to the guy who smells like a latrine and the matron who is
doused in too much perfume.  There is a bit more info on the Kreimer case
<http://www.librarylaw.com/Behaviorcases.html> on Mary Minnow's library law
site, as well as other good info on the case law that applies to library
behavior rules.

As you can imagine, we deal with this regularly at MCL.  Our behavior rules
say:

*Any person who violates rules 24 and 25 while in or on library premises
will be excluded from the premises until the problem is corrected.*

24. Entering library buildings with bare feet or a bare chest.

25. Disturbing others because of offensive body odor.
Here at MCL we keep a handout ready that we can give patrons we have to
exclude for this reason.  It has information about free resources where
they can bathe and get clean clothes. I don't know what you have available
in Newport but if you have such resources it provides compassionate way to
deal with this type of situation.  That said, we occasionally have someone
who can't or won't clean up, and in those cases you do not have to readmit
them.

Hang in there!
Cindy
*Cindy Gibbon*
Access & Information Services Director
Multnomah County Library
*Voice:*  503.988.5496
*Fax:*  503.988.5441
cindyg at multcolib.org


On Mon, Jan 5, 2015 at 2:05 PM, Ted Smith <t.smith at newportlibrary.org>
wrote:

>  Do any of you have a policy I can use that covers 1) horrible (to say
> the least) body odor and 2) the library as a fragrance free zone.  Please
> don’t tell me we can’t ban/bar/exclude patrons from our libraries because
> of excessive body odor (see attached link).  I’m just wondering if any
> libraries have policies, or any cities have codified an ordinance that
> covers this issue.
>
>
>
> Are any of your libraries fragrance free?  Policies?
>
>
>
> As a side note: I talked to this patron and he “solved” the problem by
> dousing himself with AXE cologne.  I have one of the strongest stomachs
> known to mankind.  This guy could gag a corpse.  Patrons are complaining,
> staff are in a quandary as to how to proceed.  Yes, he has an apartment
> with a working shower – I know because I offered to purchase passes to our
> rec center so he could shower.  He told me he didn’t need them.  I’m open
> to ideas.
>
>
>
> http://articles.latimes.com/2005/mar/05/local/me-smell5
>
>
>
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