[Publib] Adults in Children's Areas

[Lise Chlebanowski]

We have a policy about "unattended adults" as we jokingly refer to them in the children's area. Our policy states that adults without children in the children's library (in our case a separate building) must be using the resources of the children's library - basically, it prohibits loitering in that area. And we treat women and men equally. We haven't had any complaints. 

 

Lisë Chlebanowski

Library Manager

Avondale Old Town Library

328 W. Western Ave.

Avondale, AZ   85323

lchlebanowski at avondale.org

623-333-2611

623-333-0260 Fax

 

Now Reading: A Version of the Truth by Jennifer Kaufman & Karen Mack (ARC)

Now Listening: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

 

________________________________

From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of King, Jamie
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 1:44 PM
To: Paul Ericsson; Long, Diane; publib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] Adults in Children's Areas

 

Diana,

 

I wholeheartedly share Paul's discomfort with your library's policy on this issue.  I'd love to hear from others who have a similar one, if there are that many.  There are frequently times when an item I want is in the children's section, but I don't have a kid to bring along.  And I'm very glad I don't get accosted and asked what I'm doing there at those times.  Just curious, do you enforce this policy as forcefully against women as against men?  I'm very surprised you haven't gotten negative reaction from patrons if it is enforced consistently.  It seems strange to me that your staff would even be comfortable asking an adult who happens to be unaccompanied by a child, what they're doing there.

 

Regarding the other issue, I like Sue Kamm's suggestion of taking books from the children's area to another part of the library and reading there.  Or could they come at times when the library is less busy?  I would try talking to the person who brings them and see if you can work something out.  They might not even realize there's a problem.

 

 

Jamie King

Cataloging Services

Follett Library Resources

McHenry, IL

 

 

 

Paul Ericsson:


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.

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. Preventing entire classes of people (all adults) from using the department is wildly over-restrictive and makes wildly invalid assumptions. 


Diana Long:

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. 

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