Revealed: Why have people been banned from Wiltshire libraries?
Bans over the last five years have been shared by the Council
Disorderly behaviour is the main reason for which people are banned from libraries across Wiltshire, a freedom of information request has revealed.
The data received from Wiltshire Council shows that there have been 14 incidents which have escalated to the point of someone being banned from one of the county’s libraries since 2021.
1\0 of these incidents involved disorderly behaviour, ranging from the individuals in question being intoxicated to abusive.
Four accounts of inappropriate behaviour were also recorded.
These inappropriate incidents included one case of harassment, as well as another during which someone accessed “inappropriate websites on library computers.”
The latter occurred in Devizes library, with the most frequent location for bans being Salisbury (5), Trowbridge (3) and Chippenham (3).
The detail of the bans’ locations was provided as follows:
2021: Trowbridge: abusive/disorderly behaviour
2022: Marlborough/Pewsey: inappropriate behaviour – harassment; Salisbury: abusive/disorderly behaviour; Salisbury: abusive/disorderly behaviour
2023: Chippenham: disorderly behaviour/intoxicated; Chippenham: disorderly behaviour/intoxicated; Salisbury: abusive/disorderly behaviour; Trowbridge: abusive/disorderly behaviour; Devizes: accessing inappropriate websites on library computers; Salisbury: inappropriate behaviour; Salisbury: abusive/disorderly behaviour
2024: Devizes: abusive/disorderly behaviour; Chippenham: disorderly behaviour/intoxicated; Trowbridge: inappropriate behaviour
According to the council, these bans have varied in length.
There are over 30 libraries across Wiltshire, where people have access to books, Wi-Fi, pubic computers and printing facilities.