Bexley Library Service - Printed Materials Display Policy

Overview

All posters, notices, leaflets and other materials for display must be:

• Of a high standard
• Professionally printed or computer generated, hand-written notices will not be displayed.
• The text of posters should have a suitable font size which ensures it is easily readable by customers (posters are usually read at a viewing distance of more than one metre.)
• On good quality paper, size A4 or smaller. Display of posters larger than A4 is at the discretion of the Library Manager
• Clearly identifiable as to their source
• In a suitable format. Leaflets must be displayed in purpose made holders either supplied by the venue or the organisation if part of a display. Library Managers have the right to refuse leaflets that cannot be displayed tidily, e.g. business cards or oversized.

Materials for display will be given priority as follows:

1. 1. London Borough of Bexley and other Statutory notices, e.g. elections
2. 2. Information about Bexley Library Service and events taking place in libraries
3. 3. Notices from London Borough of Bexley and Council partners
4. 4. Posters advertising one off cultural or educational events taking place within Bexley
5. 5. Dated events run by community groups in Bexley
6. 6. Notices of interest or help to the local community, e.g. blood donor sessions

Members of the public must present all material to library staff. The length of time material is displayed is at the discretion of the Library Manager and is dependent on the space available and the priorities listed above. Posters relating to a long running event might not be displayed for the whole length of the event.

As a general rule, posters, leaflets and displays that seek to inform are permitted; those that are designed to influence a person’s beliefs or put across a particular viewpoint are not.

Bexley Library Service can distribute suitable posters for display in other Council Managed Libraries in the Borough.

Staff are required to consider the following legislation when displaying material in Council property:

• Indecent Displays (Control) Act 1981 – it is an offence to display public material which may cause offence, is indecent or obscene.
• Local Government Act 1986 – local authorities are prevented from publishing material designed to affect support for a political party.

Content of printed materials

The following table provides examples of materials that can and cannot be displayed.

Subject	Can display	Cannot display
Political	Information about public meetings, events and talks MP and Councillor surgeries	Campaigning material for individual parties. During election time, material relating to political activity cannot be displayed from the date on which nominations close until the day after polling
Religious	Information about public meetings, events, talks and music events	Campaigning material or material aimed to convert
Pressure Groups and campaigns or petitions	Details of public meetings	Petitions or literature only representing particular viewpoints
Commercial or personal advertising	Education courses Information about one-off community events, with commercial sponsorship	All other commercial and personal advertising
Fundraising material / Charities / Volunteering	Material advertising local fundraising events	Ongoing information on charity membership or fundraising campaigns Charity boxes and raffle tickets
Tourist Information	Priority is given to London Borough of Bexley, London and Kent, space permitting

Updated October 2020