Guidance on using our public libraries

Hampshire Libraries offer a variety of services for the whole community to use. We ask you to be respectful to our team and customers when visiting our premises by following the guidelines outlined below:

• Always treat our team and other customers with respect and courtesy.
• Treat the building with respect, use the facilities for the purposes they were intended and tidy any areas you have used when finished.
• To keep children safe, children under the age of eight must be accompanied and supervised by a parent, carer, or responsible adult, in all areas of the library.
• Be respectful to others by not using offensive language.
• Our team will try to answer all enquiries promptly. However, as public libraries are busy places, if the support you require will take a significant amount of time our staff may suggest booking an appointment at a mutually convenient time.
• Smoking is not permitted inside the library, this includes the use or charging of e-cigarettes.
• Be respectful and do not enter the building whist under the influence of drugs or alcohol to the extent you are unable to care for yourself or pose a risk to other library customers. Drugs are not permitted onsite, alcohol is not permitted onsite except for authorised events.
• Treat all resources in the library with respect and advise our team of any accidental damage.
• Familiarise yourself and follow the Library and IT regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Only trained (and in training) assistance dogs are allowed in our libraries. We encourage customers to use an appropriate harness, jacket or lead to assist other customers to identify them. All other animals (including emotional support animals) are not permitted in our libraries.
• Tell us if things go wrong at the earliest opportunity so we can improve our services.