Babylon Sister writes “No one over 17 admitted without child
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Friday, June 10, 2005 12:04 PM CDT
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Adults must be accompanied by children in certain sections of Evansville’s public libraries.
The Evansville-Vanderburgh Library Board voted Thursday to bar unaccompanied adults from children’s areas as a precaution against “those who might be there for inappropriate reasons,” Evelyn Walker, the library’s assistant director of public service told the Evansville Courier & Press.
Library director Marcia Au said there have been no reports of children being accosted in the library, but employees have been concerned about some people who are “plunking themselves down” in the children’s rooms and watching the youngsters.
“Exceptions to the rule will be people doing research, such as teachers, or child-care workers looking for books or other materials for their classes,” Walker said.
Story here at Times Online.”
What?
I can’t go looking at the children’s books anymore? Maybe I can “watch” a child to gain access…
— Ender, Duke_of_URL
Re:What?
Indeed, who came up with this idea? What about library students learning how to be children’s librarians? Yea, they say they will exceptions, but what are the odds if one such came in to say, do an observation of a children’s department in a public library (which is a common assignment). Will they be escorted out? The idea of such observation tasks is for library students to see libraries in action. Usually the students simply walk in like any other patron and guess what? They watch. Looks like paranoia gone too far.
Re:What?
I think this is a fairly common, if unofficial, practice of many children’s service areas in libraries and that it’s enforced only when there is concern about behavior of a particular person. We have a lot of unescorted adults, including kid lit and library students, who use our Children’s room, but they are known to the staff, or easy enough to identify. If you’ve ever had an incident in your children’s room, it doesn’t seem so paranoid.
Unofficial?
Okay, so this is another undocumented rule I can come afoul of… Are they going to be prosecuting this ‘rule’ that’s not listed anywhere?
— Ender, Duke_of_URL
Re:Unofficial?
Only if you’re in the children’s room stalking children.
Re:What?
And what about those of us who aren’t children’s librarians by profession but have a degree in the field (and are in related fields)? I can’t go in and browse to keep myself up-to-date with what’s out there? Do I need to bring my degree and a letter from my alma mater?
Or I can’t go without my own children to give myself a chance to thoroughly look for books for them without having to keep half an eye out constantly to see where they are? (Not that I do this frequently, but still, if I’m in the library without them I’ll often wander over to the children’s section to see if there’s anything new.)
Bad idea. I realize that they’re probably trying to prevent profiling (face it, an unaccompanied male is more likely to arouse suspicion than an unaccompanied female), but this is a thoroughly dumb way to manage it.