Safety for Children

The East Baton Rouge Parish Library welcomes the use of its facilities and services by children of all ages. Many services and programs are offered to make the Library enticing to children, to encourage them to visit the Library and to develop a love of books, reading and libraries.

Young children are not safe when left unattended in the Library. The staff cannot know if the children are leaving the building with parents or strangers.

The safety and welfare of young children left alone in the Library is a serious concern of the Library Board of Control and the administration. Young children who are left without supervision may become bored, tired, hungry or frightened. They may become disruptive to the many people who use the Library as a place conducive to study and reading.

For the protection and well-being of children who enjoy our libraries and to prevent undue disruption of normal library activities, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library Board of Control has adopted the following rules. Library supervisors and staff have been authorized to enforce these regulations, effective immediately.

1. Children age eight and younger may not be left unattended in a branch or division of the Library. A responsible person – an adult or mature adolescent at least 12 years old – must accompany them. Responsible parties not attending a Library program with children eight and younger must remain in the Library.
2. Parents, guardians and assigned chaperones/childcare providers are responsible for their children’s behavior while in the Library; and must remain within physical reach of the child at all times.
3. Children age nine and older may use the Library unattended, but must abide by all policies and procedures adopted by the East Baton Rouge Parish Library concerning behavior, conduct and demeanor.
4. Staff members are not allowed to assume responsibility for any child in the absence of an adult, even for a very short time.

This policy statement replaces and supercedes "Policy on Unattended Children" dated October 29, 2003.

Revised on August 10, 2006.