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December 21, 2005
Present a bill
Unattended children put strain on library staffs
So what parents do, when schools are out, is drop off their kids at the local library branch and then go off doing whatever it is they do.
"Some parents will even drop their kids off to go to Wal-Mart," said Victoria Ashford, director of the Helena Library. "We are not a free baby-sitting service."
Actually, you kinda are. Helena has tightened its policies on the ages of unattended children, but they're still going to have to deal with some adolescents.
I used to be one of those adolescents. Now I'm a librarian. Both sides of the coin, though I don't normally have to deal with kids at a college library. My suggestion is that next time you see someone pick up their kids at 5:30 you present them with a babysitting bill. Maybe they'll get the message.
More likely they'll claim that their taxes pay your salary. Maybe they could drop their kids off at the police station for a change.
Posted by Mac Thomason at December 21, 2005 10:42 AM
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Comments
"'The problem is when parents drop them off at 12 and we don't see them again till 7 o'clock'"
Parents with unbelievable entitlement issues who pull crap like this are the reason people shudder when they see children coming into the library. I don't know how many times I've had children buzzing around me screaming while I looked over the new nonfiction at the Hoover branch, with the only parent in sight arguing with the librarian at the desk over a $2 fine.
Posted by: Susan at December 21, 2005 11:00 AM
So an enterprising young student can't spend his or her time satisfying curiosities and exploring literature at the local library? Are libraries not meant for educating and enriching people of all ages, not just those who meet your arbitrary number?
Posted by: JoeyT at December 21, 2005 01:28 PM
Not unaccompanied eight year olds, no. They're perfectly welcome if escorted by a responsible adult.
Posted by: Mac Thomason at December 21, 2005 01:56 PM
In a similar vein:
http://heraldnet.com/stories/05/12/06/100bus_d1behave001.cfm
Posted by: Michael B at December 21, 2005 02:37 PM
"...an enterprising young student can't spend his or her time satisfying curiosities and exploring literature..?"
If that's what they were doing, quietly, I doubt there'd be many complaints. And hey, kids are naturally boisterous and noisy; it's the self-absorbed parents who consider "the great cathedral of democracy" a day care who are at fault.
Posted by: Susan at December 21, 2005 07:08 PM
More likely they'll claim that their taxes pay your salary. Maybe they could drop their kids off at the police station for a change.
Perhaps some enterprising librarians could help these parents out by getting the local police force to come pick up their children, and hold them at the local police station until their parents get finished with their shopping and can come pick them up. Maybe the cops would have some others ideas regarding those babysitting bills you suggest presenting to these parents, too!
Posted by: (: Tom :) at December 22, 2005 09:45 AM
They will have the police pick the kids up if they're still there at closing.
Posted by: Mac Thomason at December 22, 2005 09:50 AM