Policy

Cell phone use is permitted by the public within Multnomah County Library buildings and should be regulated by MCL Behavior Rule #22, which prohibits:

Using personal electronic equipment at a volume that disturbs others, including, but not limited to, pagers, stereos, televisions and cellular telephones.

Rationale

Cell phones are a technology relied upon for the purpose of sharing information and conducting various transactions within the library.

Application

Cell phone users can be asked by a staff member to silence their ringer upon entering the library and to discontinue loud conversations. Cell phone users may also be asked to take their conversation to an area of the library where they will not disturb other patrons, if their conversation is louder than other conversations happening within the library. If these reasonable directions are not followed by cell phone users, they are in violation of MCL's Behavior Rules #8: Disobeying the reasonable direction of a library staff member or library security officer.

ExTeam approved library cell phone signage may be posted within library locations, as deemed appropriate by the administrator or manager. The purpose of the signs will be to assist both staff and patrons in understanding and conveying the library's cell phone guidelines.

As with all library policies and behavior rules, it is important that the cell phone policy be applied consistently throughout the library system. Buttons and signs indicating that cell phones are prohibited should not be utilized by staff at any library location.