Westfield Athenaeum Library
Children - Unattended Children
Unattended Children
See also Unattended Children at Closing Time
The Westfield Athenaeum seeks to provide a safe, educational, and enjoyable place for children to explore the world of books and information. Library personnel take their responsibility to provide safe access to the library very seriously. It is important that parents or guardians fulfill their responsibility for the individual child's safety and well-being. The Unattended Children's Policy has been adopted to ensure a safe and pleasant library experience for children of all ages.
POLICY STATEMENT: Children under the age of 10 may not be left unattended in the library. A responsible person who is 14 years of age or older must accompany children under the age of 10 at all times. This includes children participating in Library-sponsored programs. The responsible person must remain in the building during the program, and must immediately pick up the child when the program ends. If the responsible person in charge of a child wishes to go to another area of the library for materials or for meetings, the child must accompany that person.
- Group leaders and parents/guardians meeting in the library are responsible for the actions of all children who participate in their activity.
- School age children 10 through 18 years of age may use the library unattended as long as their conduct is acceptable in a library setting. Should it be determined that a child under the age of 10 has been left unattended in the library, the following steps will be taken during library hours of operation and after closing:
- The staff member will attempt to locate or call the parent/guardian.
- If no parent/guardian can be located within one hour, or if the library is closing, the staff member will notify the police.
- Under no circumstances will a staff member take a child out of the building or transport a child to another location.
Approved by the Westfield Athenaeum Board of Trustees
February 23, 2004
Unattended Children at Closing Time
POLICY STATEMENT: Parents and guardians must pick up children 10 minutes prior to library closing. Parents and guardians are expected to know the opening and closing times of the library, bearing in mind that the time can and does change in case of emergencies.
Should it be determined that a child has been left at the library without a ride or assistance home at closing time, the following steps will be taken:
Every attempt will be made to contact an adult or a family member via work, home and cellular phone.
If a parent/guardian does not arrive by the time the library closes, two staff members are authorized to stay with the child until someone arrives to pick him/her up.
If a parent/guardian has not arrived within 30 minutes, the Westfield Police Department will be called and alerted that a child has been left behind at the library.
The police will then try to locate the parent or guardian.
Under no circumstance should a staff member give a ride home to a child left at the Library.
If the police have picked up the child, a staff member will post a note on the door advising the parent/guardian of the circumstances and stating where the parent/guardian can locate the child.
The incident will be reported to the Director's Office.
