We are NOT a babysitting service!
So, Summer Reading is in full swing. We've got kids out the wazoo, of course, which is the whole point to Summer Reading and the programs that are part of it.
Yesterday, when I was working at Treesville Library, a local wildlife center was doing a program at Branch Library. It went well, lots of attendees, everyone had a great time, all good... except that one of the would-be attendees came in with her grandfather, who didn't even want to step foot in the building. Cutest little 8 year old girl you've ever seen. Program was about to begin, and grandfather asks when the program would be over so he can come back and pick her up.
Branchville is... not the nicest town. Pretty high crime rate, we've had multiple break-ins, we even had some jackass attempt to put a curse on the library (at least, we think that was the point of the star on the library's doorstep... that wasn't even a pentagram, but a Star of David, but that's another matter...) and turns out that later that night after the program in question, someone would attempt to rob one of our volunteers at gunpoint, although fortunately not while she was at the library. There's a prison just outside of town, gang activity, just not the safest place to live and work - and this idiot wants to leave a cute little 8 year old girl alone in the library.
Fortunately, we do have an Unattended Child policy that is posted in several places in the library, and which clearly states that a child under 8 must have an adult with them at all times, and that children under 12 must have an adult in the building at all times. He is informed of this, grabs his poor granddaughter, and leaves in a huff, without letting her see all the cool stuff that was happening at the library that day.
Today, he comes back, with granddaughter in tow, to complain. Today is my day to be in Branch Library, and our Branch Manager, who is the one who told him he couldn't leave his kid unattended at the library, is at lunch when he comes in. The other person on duty at the time is a very nice older lady who does not deal well with angry, aggressive people, or really anything outside of routine. So when he comes in and starts complaining about the fact that he wasn't allowed to dump his granddaughter on us for several hours, I figure that I'll kind of put myself where I can monitor the situation and step in when/if needed.
The coworker in question did in fact handle it pretty well, explaining the policy and pointing out where we have the policy posted and what exactly is says, but he's not taking it. He's working himself up, probably thinking he can browbeat her into agreeing that he can dump the poor kid on us at every program this summer (not happening!) and my coworker spots me and turns him over to me.
My first question was, "Would you leave her alone in a mall?" He of course assures me that he wouldn't, and I pointed out to him that the library, also, is a public building, and we get all sorts of people - including convicted criminals - in the library and we can't assure her safety.
His responses? "That's stupid! And you can't fix stupid!" and to storm out with the little girl in tow. So now, the poor kid isn't going to be able to come to any of the programs, because that asswipe can't be bothered to come into the library, sit down and enjoy a book, newspaper or magazine, or even - *gasp!* - actually attend one of our very enjoyable (to adults and children alike) programs with his granddaughter.
Asswipe.
Yesterday, when I was working at Treesville Library, a local wildlife center was doing a program at Branch Library. It went well, lots of attendees, everyone had a great time, all good... except that one of the would-be attendees came in with her grandfather, who didn't even want to step foot in the building. Cutest little 8 year old girl you've ever seen. Program was about to begin, and grandfather asks when the program would be over so he can come back and pick her up.
Branchville is... not the nicest town. Pretty high crime rate, we've had multiple break-ins, we even had some jackass attempt to put a curse on the library (at least, we think that was the point of the star on the library's doorstep... that wasn't even a pentagram, but a Star of David, but that's another matter...) and turns out that later that night after the program in question, someone would attempt to rob one of our volunteers at gunpoint, although fortunately not while she was at the library. There's a prison just outside of town, gang activity, just not the safest place to live and work - and this idiot wants to leave a cute little 8 year old girl alone in the library.
Fortunately, we do have an Unattended Child policy that is posted in several places in the library, and which clearly states that a child under 8 must have an adult with them at all times, and that children under 12 must have an adult in the building at all times. He is informed of this, grabs his poor granddaughter, and leaves in a huff, without letting her see all the cool stuff that was happening at the library that day.
Today, he comes back, with granddaughter in tow, to complain. Today is my day to be in Branch Library, and our Branch Manager, who is the one who told him he couldn't leave his kid unattended at the library, is at lunch when he comes in. The other person on duty at the time is a very nice older lady who does not deal well with angry, aggressive people, or really anything outside of routine. So when he comes in and starts complaining about the fact that he wasn't allowed to dump his granddaughter on us for several hours, I figure that I'll kind of put myself where I can monitor the situation and step in when/if needed.
The coworker in question did in fact handle it pretty well, explaining the policy and pointing out where we have the policy posted and what exactly is says, but he's not taking it. He's working himself up, probably thinking he can browbeat her into agreeing that he can dump the poor kid on us at every program this summer (not happening!) and my coworker spots me and turns him over to me.
My first question was, "Would you leave her alone in a mall?" He of course assures me that he wouldn't, and I pointed out to him that the library, also, is a public building, and we get all sorts of people - including convicted criminals - in the library and we can't assure her safety.
His responses? "That's stupid! And you can't fix stupid!" and to storm out with the little girl in tow. So now, the poor kid isn't going to be able to come to any of the programs, because that asswipe can't be bothered to come into the library, sit down and enjoy a book, newspaper or magazine, or even - *gasp!* - actually attend one of our very enjoyable (to adults and children alike) programs with his granddaughter.
Asswipe.