photo by: Shawn Valverde

The lawn of the Lawrence Public Library is pictured Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.

On the heels of a lease agreement with the City of Lawrence, the Lawrence Public Library has announced conduct policy changes and new hours of operation for the lawn immediately adjacent to the building.

As the Journal-World has reported, the library’s Board of Trustees last month approved a draft lease agreement with the city, at $1 a year for five years, that grants the library jurisdiction over the outdoor space at 707 Vermont St. The Lawrence City Commission granted final approval for the lease at its latest meeting.

The move is intended to address community concerns about disruptive behavior in areas outside of the library earlier this summer. Because the City of Lawrence owns the land the library sits on, including the lawn and the parking garage next door, library leaders said they were hesitant to enforce the library behavior policy outdoors.

Now, according to a message from the library sent to cardholders Thursday evening, the lease comes with new usage guidelines and hours of operation for the lawn. Also, the message says the green space will be reserved “only for official library-sponsored and library partner events” moving forward.

In terms of the type of conduct now restricted in that space, the message includes a short list: Littering, alcohol and drug use, smoking and vaping, verbal harassment, off-leash or free-roaming animals, illegal activity and camping are all now prohibited. The message says visitors agree to follow the library’s code of conduct by using the surrounding outdoor campus.

The library plaza’s new hours, meanwhile, are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, with the exception of during official library events when the plaza may remain open until the event has ended.

The message specifies that any comments or concerns about the Vermont Street parking garage should be forwarded to the City of Lawrence at parking@lawrenceks.org.

“This is a process and part of an ongoing community conversation,” the message reads. “We appreciate your patience as we navigate our new relationship with the space and roll out our new outdoor behavior guidelines.”