Guidelines for Springfield City Library Staff
Library staff will support the Springfield Public Schools attendance policy. These guidelines outline steps to take regarding youth who appear to be of school age and who are in the Library during school hours, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Children and teens need to abide by the same behavior policy that all library users are held to, and are not held to the policy more or less strictly than users of other ages. Staff should NOT ask youth to leave the Library because staff members feel the youth should be in school. Bear in mind that youth asked to leave the Library are not likely to return to school just because they are asked to leave. Call the Attendance Supervisor or Specialist so that she or he may intervene.
If an unaccompanied youth is in the library during regular school hours, library staff members should call the Springfield Public Schools’ Attendance Supervisor or the community-based Attendance Specialists to report youth in the library. The school attendance staff welcomes and encourages these calls.
A staff member who places a call to the Springfield Public Schools as outlined in this policy should also send an email to the Springfield City Library Manager of Youth & Outreach Services noting the date and time of the call in order to create a record of support of the Schools’ attendance policy. As of November 2008, these emails may be directed to jcanosa@springfieldlibrary.org.
Definitions:
YOUTH refers to a child or a teen, 17 years old or younger.
STAFF refers to any library employee or contractor such as security officers.
ATTENDANCE SUPERVISOR/SPECIALIST refers to employees of the Springfield Public Schools (SPS).
Approved by the Springfield Board of Library Commissioners, December 3, 2008