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Guesswho
Citizen
Username: Guesswho
Post Number: 41
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 24, 2003 - 11:34 am: | 
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What the hell is happening at the South Orange Library? The ceiling is leaking all over the new carpet, but more seriously the place is out of control after 3pm.
The head librarian seems to ignore the chaos surrounding her. Kids are running wild and causing major disturbances. I can't use the library after school and neither can anyone else I know.
Whta isn't this looked into?
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mayhewdrive
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 453
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, October 24, 2003 - 12:50 pm: |
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Guesswho,
I noticed the same thing about the rowdy kids one afternoon a few weeks ago. I had thought it was just an "off day". It was incredibly annoying & loud. I was amazed these kids could be so loud and disrespectful (didn't anyone ever tell them you are supposed to be QUIET in a library?)
I agree - something should be done about this. |
Lizziecat
Citizen
Username: Lizziecat
Post Number: 72
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 24, 2003 - 1:03 pm: |
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As a retired librarian, I feel qualified to comment here. Rowdy kids after school are a problem in every public library. This problem has gotten a lot worse in recent years because so many families have both parents working, and there is no one home for the kids after school. Parents use the public library as a free baby sitter, telling their kids to hang out there until the parents pick them up after work. In some libraries there is a separate area for "young adults," i.e. middle and high school kids, but not in South Orange. When I was in graduate school, there were no courses in dealing with rowdy teenagers--or with the homeless, who are another big problem for public libraries. In fact, these areas were not even mentioned. There should be a separate area for kids to be kids in after school, where they won't disturb other library patrons, and, more important, there should be a library staffer assigned to monitor these kids, to help them with their homework, and to see to it that they behave reasonably. If necessary, parents should be contacted by the library staff if their children are habitually noisy and disruptive.
The Library staff--even the catalogers--should be out on the floor, working with the kids after school, not holed up in their offices doing technical work, which can be done at quieter times of the day.
I won't comment on the leaking roof. |
gozerbrown
Citizen
Username: Gozerbrown
Post Number: 233
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Friday, October 24, 2003 - 1:04 pm: |
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I hate to be a crab-apple about it, but I too have noticed that. I don't go there in that after school hour, but have been there a couple of times at that time of the day and it is a little obnoxious with the cell phones and the talking. I unfortunately chalked it up to typical bad kid behavior. (Though I have also noticed this at the Maplewood Library as well...) |
hariseldon
Citizen
Username: Hariseldon
Post Number: 145
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, October 24, 2003 - 3:12 pm: |
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Lizziecat seems to be taking the view that the library should in fact take on the baby sitting role. Why should it? People who don't have time or resources to take care of their kids shouldn't have them - they just burden the non-breeders who choose to be responsible. |
Lizziecat
Citizen
Username: Lizziecat
Post Number: 73
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 24, 2003 - 3:45 pm: |
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Hari;
I never said that the library should take on a baby sitting role. I said that like it or not, they've already got it. You can't put kids out of the library--it's a public place, and they have a legal right to be there. That being so, measures have to be taken to ensure that everybody can use the library--kids, seniors, researchers--without impinging on each other. So the library staff has to take a more active role in managing the kids. The library staff should also interact with the parents and the schools to see what measures can be taken. Parents should understand that the library is not, in fact, a baby sitting service, and that if they want their children to go there, their children should behave in a manner that is considerate of other patrons.
Maybe the schools could make their own libraries available after 3 P.M. for homework help and/or recreational reading. And maybe the town could supply a policeperson to the library after school. It's been my experience that the mere presence of a uniformed police officer does wonders to control rowdy behavior in a library.
In a perfect world only those people who had the "time and resources to take care of their kids" would have them, but this world is far from perfect, so we have to work with what we've got.
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kathy
Citizen
Username: Kathy
Post Number: 638
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, October 24, 2003 - 7:29 pm: |
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This issue was raised by someone at the CCR meeting last night. Another attendee reminded us that a couple of years ago, the library and South Orange Middle School collaborated on a policy for after-school behavior at the library. This probably needs to be revisited. |
Guesswho
Citizen
Username: Guesswho
Post Number: 42
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 24, 2003 - 7:48 pm: |
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I'm sure that a lot of the kids causing the trouble AREN"T from SOMS, so I doubt taking to the middle school will help at all. The librarian has to wake up and pay attention and call the cops when it gets crazy.
Taxpayers don't need tp provide a separate area for kids to be kids in after school,, that's called the rec center or playground. |
mayhewdrive
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 454
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, October 24, 2003 - 8:17 pm: |
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Funny how when I was in the library TODAY, I overheard the people behind the counter actually talking about this very thread! Fortunately, the rowdy kids weren't very evident at the time. So, the good news is that the library is aware of the issue. Let's hope it improves the situtation. |
SoOrLady
Citizen
Username: Soorlady
Post Number: 106
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, October 25, 2003 - 9:50 am: |
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People will live up (or down) to your expectations. If the kids know that a certain level of appropriate behavior is expected of them, they will comply. This will take some time since it seems that the kids have been able to do as they pleased. After a few "warnings" a "I'm very sorry, but you'll have to leave because ......" is called for. They'll learn. |
Guesswho
Citizen
Username: Guesswho
Post Number: 43
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, October 25, 2003 - 10:45 am: |
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SoOrlady..you are soooo naive. This kids HAVE been told to leave, mouthed off to the cops when they were called and came back the next day to cause the same disturbance as before. I've seen the staff throw them out, but they keep coming back for more, as if it was a personal challenge. Can the Library throw them out permanently? Nope, that is against the law.
When will their PARENTS teach them proper public behavior? Or do they get away with this crqap at home as well? I betcha they do and society can't be the primary teacher. |
SoOrLady
Citizen
Username: Soorlady
Post Number: 107
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, October 25, 2003 - 4:56 pm: |
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No Guesswho, I am far from naive. I've worked with teenagers for years - from all walks of life. I've learned that respect goes both ways. And sometimes it has to come from the adult to the person who has not yet earned it. Perhaps a solution would be to invite the kids to a" meeting". Explain the problem of patrons who want to work undisturbed and the fact that the library is supposed to be somewhat of a quite zone and ask the kids what they think the solution should be. This meeting could also possibly be held at MMS with a librarian and counselor working together.
I realize that in a perfect world parents would teach their children proper social behavior. But the world isn't perfect and I'm just trying to offer some solution. |
NCJanow
Citizen
Username: Librarylady
Post Number: 1040
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 7:08 am: |
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M...
Gee,so you were in the Library on Friday. Why didn't you stop at the desk and say Hi? Not fair, you know who I am, but now I have to guess who you are. Maybe I can figure it out.
NCJ aka LibraryLady
On a coffee break..or something like it.
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