Library Age Limits

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Thomas Leavitt <thomas () thomasleavitt org>
Date: June 12, 2005 6:53:20 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: Library Age Limits


What if you happen to *like* children's literature? There are plenty of
books for young adults that I find preferable to what passes for adult
literature these days. I just bought several books off the local library
book sale rack, and my wife and I each wound up reading a book from that
pile before our kids ever had a chance to even open it up.

That same day, I went into the children's section of the library  
(without
a kid), to pick out a selection of math related items to work through  
with
my older daughter during the summer. What if I'd be an adult with  
problems
in math (or some other areas of knowledge), looking for "friendlier"
materials than I could find in the adult section?

What ever happened to simple common sense: Is there a reason the library
staff couldn't simply go over to one of these "suspicious"  
individuals and
ask them what their business was? Or, even short of that, simply plunk
themselves down next to one of these individuals and say, "hello" and  
ask
if they need any help? I have my doubts that anyone with nefarious
intentions would be comfortable being even indirectly confronted by an
adult. If the library staff aren't comfortable doing this, why not  
simply
schedule a member of the security staff to stroll through the room  
and say
hello to adults at random - or to be conveniently present when such a
"confrontation" is deemed necessary?

How do they know these folks aren't related to any of the children
involved, and aren't simply watching them?

Why the presumption that an adult accompanied by a child is  
automatically
not suspect, when the vast majority of child abuse cases are perpetrated
by someone known to the victim and their family, or a member of the  
family
itself?

Note: the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library also uses a commercial
content filter on the computers they make available to the public for  
use
by the Internet - by both children AND adults (this policy appears to  
have
been passed on May 12, 2005), so perhaps the "accompanied adult"  
policy is
just one more manifestation of an overall mindset.

http://www.evpl.org/about-evpl/policies/internetpolicy.html

Regards,
Thomas Leavitt

P.S. In case anyone is tempted to regard this as typical of the  
geographic
region in question, I should point out that, here on the California  
Coast,
in sunny Santa Cruz, at least some of the tot lot playgrounds have a
similar policy: "no unaccompanied adults" or children over a certain  
age.
This is less objectionable, in that there are no "pratical" reasons  
for an
older person to desire to use a young children's playground, only
nostalgic ones, but it is symptomatic of the same pointless paranoia...
why we put such effort into protecting children against unlikely  
dangers,
but then fail to protect them against well known and documented  
dangers of
a much greater likelihood is something our descendants will no doubt
puzzle over for long periods.



From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: Library Age Limits
Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2005 15:32:41 -0400



Begin forwarded message:

From: Zach Sparer <zsparer () comcast net>
Date: June 11, 2005 12:38:20 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: For IP? Library Age Limits


Dave,

Thought this article might be of some interesting to the IP
community.  This specific age restraint isn’t what we’re used to
seeing, but it still exists as precedent.  I guess if you haven’t
learned to read at an adult level by the time you’re of a certain
age, you’re SOL. [ or if your a parent or grandparent trying to help
your child djf?]







Zach Sparer



----- article ----



EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) -- Adults must be accompanied by children in
certain sections of Evansville's public libraries.



The Evansville-Vanderburgh Library Board voted Thursday to bar
unaccompanied adults from children's areas as a precaution against
"those who might be there for inappropriate reasons," Evelyn Walker,
the library's assistant director of public service told the
Evansville Courier & Press.



Library director Marcia Au said there have been no reports of
children being accosted in the library, but employees have been
concerned about some people who are "plunking themselves down" in the
children's rooms and watching the youngsters.



"Exceptions to the rule will be people doing research, such as
teachers, or child-care workers looking for books or other materials
for their classes," Walker said.





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