[Publib] Adults in Children's Areas

[Long, Diane]

We have a policy that states adults are not allowed in the children's
areas of our libraries unless they are a teacher, a parent, or
accompanied by a child (unaccompanied adults are asked their purpose for
being in that section).

 

A group of developmentally disabled adults arrived and had an adult with
them; they are unable to use the adult collection.  However, since they
are chronologically adults they were asked to leave, generating a
complaint by a caregiver. 

 

There are other issues, in addition to their ages, that concern the
Children's staff.  The individuals, because of their disabilities, do
strange things that tend to frighten children, the men are large and
loom (by accident, not on purpose) over the children, and then there is
the issue at of them using the little children's restroom in the
Children's area (clearly forbidden by the last paragraph in the Policy).

 

Staff feel that the way the Policy is currently written that an adult
can simply pick up a child's collection item and say they are using it
and then be eligible to use the area under the "letter" of the policy,
never mind the spirit of the policy.  We don't want to prevent an adult
with a legitimate reason to access the collection (a
parent/guardian/grandparent with a sick or otherwise engaged child, a
student taking a child's literature class, a non-library staffer
wandering about on "busman's holiday," etc., etc.).  

 

Supervisory staff are equally divided about the issue of allowing adults
in the area.  

 

How do you handle this, especially with developmentally disabled adults?
We are particularly interested in hearing from large public libraries.

 

Thanks very much.

 

 

Diane Long

Collection Development Supervisor

Aurora Public Library

14949 E. Alameda Pkwy.

Aurora, CO  80012

303-739-6596

 

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