Hi Cierra,

We have seen this problem several times, and we consider it a matter of sanitation and safety.
If there have not been any other major incidents and the only reason was that the person could not use a restroom, I would suggest a short suspension of thirty days. However, if the act was intentional, I would recommend a three-month suspension.
I would not connect the action to homelessness. Instead, I would treat it as a response to a biohazard issue that could affect the safety and well-being of staff and patrons.

I hope this helps.  Let me know if you would like to talk more about it.  
Best,
Joe

On Tue, Sep 22, 2026 at 4:04 PM Cierra Bakovka via Michlib-l <michlib-l@liblists.org> wrote:
Hi all,

I've never had to ban a patron for any length of time before. How does everyone else go about it?

We had a patron (who we suspect is unhoused) defecate on the library's front porch. It was after hours, but we can see them on camera. The person has been spending time at the library over the last couple of weeks, but we don't know their name. They already became a bit argumentative when asked to keep their shoes on inside the library, so I am not sure what the best way to proceed. Any suggestions or sharing of similar experiences is welcomed. 

Cierra Bakovka, MLIS                                                     
She/Her
Director
Henika District Library





 


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