YOUTH SERVICES SAFETY & BEHAVIOR POLICY
The staff of the Eastham Public Library is concerned about the safety and well being of our young patrons. We welcome all children and offer many programs to encourage lifelong appreciation of books and other resources. As the Library is a public building available to anyone, Library staff does not and will not take over the parental responsibility for children when they come into the library. Due to the many responsibilities of the library staff, monitoring each child’s behavior and location is not possible.
Therefore, the following policy has been established:
1. Children under the age of 10 must be accompanied and supervised by a parent or responsible caregiver. A parent or caregiver will be called to pick up an unaccompanied child.
2. Children under the age of 10 years must be accompanied by an adult when using the elevator.
3. Children age 10 or older may be left unattended for the period of time needed to select materials, complete a homework assignment, attend a program, or utilize other library services. Children should not be left for an extended period of time. Children left unattended should be aware of the closing time of the building, and should have caretaker’s contact information available.
4. With safety in mind, children should remain inside the building while awaiting transportation to avoid the hazards of the parking lot.
5. Parent/caregiver will be called if a child is left unattended after the library closes. If the parent/caregiver is unavailable, the Eastham Police Department will be called.
6. It is the policy of the Library that staff members will not transport children from the library to any other location, except in cases of extreme emergency.
7. Staff may plan field trips using approved town procedures.
8. Disruptive behavior including shouting, running, pushing, or rowdy activities is not tolerated. If unaccompanied, a parent/caretaker will be called to pick up disruptive child/children. If the parent/caregiver is unavailable, the Eastham Police Department will be called.
9. The Children’s and Teen area are reserved for use by youth, their parents or caregivers, and patrons using these collections. Adults and teens unaccompanied by a child or teen may enter the Children’s and Teen area to obtain books or other materials but extended browsing by unaccompanied adults is not encouraged, and the library staff may request them to leave these areas.
Approved by the Trustees of the Eastham Public Library on August 27, 2016
YOUTH SERVICES INTERNET USAGE & SAFETY POLICY
The Youth Services Department serves youth through age 17. Internet capable devices are available to youth upon request in the Youth Services area, and there are desktop computers available for public use on the main floor of the library. Programs downloaded and files saved to the library desktops are automatically deleted upon rebooting. Patrons are encouraged to save their work on a thumb drive in the event of a power failure.
The Internet is an ever-changing source of information and not all sites are accurate or current. Many sites are inappropriate for children and therefore parents and caregivers are encouraged to come to the library and use the Internet with their children. As with other library materials, restriction of a child’s access to the Internet is the responsibility of the parent or legal guardian. Ultimate responsibility for how children use the Internet is a matter for parents and their children to decide. Just as parents are encouraged to discuss appropriate use of other library materials, the library encourages parents to discuss with their children the appropriate use of electronic resources available through the Internet, including the use of social media and other forms of direct electronic communications.
In fulfilling its mission to provide up-to-date and accurate information, the Eastham Public Library seeks to provide equal access to information for persons of all ages. While the library does provide a webpage with age-appropriate digital resources for youth, the library does not monitor or control information accessed through the internet and cannot be held responsible for its content.
Use of the library’s computers in ways that violate local, state or federal law or activities that interfere with or disrupt the network, users, services or equipment are prohibited. Use of the Internet in violation of Massachusetts General Law 272, Section 28 (the Harmful to Minors Statute) is prohibited. Disclosing, using or disseminating personal identity information about minors is prohibited. The Library reserves the right to require users to refrain from displaying computer images which are inappropriate for public viewing.
The library has policies in place to help children and parents use the library in a safe way. The library does not allow adults to use computers in the Youth Services area unless they are accompanied by a child under their care. The library requires that all children under the age of 10 be accompanied by an adult while in the library. In addition, library staff pay close attention to activity in the building, and intervene, when necessary, to maintain a safe environment.
The library does not routinely monitor public computers, but reserves the right to do so when a violation of this policy or illegal activity is suspected. Staff is authorized to take immediate action to protect the security of computers and the network.
Approved by Library Board of Trustees 02/14/2023 3-0