A library card in good standing is required to borrow physical items and digital content. The Circulation Policy describes: who is eligible to receive a card, acceptable forms of identification in applying for a card, different account types, and loan periods/limits.

The Collection Development Policy, approved by the Library Board of Trustees, outlines the Union County Library’s policy regarding the selection, acquisition, and retention of all Library resources.

Computers and Wi-Fi access are provided to enable library users to meet their information needs, to produce quality products using production software, and to connect to online services.  Rules governing access and use can be found here.

Union County Facility Use Policy

Section 1. Application.

This Policy shall govern the use by any person or entity other than Union County Government or its officers, employees, or agents of facilities owned, operated, or leased by Union County. Where this Policy conflicts with or clarifies provisions in other facility use policies, this Policy shall supersede those provisions in any previously adopted facility use policies unless otherwise expressly stated herein. Prior Union County Facility Use Policies are repealed.

For purposes of this Policy, the term “facility” shall refer to grounds, buildings, rooms, or other spaces within buildings, structures, or real property. This Policy does not apply to facilities the use or operation of which is controlled by another governmental entity, elected official, or statutorily constituted board; Union County facilities leased to another party pursuant to a lease agreement; use of Union County facilities immediately adjacent to or surrounding leased premises when used by the lessee of such leased premises, upon written notice and consent prior to such use; or facilities which Union County is required by law to provide for use by another entity, such as adult and juvenile probation.

Section 2. Union County Human Services Building.

Under this Policy, rooms at the Union County Human Services Building may be reserved and used only in the manner and for the purposes listed in this Section 2 and with the express permission of the County Manager or his designee:

A. Events involving the participation of the County through:

i. The County’s participation as host of the event, or
ii. The County’s participation in a committee or group by a duly authorized employee acting as a representative of the County in their official capacity;

B. Events hosted by County business partners, including organizations with which the County has a contract or Memorandum of Understanding, organizations with which the County has a working relationship, organizations receiving County funding through the annual budget, and boards and committees in which the County is a participant or which the County has formed alone or in partnership with other organizations; and

C. Events hosted by other governmental entities.

The availability of the uses for purposes listed in this section, however, is not intended to convey a right to use any Union County facility. All facility use under this section may be modified or terminated at any time in the discretion of the County and may not include Prohibited Conduct.

Section 3. Union County Historic Courthouse.

A. Under this Policy, rooms at the Union County Historic Courthouse may be reserved and used only in the manner and for the purposes listed in this Section 3 and with the express permission of the County Manager or his designee:

i. Events involving the participation of the County through:

a. The County’s participation as the host of the event, or
b. The County’s participation in a committee or group by a duly authorized employee acting as a representative of the County in their official capacity; and

ii. Events hosted by other governmental entities.

The availability of the uses for purposes listed in this section, however, is not intended to convey a right to use any Union County facility. All facility use under this section may be modified or terminated at any time in the discretion of the County and may not include Prohibited Conduct.

B. All meetings or events held at the Union County Historic Courthouse must comply with the following rules, which may be supplemented but not contradicted by additional requirements adopted by the County Manager.

i. Request for reservations must be submitted to the Union County Facilities Department at least 30 days but not more than 90 days prior to the event (this requirement is not applicable to Union County).
ii. All reservations will occur during Union County’s regular business hours, and all events must be complete, including all clean up, by close of business on the date of the reservation.
iii. Pre-prepared food and beverages are permitted but must be confined to spaces outside the Courtroom. Absolutely no food or beverages are permitted in the Courtroom. All food trash must be secured in closed plastic bags. If a group is serving food or beverages and spillage occurs, the group may be charged a cleaning fee.

C. If a group which reserves space at the Union County Historic Courthouse causes damage to the facility, Union County reserves the right to charge the group a fee for damages.

Section 4. Union County Library.

A. Under this Policy, meeting rooms located at any Union County Library location may be reserved for the purposes listed in this Section 4 and with the express permission of the County Manager or his designee:

i. Events hosted by nonprofit organizations with a legal residence or that are headquartered in Union County, which shall include local Union County-based chapters of national nonprofit organizations;
ii. Group events hosted by current resident Union County Public Library card holders in good standing or community groups located in Union County but not formally incorporated as nonprofit organizations;
iii. Events involving the participation of the County through:

i. The County's participation as host of the event, or
ii. The County's participation in a committee or group by a duly authorized employee acting as a representative of the County in their official capacity;

iv. Events hosted by County business partners, including organizations with which the County has a contract or Memorandum of Understanding, organizations with which the County has a regular working relationship, organizations receiving County funding through the annual budget, and boards and committees in which the County is a participant or which the County has formed alone or in partnership with other organizations; and
v. Events hosted by other governmental entities.

