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Michigan Library Revises Gun Ban to Satisfy State LawThe Waterford Township (Mich.) Public Library officially revised its rules of conduct August 22 so that a prohibition on carrying guns into the building doesn’t conflict with state law.Library Director Joan Rogers told American Libraries that until recently, the library did not have written rules of conduct. However, after the library experienced problems with people bringing their pets into the building earlier this year, officials decided to codify policies governing such issues as cell-phone use, food and beverages, and pets. The board worked with a city attorney for several months to draft official rules, which also included a prohibition on guns in the library. However, after the policy was approved in June, officials discovered that although Michigan state law prohibits carrying a concealed weapon into schools, bars, or sports stadiums, the law doesn’t cover municipal buildings such as libraries. “We can’t have rules that fly in the face of state law,” Rogers said. The gun prohibition has since been revised to prohibit “firearms that are brandished, carried, or possessed in violation of the laws of the United States or the state of Michigan.” In 2004, the Herrick District Library in Holland, Michigan, voted to change its policy prohibiting firearms in order to conform with the state law. Posted September 2, 2005. |
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