[Publib] Teens out of control in the library

[Robert L. Balliot]

Greetings,

 

I was visiting a new library in Canada a few months ago that had

gone through this same problem. In a sense, they had become

a victim of their own success.  When the schools let out, both

high school and middle school students flocked to the library -

bringing along all of the interpersonal dynamics that come with

those ages.

 

They way that they had dealt with it was to find influential

young people from the school system who had a very good

communication skills.  Those individuals met with other kids

and they established a collective mindset of what is acceptable

behavior in a library.  Since the kids involved were respected

and cool, they had a profound influence on their peers and

everything calmed down.

 

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Join: http://gotbooks.ning.com/

Robert L. Balliot

1-401-441-5763

Skype: RBalliot

Bristol, Rhode Island

http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/contact.htm

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----- Original Message ----
From: julie hildebrand <julie.hildebrand at iplks.org>
To: publib at webjunction.org
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 12:52:31 PM
Subject: [Publib] Teens out of control in the library

The Independence Public Library in Independence , Kansas is finding it
difficult to handle the middle school students who are swarming the library
after school. Since we are in a relatively rural community we do not have
options for after school programs like many of the larger cities do. We
reopened in February with a newly expanded facility; we have three floors,
and expanded computer access, but the same amount of staff. Middle school
kids are too old for the after-school programs offered at the elementary
schools and for day care. Parents are concerned about the kids being home
alone or hanging out with friends getting into trouble, so they send them to
the library to stay until they pick them up after work. This would be fine,
except the kids have become unruly, loud, and obnoxious. Trying to maintain
order in the afternoons has become nearly impossible. I am sure we are not
the only library with these issues, but we are at a loss on how to get
control of our library again. Is it possible to ask for each child?s name,
phone number and address before they enter the library so we can contact
their parents if they misbehave? If we ask them to leave the library due to
bad behavior, most have to wait outside for the parent to pick them up after
work, so they congregate in large groups in the front of the library. We
allow them to call for a ride if needed. We have limited the number of
computers for kids and have them where they can be monitored, and we
shortened the time limit so all can have a chance to get on a computer. Can
other libraries please tell us how they are controlling the teens at their
libraries, and how they are handling bad behavior? 

 

 

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