SAFE CHILD POLICY
Statement of Policy
Children age 10 and under must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or other responsible person during their entire stay in the library except while at story times and/or library classes. Adult supervision is strongly recommended for all children. You are responsible for both the safety of your child and his or her behavoir while visiting the library.
Statement of Philosophy for the Safe Child Policy
Samuels Public Library welcomes children of all ages. It is a doorway through which lifelong learning takes place. The public library, however, is just that, a public building. As such, anybody can come into it--law abiding or otherwise.
Library staff have many duties to perform in order to serve the citizens of Front Royal and Warren County. They cannot monitor the behavior or whereabouts of each patron--including children. Library staff do not assume parental responsibilities for children who come into the library.
A child could be tempted to go off with a stranger. A child could become ill. A child could get mixed in with a group and become lost. Any of these or other emergencies could take place in a public building. An emergency situation could require evacuation of the building. Small children unaccompanied by a familiar adult could panic, hide and be left in the building. It is for the safety of each child that Samuels Public Library has adopted this Safe Child Policy.