Wickliffe Library Bans Kids

While Banned Book Week is my favorite holiday I guess we are lucky here at the Amherst Public Library in the fact that we've never banned or censored a book ever, and we don't have a situation where banning kids from the library seems like a reasonable solution.

If you are unfamiliar with Wickliffe's situaion, they have banned kids, ages 14 and younger, from the library during after school hours unless the child is accompanied by a responsible adult. For more information you can check the following link:
http://www.woio.com/Global/story.asp?S=4338149&nav=menu68_2

Working in a public library that is within walking distance to schools has always presented a problem along with an opportunity. We've had occasions where we've asked kids to leave, where the patron population at any one time has an average age of 13, and where working life seems to resemble a circus more than the quiet, hushed library environment I remember from my youth.

But let me say that I'm very proud of the youth that use our library. When we had a problem with kids playing computer games and jumping around on the computers we came up with a solution that worked well for everyone. And for any adult who wonders why they have to wait to check their email when the kids "are just playing games", well they have as much right to be there as anyone else. Everyone is treated equally weather you get here using your Volvo or your Volcom.

I feel bad that a library reached such a critical point that banning kids was their only solution. On the other hand maybe there are a few adults we could ban unless they are accompanied by a child under the age of 10. Let me work on that...