The library board recently approved the following addition (highlighted) to the list of violations included in Conduct in the Library Policy.
Bringing an animal into the library, unless it is assisting a person with a disability. Animals whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support are not allowed in the library.
There’s no need to address every instance of an animal in the library–just if the animal is causing problems. If the animal is not causing problems, assume it’s a legit service animal. If you do need to address a patron with an animal, you can only ask two questions:
- Is the dog a service animal that is required because of a disability? (You are not allowed to ask about the disability.)
- What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
You are not allowed to request documentation or that the dog demonstrate its task. Let me know if you have any questions.