Any child age 8 or younger left alone or under the supervision of another child 12 or under in the Children’s Room or any other part of the library is an unattended child.
Any child 12 or under who is left alone outside the library or who is walking home after dark would not be considered safe and is considered a vulnerable child.
The Mount Vernon Public Library welcomes people of all ages to use its facilities, services and resources. Children and their safety are of great concern to our library staff. Children, like all library patrons, are expected to behave appropriately. Parents, guardians and caregivers are responsible for the behavior and supervision of their children in the library. An unattended child is a child of any age who is apparently unaccompanied by an adult. Children who are unable or unwilling to care for themselves may not be left alone in the library and must have adequate supervision from a caregiver. Parents, legal guardians and caregivers must be advised that the library is a public space. In libraries, as in all public places, “stranger danger” is a real concern. Library staff cannot prevent children from interacting with or leaving the library with persons who are not appropriate caregivers.
The library cannot be responsible for any consequences of caregivers forfeiting their responsibilities. Library staff may refer to appropriate authorities those children left unattended in the library and whose caregiver cannot be found and vulnerable children who would not be safe walking home alone. Children’s Services staff are instructed to wait no longer than 30 minutes before calling the authorities.
Adopted 9/5/13