The availability of these uses, however, is not intended to convey a right to use any Library facility. All facility use under this section may be modified or terminated at any time in the discretion of the County and may not include Prohibited Conduct.

B. All meetings or events held at any Library facility must comply with the following rules, which may be supplemented but not contradicted by additional requirements of a particular library facility.

i. The event must be open to the public and appropriate for all ages – meetings may not be used for private or exclusive meetings or events. By way of example and not limitation, a group may host a committee meeting at a Library facility in which only the members of the committee may speak or take action on business items, but members of the general public must be permitted to attend and observe up to the capacity limits of the room.
ii. Attendance at the event may not be conditioned upon payment of an admission fee or donation.
iii. Requests for reservations must be submitted to the Library at least 30 days but not more than 90 days prior to the event (this requirement is not applicable to Union County or other governmental entities).
iv. No group or organization making use of Library meeting space may make more than one reservation at a time. Groups or organizations wishing to make additional reservations may only do so after their most recent reservation is complete.
v. Reservations for use of meeting rooms at any Library location are intended for use by groups. If an individual attempts to reserve a meeting room for use by one individual or pair of individuals, Library staff has the right to deny the reservation. This section does not apply to use of study rooms at the Library, which are generally available on a first come, first served basis and are governed by separate policy.
vi. All reservations are limited to a maximum of four hours.
vii. All reservations will occur during the Library’s regular business hours, and all events must be complete, including all clean up, by close of business on the date of the reservation.
viii. At the time the reservation is requested, a duly authorized representative of the organization hosting the event must execute one or more documents which may include but are not limited to a liability waiver, damage responsibility form, and acknowledgement of the rules and conditions for use of the Library facility. All reservations must be made by a representative of the organization, who is at least 18 years of age, and the person making the reservation must be present at all times during the reservation.
ix. Pre-prepared food and beverages are permitted but must be confined to the meeting room. If available, kitchen facilities may be used for beverage preparation or reheating prepared food. All kitchen space, utensils, and appliances must be left clean and orderly. All food trash must be secured in closed plastic bags. If a group is serving food or beverages and spillage occurs, the group may be charged a cleaning fee.

C. County events or events of other governmental entities may receive priority in facility use, and the County therefore reserves the right to supersede reservations by a group or organization within 7 days of the reservation being confirmed or 30 days prior to the date of the event, whichever is nearer to the event reservation date. Reservations are not a guarantee of availability or use: the County also reserves the right to cancel a reservation at any time, for any reason.

D. The County Manager or designee may set meeting room capacity limits for each available meeting room. Such capacity limits shall be based on a number of factors, including but not limited to the furniture configuration for the event (if any), the presence of other library events or activities, age and physical ability of attendees, and Library staff capacity to manage events. The person requesting the reservation must inform the County with reasonable certainty of the expected specific number of attendees for the event in order to allow the County to determine whether the requested meeting space is appropriately sized for the event planned on a particular day.

E. If a group which reserves space at a Library facility causes damage to the facility, Union County reserves the right to charge the group a fee for damages.

F. For all events hosted by an organization, unless the County is hosting the event, the host organization must ensure that its advertising and materials related to the event make it clear that use of the facility does not convey an endorsement of the group, its mission, or its event by the County. The County may also place signage to this effect outside the event. This requirement can be waived only by the County Manager. In addition, no organization other than Union County may post promotional materials or signs at the Library prior to the event.

G. Nothing in this Section 4 or elsewhere in this Policy is intended to conflict with or supersede any interlocal agreement between Union County and another governmental entity regarding the use of Library facilities.

Section 5. Union County Parks and Union County Agricultural and Event Complex.

This Policy is not intended to modify or supersede any previously adopted policies and procedures for the use of facilities at the Union County Parks and the Union County Agricultural and Event Complex.

Section 6. Prohibited Conduct.

