Children's Library Use Policy

Warsaw Public Library


Children’s Library Use Policy



Service to children is an important part of the library’s mission. We welcome children in the library and hope that their experiences here will be positive.



Please keep in mind that the library is a public place open to all individuals. It is not the library staff’s function to provide supervision or to care for unattended children. The following guidelines will help insure a good library experience:



· For their comfort and safety, a responsible caretaker must accompany children under 7.

· Any child who feels unsafe in the library for any reason should inform a library staff member.

· If children are left alone in the library, library staff will attempt to contact a parent or guardian. If no responsible adult can be located, staff will contact the local police department.

· Caregivers are expected to be aware of the opening and closing times of the library, bearing in mind that these can and do change. Power failures or other emergencies can occur and may require unexpected closing of the building. Since children left alone outside the library could be vulnerable, an effort will be made to contact the parent, guardian, or caregiver prior to closing. If, however, a child is left at the Library after closing time or as the result of an emergency closing, the police will be called.

· Children ages 7 through 17 may use the library without a caretaker being present. They are expected to adhere to the same standards of conduct expected of adults. All library users are expected to respect library property and to act in a manner appropriate to the use and function of the library. Children who do not use the Library appropriately may be asked to leave the building.

· The library believes it is the right and responsibility of a parent or guardian to determine what is appropriate material in order to meet personal family standards and guidelines. Parents are encouraged to accompany their children and to select material with their children or review their children’s selections. The library is not responsible for a minor’s selection of library materials.

· Adults who are using the Internet or other library services and programs must supervise or provide guidance and behavior control for minors accompanying them. The library reserves the right to prohibit Internet use, and/or ask the adults and minor children to leave if unacceptable behavior persists.

· Library policy requires the signature of a parent or guardian to approve the application for a library card for anyone under age 18.

· The Library requires the parent or guardian of a minor child to be responsible for all overdue, lost or damaged materials and fines, fees and other debts accrued by a minor child.

· All children under age 18 must have written permission from a parent or legal guardian, signed on the library permission form in the presence of a library employee, to access the Internet. The library is not responsible for the content or appropriateness of any materials accessed on the Internet.

· All computers in the Warsaw Public Library are currently filtered in compliance with the Children’s Online Protection Act (CIPA). Filters limit materials accessed by the user, although they do not guarantee that objectionable material will not be seen.

· Children’s use of all library materials, including the Internet, is the sole responsibility of the parent or guardian.

· All personal belongings should be kept with patrons at all times. The staff cannot store personal belongings.

adopted 12/14/10

Have a safe New Year

Warsaw Public Library is offering two safety workshops for children ages 10-15 on Tuesday December 28th. We are pleased to have EPIC (Every Person Influences Children) Trainings instructors coming to offer First Aid and Internet Safety classes free of charge to you.

Find out more about these interactive classes.

Celebrate with holiday books for kids.  In the children's room at Warsaw Public Library all the holiday books are shelved in the right front corner.  Each different holiday has a corresponding sticker.  Look for the orange ones on the spines of the Halloween books.

I just came upstairs after participating a little in Miss Mary's library program for the YMCA after school program kids.  What fun!  I played with some of the dozens of finger puppets the library owns for special programming.  Did you know that we have over 40 puppets you can check out?  They are so neat-o.

Warsaw Public Library Puppet Gallery

Now I’ll Learn to Read

The beginning of the school year is an exciting time for young children. The earliest years are the time when we concentrate on teaching reading, aiming to have confident readers by Third Grade. Of course, every child has her own schedule. My father loved to tell how when his father tried to get him to learn before he had started first grade, he proudly retorted, “I will larn when I go to skool.”


The library is here to help all readers and those learning to read. Is there something confusing, something you are curious about? Ask your child’s teacher, and ask us. If we don’t have an answer, we’ll try to find one.

Don’t forget to keep reading aloud, and check our Early Reader section.

Fall Plans

Don’t forget we do story time all year. Tuesday mornings at 10:30, we have a half hour of rhymes, songs, and stories. Join us. There’s no need to register.

New Books for Kids

Some New Books you can find downstairs in the children’s section at Warsaw Public Library:


Cow Loves Cookies


Kindergarten Diary


Village Garage

Growing Patterns


Potty Animals


The Wish Stealers

Clementine, Friend of the Week


How To Train Your Dragon


Bag In The Wind

What If?


Farm


Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I don’t)


Dino-baseball