Registered Sex Offenders Against Minors Policy
The Belmond Public Library strives to provide a friendly and safe environment for minors to access information, technology and services. To support this mission, the Board of Trustees of the Belmond Public Library, in accordance with Chapter 692A of Subtitle 1 of Title 16 of the Code of Iowa, prohibits the presence of sex offenders convicted of sex offenses against minors upon or within 300 feet of library property without written permission of the library director.

1. A request for appeal may be submitted to the Library Board of Trustees by the requester in the event that the permission for access to the library building is denied by the Library Director. The Director’s decision may be overturned by vote at a meeting of the Board of Trustees where a quorum is present.
2. Under the law, persons barred from library property remain entitled to library service. These individuals may apply for a library card with the assistance of a courier of their choice. A library card application form must be completed, and a proof of residence and an official state or federal identification number shown on a current driver’s license or other official document must be provided.
3. It is the responsibility of the barred library patron to arrange for an adult courier to select, check out, and return materials to the library through possession of the barred library patron’s card. The barred library patron is responsible for all materials checked out on his/her library card.
4. Persons barred from library property under the law will not be served by the library’s homebound delivery service.
5. The issuance of a library card to individuals who have been convicted of a sex offense involving a minor does not grant those individuals permission to enter the library or to be present on library property.
6. Suspicious persons or persons who appear to be “loitering” will be reported to the police to be checked out and investigated.
7. Background checks will be performed using the National Sex Offender Registry on all employees, potential employees, and volunteers who are or will be working on library property.
8. Violations of this policy will be immediately reported to law enforcement.


Adopted by Library Board of Trustees on October 19, 2009
Reviewed by Library Board 1/21/13, 3/21/16, 7/15/19
Reviewed and revised by Library Board 3/15/21
Reviewed 3/18/2024