[Publib] Adults in Children's Areas

[Paul Ericsson]

Hi Diane --

Wow, this one strikes me as problematic at a bunch of different levels.

1) I do not know how a policy that restricts entire classes of 
persons from using a public library would ever get passed by a City 
Attorney.  Did the City's legal council really approve this?

2) And on a practical library services level, who would want to 
restrict any adult that has an interest in reading children's 
literature from using the children's department? When answering 
so-called "legitimate" reference questions from the adult reference 
desk, I will always consult the children's collection for works that 
have generous illustrations and for a variety of other reasons.

3) And what about graciously and respectfully working with adults 
that have challenges reading?  I cannot imagine the hoops and 
explanations that an adult who is involved in a literacy 
learn-to-read program would need to go through in order to get a book 
that is at their reading level?  Talk about dis-incentives for adults 
with problems reading from ever doing something positive about 
literacy.  As if there is not enough stigma for people with challenges reading.

4) I would imagine the ACLU and a bunch of human services agencies 
would have a field-day with this one.  What a great legal services 
bill the library will have defending this policy.

5) If the concern is protecting children from adults that could 
potentially molest or stalk them, than the policy needs to articulate 
specific behaviors that are the problem. And then put in place the 
resources (staff, security guards, whatever) to make the policies 
enforceable. Preventing entire classes of people (all adults) from 
using the department is wildly over-restrictive and makes wildly 
invalid assumptions.

6) To address the challenge of  "individuals, because of their 
disabilities, do strange things that tend to frighten children" then 
the library should at a minimum try some creative solutions such as 
scheduling the group at times when the Library is less busy.  Heck - 
I would be (and do) encourage human resources agencies to utilize the 
public library.  We truly are one of a small handful of agencies that 
can serve so many people that are desperately in need of developing 
their literacy skills.  If we cannot find a way to serve people with 
the materials that they need, then we have not done our job!

Please excuse me if I am ranting - but egads, what a horrible 
policy.  Get that document revised - and soon ! ! !

Thanks for sharing your challenge with the group.  I wish you well 
with it.  By the way -- These opinions are entirely my own and do not 
represent a policy or opinion of my employer.  I'm simply a long-time 
librarian (large urban and medium public) that wants to see as many 
people reading as possible.

Paul






At 01:33 PM 1/24/2008, Long, Diane wrote:
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>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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