Solicitation
University policy(http://www.president.umd.edu/policies/docs/vi410a.pdf) regulates use of indoor and outdoor campus spaces for purposes other than academic programs. Solicitation of funds or other support, public speaking, distribution of literature, etc., are permitted under specific guidelines. Individuals wishing to speak publicly or to distribute literature are prohibited from engaging in the sale or promotion of commercial goods or services. Similarly, off-campus vendors may not sell, solicit, market and/or promote retail or corporate businesses. (http://www.union.umd.edu/reservations/handbook.shtml)
The Libraries have adapted the campus policies, to cover behaviors such as public speaking, distributing literature, asking for money within the Libraries, gathering personal information from library staff or users, and the like. The Libraries’ policy on solicitation is as follows.
Any individual, including students and staff of the University, may not solicit funds or personal information in any library facility. Exceptions are library employees asking for contributions to support approved library activities such as those of the Goodwill Committee or a charity as part of the holiday staff gathering.
Any library staff member who sees or comes in contact with a solicitor within the Libraries should inform the solicitor of library policy and ask him/her to leave. If he/she refuses to leave, the University of Maryland Police Department (UMPD) should be contacted immediately and the incident recorded in the UM Libraries Security Log.
If the incident occurs outdoors in the vicinity of a library facility, the solicitor must provide proper documentation received from the Campus Reservations Office. If the solicitor fails to do so, he/she should be informed of university policy and asked to discontinue solicitation. If the solicitor refuses to comply, UMPD should be contacted immediately and the incident recorded in the UM Libraries Security Log.
Library staff contacting police should also call the Director of Public Services, who will follow up with the library liaison in the UMPDS.
