Policy on Parental Responsibilities

The library and its staff members cannot take the responsibility and do not have the authority to care for or supervise children in the library. Therefore, the following policy is delineated:

Children 8 years and under must be accompanied and supervised by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult at all times.

Children 9 to 17 years of age may use the library independently, but the parent is still responsible for the child’s actions. Should the child use the library inappropriately, the library staff may require the parent thereafter to be present with his/her child.

If the safety of a child is in doubt or if the child is found alone at the time of library closing, efforts will be made to contact the parents or legal guardian. Should appropriate arrangements not be possible, local police will be called in to handle the situation.

The library expects parents/guardians to keep children at home when sick in order to prevent spreading illness to other children. Staff will ask parents to remove sick children from library.

Staff members are not legal guardians and cannot play the role. All parents and legal guardians are responsible for their children. We cannot act as a parent or legal guardian to any child.

Parents will be held responsible for any pecuniary loss incurred by the library as a result of a child’s inappropriate actions.

The Library is a mandatory reporter to the Family Support Alliance of any suspected child abuse, and will exercise this right if Library deems necessary.

Approved by the Board of Trustees, July 2014