[Publib] Latecomers to story hours

[Tom Cooper]

What reason could there be for not admitting a parent and child to a
story hour, no matter how late they got there? I did lots of story hours
when I was a children's librarian, some of which I planned very
carefully, but I never thought they were such formal performances that I
needed ushers to waylay latecomers and send them packing. I won't defend
this patron's overreaction - I've heard enough of that sort of
vituperation about things as simple as ten cent fines - but I do wonder
about the practice that spawned it. 

Tom Cooper, Director 
Webster Groves Public Library 
301 E. Lockwood 
Webster Groves, MO 63119 

(314) 961-3784 
tcooper at wgpl.org 

Do not judge beliefs by their plausibility, but by the harm they may do.

                                             Nassim Nicholas Taleb 

________________________________

From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of George Hazelton
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 2:14 PM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] Latecomers to story hours

 

How many of you folk in Library-Land will not admit kids and their
parents if they are late to a story hour?  Do you post a statement to
the effect that those more than X minutes late will not be admitted?

 

We've had a patron bring her toddler to a story hour TWENTY-FIVE minutes
late and become livid, enraged, when she was not admitted.  She called
two county commissioners, and has just finished chewing out the library
Director, telling her that she ran the library like a Nazi, and that she
might be endangering her job.  She also threatened to call the
newspapers to view the offending sign.  I wonder what she'd do with a
real problem.  

 

George Hazelton
Assistant Director
Henry County Library System
1001 Florence McGarity Pkwy
McDonough, GA  30252
Phone:  770-954-2806
FAX:    770-954-2808
email:    ghazelton at mail.henry.public.lib.ga.us

 

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