In order to ensure Union County facilities are used in a manner consistent with the varied uses and purposes for which the facilities were designed and to ensure the safe operation of Union County facilities and their surrounding areas, the following restrictions apply to applications for use of a Union County facility. No events shall be permitted which would:

A. Exceed the occupancy of the facility or the ability to conduct other contemporaneous use of the facility;
B. Cause obstructions in the facility, upon its grounds, or points of ingress/egress;
C. Cause obstructions or traffic problems on streets and sidewalks, especially during business hours;
D. Involve noxious odors;
E. Produce harmful or distracting lights (e.g., laser or strobe lights);
F. Be unreasonably loud or disturbing;
G. Involve uses or activities that pose a danger to or are not age-appropriate for those in or around the facility;
H. Be reasonably likely to disturb regular County business;
I. Involve illegal activity, including the display of material or actions that violate Article 26 of Chapter 14 of the North Carolina General Statutes;
J. Involve the display, exhibition, or presentation of content which falls into the category of unprotected speech as established by State or Federal law, including obscene content or activity prohibited by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-190.1;
K. Involve programming or materials not suitable for young children and minors who may be in or around the meeting space, such as alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, nudity, sexualized conduct or attire, or profanity; or
L. Involve conducting commercial, retail, or profitmaking activities.

Section 7. Non-Endorsement of Third-Party Activities.

Union County makes no endorsement of any events that occur at one of the County’s facilities unless such events are expressly stated to be supported or endorsed by Union County.

Section 8. Violations.

If an individual or group violates or is reasonably determined to be likely to violate this Policy or applicable Federal, State, or local laws, or if an individual or group materially misrepresents the type of event or meeting to be held at a Union County facility, Union County may take immediate action to remedy the violation, up to and including referral for criminal prosecution, cancellation of the reservation, and removal of the individual or group from the facility on a temporary or, in appropriate cases, permanent basis. Law enforcement may be requested to assist with remedying Policy violations, trespassing, or any other violation of applicable policies or laws.

Section 9. Effective Date.

Family Wellness Space Policy

Union County Library’s Family Wellness Spaces are equipped with a range of furniture for nursing parents as well as toys, gadgets and more to meet people’s unique sensory needs and provide a calming space. Family wellness spaces exist to provide a safe, non-threatening environment for nursing parents or those in need of a lactation space. Additionally, the space has been designed for neurodivergent individuals who need a calming space to self-regulate during their time at the library. The Wellness Space requires at least one adult facilitator to support the experience for the child or vulnerable adult. This adult facilitator must be a parent/guardian, caregiver, or direct support professional. Library wellness spaces are available for community use at the Main Library in Monroe, the Southwest Regional Library in Waxhaw, and the Union West Regional Library in Indian Trail.

Family Wellness Space Capacity and Family Wellness Space Description

Guidelines for Community Use of Family Wellness Spaces

Family wellness spaces are available on a first come/first serve basis. Users may sign up for a one-hour period. Individuals of all ages and abilities are welcome to participate within the space, but it is not meant to be a general play area. Staff reserves the right to ask a patron to give up the room or space if they have reached their one hour of use and someone who has not yet had a turn is requesting access. All wellness space users are expected to conclude their use of the space by library closing, even if their one hour of time has not been reached. Abuse of the Family Wellness Space Policy may result in loss of room usage privileges.

• Children 12 and younger must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver and cannot be left unattended in the room.
• Shoes may be removed inside wellness spaces, but socks must be worn at all times.
• No food or drinks are allowed in wellness spaces, except for dietary or medical needs.
• Wellness spaces can’t be used as professional therapy spaces without prior approval of the library.
• If an item in a wellness space is broken or not working properly, please notify a staff member.
• Individuals may stay in wellness spaces for up to 30 minutes to re-regulate before re-entering the library’s active areas. Please be considerate if others are waiting.
• There is a maximum of four, 30 minute uses per day, per location. These uses may not occur consecutively. 
• Individuals may change how much light is in the wellness space by utilizing any lamps and calming lights in the space.
• Unless using the room as a lactation space or nursing room, the curtain must remain open at all times.
• Everything located inside wellness spaces must remain in the space at all times.
• Users are encouraged to explore and utilize the amenities available in the space.
• If an individual needs help waiting, they can ask staff for a timer to help them be patient and wait for their time in the wellness space.
• To help prepare the room for its next user, patrons are encouraged to clean items off with a cleansing cloth before leaving the wellness space.
• For assistance on how to use wellness space items, individuals can refer to the calming space guide located in each wellness space. Wellness space guides are a comprehensive resource on how to enjoy the amenities available to them.

