[Publib] RE: Publib Digest, Vol 34, Issue 36

[Toni Cox (Library)]

From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
> [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
> On Behalf Of Kathleen Horan
> Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2008 8:09 PM
> To: publib at webjunction.org
> Subject: [Publib] Titles for New Book Discussion Group
> 
> 
> If you were to pick 5 books to begin a brand new, adult book
discussion,
> which would you pick?
>  
> Thank you,
> Losing Julia by Jonathan Hull
>    Kate


These are some books that have generated the most discussion.
Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Middlesex, As I Lay Dying, Nickel
and Dimed

Toni Cox
Radford Public Library

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Message: 10
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:33:18 -0700
From: "Long, Diane" <dlong at auroragov.org>
Subject: [Publib] Adults in Children's Areas
To: <publib at webjunction.org>
Message-ID:
	<C4BD71C248D9D1459C5C732173F222CF711093 at VMAIL2.aurora.city>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

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

We are a medium sized library in a college town. We have prohibited 2
young men from coming into the children's area because they had given us
trouble in the afternoons when young girls are in vast supply here. They
stopped coming soon after that.
As far as the general policy goes, we have none for profiling our
patrons. Just keep your eyes open.

Our children's librarian had a question however. Do you allow a mom who
is pregnant with her first child to enter the children's department?





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