Children under
the age of 12 may not be left unattended by an adult in a library at any
time.
Children between
the ages of 12 and 15 may not be left unattended for more than three
hours.
Leaving a child
unattended after being requested not to do so on a previous occasion is a
violation of policy and may result in the Parent/Guardian/Caregiver losing
his/her library card and privileges for up to ninety days.
Remove child who
cries/screams for an extended period of time until they have quieted.
Maintain
awareness of library opening and closing times and make suitable
arrangements to meet and/or transport children.
Enforce the
Portsmouth Public Library Code of Conduct fairly and effectively for
patrons of all ages.
Report incidents
to the appropriate personnel and record incidents in writing and/or
electronically.
Unattended
Children: If a child is left unattended in violation of the Portsmouth
Public Library Code of Conduct, library officials are authorized to
contact the Department of Social Services Child Abuse Hotline
(393-9500) to report the incident and request appropriate action under the
circumstances.
Emergency
Closing: If the library must close in an emergency, library officials will
make an effort to alert parents. If parents cannot be notified, Social
Services or Police will be called to ensure the safety of the children
until parents can be located.
The library
staff is not responsible for:
the safety,
care, or supervision of children of any age, whether in the library or
on library property.
the care and
supervision of children prior to opening and or after closing of the
library.
the
transportation of children to or from the library