Fees

The use of the library’s wellness spaces is free. Family wellness spaces must be left in good condition after use. If damage occurs, individuals accept responsibility for costs for additional cleaning and/or repairs. The library reserves the right to deny use of the wellness spaces to any individuals that repeatedly damage the facility or use the wellness spaces in any way that is inconsistent with this or other Union County Library policies.

Union County Library provides limited test proctoring service to Union County Library account holders in good standing. The availability of staff certified to proctor will determine when and how many appointments can be scheduled. The service is offered by appointment at the Main Library and Union West Library only.

Proctoring Policy (Updated 02/2022)

Safe Environment Guidelines

The Union County Library (the “Library”) welcomes all and wishes those who visit the Library, both physically and virtually, to feel safe and comfortable. Library visitors have the responsibility to use the Library in a manner that does not threaten the safe and comfortable environment of the Library, as set out further in these guidelines below. If you experience or witness something that you feel is in violation of the library's Safe Environment Policy, please inform a staff member immediately or email Library Administration at ucpladministration@unioncountync.gov.

Illegal Activities

Any activity that violates any local, state, or federal law, rule, or regulation, or any other applicable law, is prohibited.

Conduct and Behavior

While using the Library, visitors must refrain from:

• Sleeping
• Littering or leaving an area in an unhygienic or disarrayed state
• Possessing or consuming alcoholic products or being intoxicated or under the influence of alcoholor drugs
• Carrying a concealed handgun
• Smoking within the confines of the Library
• Soliciting for any purpose
• Proselytizing
• Being disruptive, including actions such as excessive running, jumping, or creating unreasonable noise of any kind
• Refusing to follow the directions of staff
• Obstructing exits/entrances/pathways
• Abandoning or failing to supervise a child under the age of 8
• Leaving personal belongings unattended. Unattended belongings may be placed in the lost and found by Library staff.
• Infringing on others’ privacy through actions that include prolonged staring, taking photos of others without permission, asking inappropriate personal questions, or any other form of unwanted attention.
• Harassing anyone physically, verbally, or sexually. Harassing behavior may include, without limitation, offensive, vulgar or abusive language or gestures or threats of violence.
• Bathing, shaving, washing clothes or using restrooms in any other unintended way
• Using furniture or fixtures in an unintended manner

Food/Drinks

Drinks with lids are allowed, except where otherwise posted. Snack foods are allowed. Meals are not allowed unless prior permission has been given by Library staff.

Children/Vulnerable Individuals in the Library

Children under the age of 8 and/or vulnerable individuals must be accompanied by a parent or appointed caregiver aged 13 or older at all times when at the Library. Such persons must behave in accordance with these guidelines.

Parents and responsible caregivers are expected to provide supervision for their children whenever their children are on Library property. Staff members do not operate in loco parentis and the Library does not assume any responsibility for children on Library property.

Animals

Only service animals, or animals approved for a Library event, are allowed in the Library. A visitor bringing any animal, including a service animal, in the Library will be responsible for any property damage and/or injuries caused by any such animal on Library property.

Library Policies

Abiding by these guidelines and all other Library policies and guidelines is required.

Clothing/Attire

Visitors are expected to be appropriately dressed at all times.

Virtual and Online Spaces

The Union County Library values everyone’s attendance and engagement across all of our digital platforms and at our virtual events. We strive to provide a welcoming, safe, and supportive environment where community members may learn, network, and share information with others in an atmosphere of mutual respect. To that end, we ask that community members engaging on one of the library's digital platforms or at a virtual event abide by the rules outlined in Safe Environment Policy as they apply to a virtual space.

Consequences

A visitor’s failure to comply with these guidelines may result in the visitor being asked to leave the Library for the day or longer, losing certain privileges, and/or the local authorities being called.

Appeal Opportunity

Any person excluded from the Library, and/or losing privileges, for a period of one month or longer will be notified in writing (when and where feasible) of this decision by a Library manager, administrator, or security officer. In such cases, the person has the opportunity to appeal the decision by submitting a written request to the Assistant County Manager clearly stating why he/she believes that his/her privileges should be restored. The appeal must be initiated within fifteen (15 days) following the initial date of exclusion or loss of privileges. The Assistant County Manager will respond within ten (10) working days of the date that the appeal is received. You will be notified by U. S. Mail of any appeal decision.