Unattended Children Policy

1. The Library strives to be a pleasant place for all children to visit and use its many resources. The staff is always ready to help and be of service to any child. However, staff cannot be responsible for unattended children. For the welfare of all children who visit, parents must use the following guidelines when bringing children to the Library.

a. Children who are not yet in third grade should always be under the supervision of a responsible person. A responsible person is an adult or a child who is in sixth grade or higher. When a young child is attending a program, a responsible person must remain in the Library during the program.

b. Unattended children in third grade and up are free to utilize the Library provided their behavior is not disruptive to other patrons or staff members. Parents are responsible for their children’s behavior on Library premises. It is not the Library’s responsibility to provide child care.

2. When the Library is closing and a child of any age needs to telephone to be picked up and they do not have telephone change, the child may use the telephone at the Youth Services desk.

3. If a child under eighth grade is discovered to be unaccompanied at Library closing, an attempt will be made to contact the parents. If the parents cannot be contacted within fifteen minutes, a representative of the Library will contact the police department to assist in handling the situation.

Adopted by the Niles Public Library District Board of Trustees 7.1.92;
Revised 12.18.02; 4.16.08