Approved by LEC, 5/28/2019

Animals are not allowed in the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery, except as specified below. Attempting to bring an animal into the Library is considered a violation of the Library Rules and will result in removal from the Library. Repeated infractions may result in being banned from the Library.

Service Animals as recognized and defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are allowed in the library when they are assisting a user who has a disability.[1] Service animals are dogs (and in rare cases miniature horses) which are trained to do specific work or perform certain tasks for individuals with disabilities. Examples of such tasks may include guiding an individual who is blind, alerting individuals who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, providing stability or balance to an individual with an observable mobility disability, or alerting and protecting an individual experiencing a seizure. Service animals are not required to wear a vest or any particular type of harness, leash, patch, etc. A service animal is not a pet.

If Library staff is unclear on whether an animal is a service animal, they may ask two questions:

1. Is the animal required because of a disability? and

2. What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?

Library staff may ask a user to remove a service animal that is not under the handler’s control (such as jumping on people or running away from the handler), barking excessively, or acting aggressively. For such incidents an Incident Report Form should be completed and the Library administration will report the incident to Accessibility and Disability Services.

Library users who have questions about service animals on campus should contact the Office of Student Disability Services: https://sds.umbc.edu/.

Emotional Support Animals (aka therapy or comfort animals) are not recognized by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and are not allowed in the Library.

The Library Director or designee may grant permission to bring animals into the Library for special events.

[1] U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section. ADA Requirements: Service Animals. https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm. July 12, 2011.