Youth
Safe Child Policy
Half Hollow Hills Community Library welcomes children and is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all Library patrons.
Parents or responsible caregivers, fifteen (15) years of age or older, not Library staff, are responsible for the supervision and behavior of children while using the Library.
Parents and caregivers should be familiar with the Library's hours of operation and should not leave children before opening or after closing. Attention must also be paid to the possibility of unexpected closings (storms, power outages, etc.) and unattended children should be able to contact a parent/ caregiver.
It is not the Library's intention to seek out unattended children but rather to have a procedure in place should problems arise. Anyone under the age of 18 who remains past closing time will be deemed at risk. If the child is not picked up by closing and a parent/caregiver cannot be contacted or located after reasonable efforts to contact them, the Suffolk County Police will be called. Staff will stay with the child until the police arrive. Under no circumstances will staff transport children.
Levels of supervision required:
- Children under the age of five (5) must always be in proximity and within sight of the adult responsible for their safety.
- Children up to and including the age of ten (10) must be supervised by a parent or caregiver at all times. Parents or caregivers must remain in the same area of the Library unless the child is attending a Library program, in which case they must remain in the Library building.
- Children aged eleven {11) through thirteen (13) may be left unattended for short periods oftime (not longer than two hours). Children are subject to the same rules of behavior as other patrons and the same consequences, including being asked to leave the Library.
- Teachers and other group supervisors are responsible for the conduct of minors under their supervision while they are on a visit or tour visit or tour.
Please remember:
- Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.
- It is not the Library's role to provide short- or long-term childcare.
- Children attending programs are supervised by the library staff only during the scheduled time of the program.
- The Library is a relatively safe environment, but it is subject to the same risks as are encountered in other public buildings. Children should be closely supervised by parents or caregivers while in the Library until they have attained a suitable age and discretion.
Violations of this policy may be grounds for suspension of library privileges, in accordance with the Library's Patron Conduct Policy.
Adopted:12/15/97
Revised: 10/23/00, 3/22/05, 9/16/13, 2/25/26