Bigelow Free Public Library
Child Safety Policy
The staff members are always here to work with children and parents to ensure that all ages are welcome and safe. In order to ensure this, the staff relies on parents and caregivers to communicate with staff at all times. The Library has developed these rules to maintain a nurturing, respectful, and safe environment for all Library users.
- The librarians require that all responsibility for care or supervision of children belongs with the caregiver. It is impossible for staff to always know if children are in the company of, or leaving with, friends or strangers.
- The Bigelow Free Public Library is a safe place, but accidents can happen anywhere at any time. In order to ensure the complete safety of children, we ask that caregivers always be within ‘hugging distance’ of any children under the age of 10. This means being within eyesight of the child at all times.
- If your child will be unsupervised for any reason please discuss with the Children’s Room staff.
- Children aged 10 and up may be unattended at the Library, but staff is not responsible for the child’s care or well-being.
- If a child is left unattended after open hours, a staff member will remain with the child for 15 minutes while attempting to contact the caregiver. If the caregiver cannot be reached, or does not arrive within the 15 minutes, the staff will contact the police about the unattended child.
- To keep both children and staff safe, staff members are not able to transport any child to any other location.
- Adults unaccompanied by children are asked to remain in the Adult areas of the library unless they are actively using materials or services in the Youth areas.
Updated 2/2023 & approved by BoT 2/28/2023
Approved by Board of Trustees 5/22/2018