In addition to the restrictions placed upon access to the building as a whole which are outlined in guideline 450, many additional areas within the Library are restricted and off-limits to users and the public. Such staff-only areas are established by the Director of the Library in consultation with unit heads as appropriate in order to protect uncatalogued and or valuable/fragile materials, library records, cash, checks, and staff property; or to ensure that staff are undisturbed in their work.

Current staff-only areas include, but are not limited to:

• All individual staff offices
• Accounting & Receiving storeroom
• Administrative offices
• Administrative storeroom
• Circulation workroom and desk area
• Library Media workrooms
• Security closet
• Serials workroom
• Serials storage rooms
• Special Collections stacks, meeting and workroom
• Special Collections remote storage rooms
• Staff lounge
• Technical Services workroom

Non-staff are not permitted in these areas unless on official business in which case they will ordinarily be accompanied or en route to a staff member. [Note: student assistants not on duty are considered non-staff for purposes of this guideline -- they should not study or gather in staff-only areas.]

It is not required and most areas are not posted explicitly as "staff-only." Access is limited with locks and staff monitoring.

Nonetheless, non-staff will sometimes "wander" into staff-only areas. Staff should not assume the presence of non-staff in a staff-only area is legitimate. Each staff member is responsible to approach any non-staff found in a staff-only area to ascertain why they are there. This is best done by politely asking if they can be directed to some service point or person they may be seeking. Staff may also require identification. Persons found in staff-only areas who cannot legitimately account for their presence there should be directed to leave the area (and escorted by the confronting staff member if feasible). Staff should notify campus police immediately if there is cause for further suspicion or a security problem (if, for example, property is missing). Staff should notify their supervisor. and submit an Incident Report Form of all such incidents whether or not the police are called.

Access to certain areas of the Library is further restricted to only those staff authorized by the supervising unit head:

• Accounting & Receiving storeroom
• Administrative offices and storeroom
• Special Collections stacks and workroom

Unit heads responsible are to monitor access to these areas, taking appropriate measures in consultation with the Director of the Library.

references: unit heads meeting minutes 4/27/92

previously implemented guideline written 6/24/92

updated 11/30/10