Safe Child Policy

The Indianola Public Library provides a safe and welcoming environment that encourages all children to visit the library, attend programs, and use library resources.  The following policy sets behavior expectations for children and their caregivers in the library: 

• Parents or legal guardians are responsible for the behavior of their children in the library.

• Children ages seven and under must be accompanied by a responsible person in the immediate vicinity. The responsible person must be at least 12 years old and carry emergency contact information. 
• Some programs may require parents or guardians to remain with children for the duration of the program.

In addition, the following behavior is prohibited:

• Neglecting to provide proper supervision of children.
• Using the children’s area for any activities other than their intended purpose.  Adults wishing to use children’s areas must be accompanied by a child or be given express permission to use these areas from library staff.

If a child is left unattended, is disruptive, or needs supervision, staff will locate the person responsible for the child and review expectations for supervision and conduct. If staff cannot locate the person responsible for the child, they will attempt to reach the parent or guardian by phone. If the parent or guardian is not located within one hour or if the library is closing, local law enforcement will be called to assume responsibility for the child.