You may find our full policy statement under the “About Us” tab. Please allow 24 hours from this post for the tab to be fully updated.
Unattended Children Policy
The purpose of this policy is to encourage parents and legal guardians to exercise reasonable care, supervision, and control over their minor children in order to prevent juvenile victimization and to protect the health, safety, and welfare of children.
The responsibility for the safety and behavior of children in the library rests with the parent/caregiver and not with the library personnel. Library employees cannot assume liability for children who are unattended or demonstrating inappropriate behavior.
- Children aged nine and under must be attended and adequately supervised by a parent or caregiver who is at least 14 years old. Parents or guardians are responsible for the behavior of their children. Children who have special needs because of disabling conditions such as impaired physical or mental ability, disruptive behavior, emotional problems, inadequate attention span, incomplete social skills, etc., shall be attended by a responsible person at all times. Children shall not be considered adequately supervised if their caregiver is participating in a meeting, class, or program held in a different room. An exception would be children attending a library program. However, the parent/caregiver is expected to be aware of when the program ends and then provide adequate supervision.
If a child 9 years and younger is left unattended, the following procedure may be enacted:
- Staff will try to locate the responsible person by searching the library or calling the person responsible. If no phone number is known, the child will be given an activity to keep them occupied until a responsible person can be located.
- When such person is located, staff will explain the library policy in regard to children, and give them a copy of the unattended children policy.
- If the responsible person is not located within a half-hour, or if the library is closing within a half-hour, the staff may notify the police to pick up the child. Staff will remain with the child in the building until the parent or police arrives.
- If the library is closing and the staff is unable to locate a parent, no staff member is obligated to stay with the child. Under no circumstances may a library staff member transport a child in their car. The police may be called in emergency situations.
Library Conduct:
No conduct which interferes with, or discourages the public’s use of the library, will be permitted. To assist in maintaining an atmosphere conducive to the public’s use of the library and its collections, the Library Board has adopted this Conduct Policy and the consequences of violation of said policy.
Section 51-212 of the Nebraska Statutes specifically gives public libraries the power to regulate the use of the library and to exclude from the library persons who violate or refuse to comply with the library’s rules and regulations.
Improper Library Conduct may include, but is not limited to the following:
-Loud whispering or talking that disrupts other patrons or library staff
-Use of cell phone in main library
-Running or other playground behavior in the library
-Coming and going multiple times from the library
-Damage to or acting in such a way to cause damage to library property. This includes computers, books, library building and surrounding property.
-Disrespectful or rude behavior to library staff or fellow patrons
– Swearing or crude language
-No alcoholic beverages are allowed on library premises.
-Smoking is prohibited throughout the library building.
-One phone call, per family, per day is allowed from the library phone.
In Addition:
You are allowed two warnings from the librarian to correct bad behavior. If the behavior does not change, you will be asked to leave for the day. If this becomes a daily problem, you may be restricted from the library for a longer period of time. Extreme violations will result in banning from the library.
If you are asked to log off a computer because another patron is waiting and you have exceeded the thirty minute time limit, you have spent your computer time for the day. Exceptions will be made at the librarian’s discretion. Priority will be given to adults filling out job applications or performing tests for work.
Food Rules:
-No food or drink at the computers. Food may be eaten in the meeting room or at the reference table.
-You clean up the mess you make.
-All drinks need lids.
-If the food has a smell, then it must be eaten in the meeting room or outside.
Also, please be aware of the following change to the internet policy.
*Computers are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Patrons may call to reserve a specific time to use the computer. Those 16 or under are limited to 30 minutes on the computer at a time, not exceeding 1 hour a day. Those 16 and over have a 30 minute time limit if others are waiting to use the computer.