Children in the Library

The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library encourages people of all ages to use the library to take advantage of the available resources, and wishes to make their visit a warm and welcoming experience.

It is the responsibility of the parents or legal guardians to evaluate any materials accessed by their children. This includes the Internet, books, videos and other resources. Parents should be aware that there may be resources they judge inappropriate for their children and it is the parents' responsibility to evaluate these resources. We encourage parents to accompany their children and work with the library staff to foster a safe environment. Please refer to the following websites for information about helping your child navigate the World Wide Web safely:

www.safekids.com

www.safeteens.com

Young children are not safe when left alone in the library. Staff cannot know if children are leaving with a parent or with a stranger. Young children left alone in the library often become frightened and anxious. They may be able to occupy their time for a short while, but they may soon become bored and restless, disturbing others. The following policy seeks to address these concerns for the children in a responsible manner.

Children younger than age 10 must have a parent/caregiver (attending adult) in the immediate vicinity of and in visual contact with the child. An exception would be children attending a library program without a parent/caregiver in the room. However, the parent/caregiver is expected to remain in the Children's Department and immediately join the child at the end of the program.

If a child younger than age 10 is found unattended and a parent or attending adult cannot be found in the library building:

1. The parent or guardian of the child will be contacted by phone and requested to pick up their child.

2. If the parent or guardian cannot be reached, the police will be called for assistance.

Children aged 10 and older may use the Children's Department on their own. However, the responsibility for the safety and behavior of children in the library rests with the parent/caregiver and not with the library personnel. Children using inappropriate behavior will be asked to leave the library. A child too young to leave the library on their own is also too young to be left in the library without adult supervision."

Parents are responsible for picking up their children before the library closes. Children without adults in attendance will be asked to call one hour before closing to ensure that they will be picked up on time. If a child cannot contact their parent and the child is not picked up prior to closing then the police will be called for assistance.