Library Board approved November 18, 2003. Revised November 18, 2025.
Introduction
The Oak Park Public Library is committed to providing a safe and healthful work environment for every staff member, patron, vendor, and visitor. Due to increased societal violence filtering into the workplace, the library is taking proactive steps to prevent incidents of violence. These steps include expressly prohibiting any acts or threats of violence by any staff member, former staff member, or third party (including patrons, vendors, and visitors) at the library or any library-related event.
The library will not tolerate any acts of violence or threatening behavior by any staff or third party toward library staff. This policy applies to all areas of the library’s premises, including facilities, grounds, parking areas, and related events.
Prohibited Conduct
The following list of behaviors, while not exhaustive, provides examples of conduct that is expressly prohibited and will not be tolerated:
- Engaging in fighting, play fighting, or other conduct that may be dangerous to others;
- Physical assault or causing injury to another person (pushing or hitting someone, throwing an object, etc.);
- Making threatening comments, whether verbal, non-verbal, or written, including those that are intended to be made in a joking manner;
- Verbal abuse, harassment, or intimidation;
- Behaving in an aggressive or hostile manner that creates a reasonable fear of injury to another person or subjects another individual to emotional distress;
- Intentionally damaging the library’s, a patron’s, a vendor’s, a visitor’s, or a co-worker’s property;
- Possessing weapons such as explosives, firearms, knives, switchblades, brass knuckles, slingshots, clubs, look-alike weapons, or any other objects that could reasonably be construed as a weapon, in accordance with the Illinois Firearm Concealed Carry Act;
- Bullying, stalking, or coercive behavior;
- Committing acts motivated by, or related to, sexual harassment or domestic violence; and
- Any behavior that creates a hostile, unsafe, or fearful work environment.
Responsibilities & Reporting
The library is responsible for providing a safe and secure work environment. All staff members must partner with the library in upholding this policy.
Each staff member has a duty to promptly report any threat, instance of harassment, offensive conduct, violent act, or suspicion that a violent act may be committed, whether by a staff member, patron, vendor, or visitor, to their immediate supervisor or Human Resources. If neither is available and the situation is an emergency, a report should be made to Public Safety or another person in charge.
The library is committed to treating all reports of workplace violence seriously, conducting a prompt and thorough investigations, and implementing appropriate corrective actions to ensure a safe environment.
Staff members who apply for or obtain a protective or restraining order that lists the library’s premises as a protected area should inform Human Resources. The library may require a copy of the order.
Corrective Action
Any staff member who engages in, or shows a tendency to engage in, violent, abusive, or threatening behavior, or who otherwise engages in behavior that the library, in its sole discretion, deems offensive or inappropriate, will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
The library maintains a zero-tolerance stance toward any form of violence, intimidation, or harassment directed at staff by any third party, including patrons, vendors, or visitors. Accordingly, the library will take appropriate action when dealing with third parties who engage in the conduct listed above. This includes subjecting the individual to immediate removal from the premises and a potential exclusion from the library. In addition, the library will report such behavior to the proper authorities and seek prosecution to the maximum extent of the law.
Protection Against Retaliation
The library strictly prohibits and will not tolerate retaliation of any kind against an individual who, in good faith, reports a violation of this policy or participates in an investigation under this policy. Any staff member found to have engaged in retaliation will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.