Policy on Unattended Children

Ada Community Library permits children of all ages to use its facilities, resources and services.  The library strives to provide a safe, stimulating and appropriate environment for patrons of all ages.
Children are subject to all library policies regarding acceptable behavior.  Parents, guardians and caregivers, not library staff, are responsible for the behavior and supervision of their children in the library.

In an effort to ensure the safety and well-being of children and maintain an atmosphere of constructive library use, the following criteria regarding appropriate use of the library by children and their parents, guardians and caregivers is adopted:

  • The library will not attempt to regulate the age at which a child may safely and appropriately use the library without a parent, caretaker or guardian present.  The responsibility for such a determination rests with the responsible adult.
  • Children are expected to behave appropriately while at the library.  Library staff will enforce library policy but cannot, and will not, act in the place of a parent, guardian or caretaker.
  • If, in the judgment and sole discretion of the library staff, a minor child of any age becomes upset, disruptive, or becomes a safety concern toward him/herself or others, the child’s parent, guardian, or caretaker will be notified and directed to remove the child from the library premises.  If the library staff is unable to contact the child’s parent, guardian, or caretaker, law enforcement authorities may be asked to assist the library staff in removing the child from the library premises.
  • If the library is closing and a minor child is left at the library without transportation home, library staff will assist the child in contacting a parent/guardian to arrange transportation.  If at 15 minutes after closing a child remains on site, local law authorities will be contacted and the child will be placed in their care. Under no circumstances will library staff transport or take the child away from the library building.

Approved by the Board of Trustees, February 15, 2005
Revised, July 17, 2007
Revised, April 20, 2010
Revised, September 20, 2011