The Bryan+College Station Public Library System welcomes children of all ages. Children are important
and deserve attention, supervision, positive interaction and love. We provide materials, services,
and programs for the benefit of children in our community. We are dedicated to providing a welcoming,
fun, and safe environment for all library customers.
The safety of children in the library is a serious concern to library staff and the Bryan + College
Station Public Library System Advisory Board. The system libraries are public buildings and as such,
anyone can enter them. Library staff has many duties to perform in order to serve all library
customers. They cannot monitor the whereabouts of customers, including children. Staff can not
assume responsibility for the care and safety of unattended children in the library. Parents and
responsible caregivers are expected to provide supervision for children in the system libraries.
We especially want children to have positive experiences in the system libraries. Children left
unattended in the libraries may become frightened or anxious. An unattended child may wander through
the building and encounter hazards such as stairs, electrical equipment, doors, or furniture. An
unattended child might be tempted to leave the building with a stranger. An unattended child could
get mixed in with a school group and become lost. An unattended child could become ill. Emergency
situations can occur in public buildings, requiring evacuation. An unattended child could panic and
become lost in the building.
It is for the safety of each child that the Bryan+College Station Public Library System has adopted
this Safe Children Policy. Parents and caregivers are expected to ensure a pleasant and safe
experience for the children in their care by abiding by this policy.
For the purpose of this policy, responsible caregiver is defined as the person who accompanies a
child to the library and attends to the child while in the library. Responsible caregivers may be a
parent, guardian, adult relative, teacher, day care staff, adult babysitter, or sibling at least age
16. The responsible caregiver must have information to be able to contact a parent or guardian if
needed.
