Policies about holiday decor?

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Policies about holiday decor?

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1RowanTribe
Oct 22, 2013, 4:43 pm

We're trying to get more organized in our system, and want to look at some other libraries and their limitations and policy expectations about seasonal decorations.

Anyone have a policy they don't mind me looking at? I welcome good and bad examples: we're starting from scratch, and want to see what is out there.

Many many thanks!

2timspalding
Oct 22, 2013, 5:42 pm

It's imperative that your "Santa's yuletide fireplace" not be fueled with books.

3weener
Oct 22, 2013, 9:59 pm

My library doesn't decorate for holidays. However, we are allowed to wear costumes on Halloween, provided they aren't scary, offensive, or revealing. That's about it. We are also allowed to wear shirts promoting our local sports teams on game nights if they make it to the playoffs.

4keristars
Oct 22, 2013, 10:46 pm

I have never seen anything explicitly religious the few times I've gone very far inside the library at Christmastime. If there is, it's usually in a display of all types of religions' winter holidays. That's the only holiday that really gets any decoration, and it's always limited to the central public spaces (the main lobby, the balusters on the stairs, wreaths at the elevators). Most other holidays are limited to decorative garlands behind the check-out counter or in the kids' and teens' areas. And, of course, holiday-themed book displays here and there.

Because it's the city's main library and you get lots of different kinds of folks through, it's probably a matter of keeping things as simple as possible so the public doesn't destroy it, and also to not interfere with the daily activities of the space (and also cleaning).

And there's probably not a lot of budget for decorations or the personnel needed to install them properly so that it all looks nice.

That last point is probably the biggest reason we don't do holiday decorations at my museum. That and the visual clutter in what's otherwise a very modern, all white-and-silver-and-pale lobby area with a giant 3-story art installation at the back. (Which right now is white and grey, but a few months ago was all kinds of wild candy colors. New artists come in 3 times a year to do change it up.)

5RowanTribe
Oct 24, 2013, 2:53 pm

Thanks all, that's helpful advice. On a more pointed note, do any of you actually have "written" or "official" policies that address decoration standards? I'm not finding many libraries that have specific policies that address the issue, and looking for the policies of other institutions (universities, businesses) isn't exactly parallel to our concerns.

Thank you again!

6weener
Oct 24, 2013, 7:15 pm

We do not, that I know of, have an official policy. Reminders about holiday decorations and attire are sent to employees through work e-mail.