Child Safety Policy
The Wayland Free Public Library is committed to providing excellent programs and services for children of all ages.
The Wayland Free Public Library has provided the following policies for parents and caregivers regarding children while visiting the Library in order to promote a safe and welcoming environment for children of all ages.
- The Library is open to a wide cross-section of the public. Patrons should at all times be aware that they are in a shared, public space. Library staff are concerned about your child’s safety but cannot substitute for parents or teachers, and are not babysitters. The responsibility for the safety and behavior of children in the Library rests with the parents, legal guardians, or other responsible caregivers (hereinafter “caregiver”). Library staff are not responsible for the care and safety of unsupervised or unattended children in the library. The Library does not provide transportation, babysitting, or day care services.
- All children in the Library must follow the Acceptable Behavior policy and are expected to use the Library appropriately. Children who do not follow these rules are subject to the same consequences as other library users, including being required to leave the Library or losing library privileges.
- The children’s room and programming are reserved for children, their caregivers, and adults interested in children’s literature, such as teachers, librarians, and college students taking children’s literature classes. Use of the Teen Space is reserved for use by middle and high school aged patrons during after school hours, school vacations, and summer breaks. Out of concern for the safety of young patrons, adults who are unaccompanied by a child or children in the children’s areas of the Library may be questioned by staff, and may be asked to move to another area of the Library.
- Computers and other technology in the Children’s Room are for the use of children and caregivers who are accompanying children. All other users are required to use computers in the adult areas. Please refer to the library’s Internet Use Policy for more detail.
- Children under the age of ten may not be left unattended in the Library.
Approved by Board of Trustees 9/18/2019, amended 2/15/2023
