I was on the children's desk for most of the evening because the Thursday night Youth Services person was out sick. A pack of three kids was running wildly around the children's area. Two of them were the age where, if they fall down and skin their knees, they burst into earsplitting wails. I told each of them repeatedly to "please walk" in the library, reminded them that you "can't run" here, etc. etc. Eventually I asked one if her mom or dad was here with her. She indicated a woman who was helping two older kids with homework at a table in the kids' area. I went to get her to take responsibility for the kids that she had brought to the library (why you think you should take five kids anywhere without a supporting adult is a separate question). This was our conversation:
Me: Can you please ask your children to stop running?
Woman: I already have.
That does not conclude your responsibilities, lady!
UGH. Did you ratchet things up at all? I always think it's exactly people like this who will try to hold the library responsible if their own kids (who they're ignoring) fall down, crash into a bookcase, or otherwise injure themselves.
ReplyDeleteI talked to her kids twice more and gave her dirty looks until she got uncomfortable and left. Maybe not the ideal customer service solution. But the ideal minimization-of-crazy-lawsuits solution.
DeleteYes, there's definitely a place for The Dirty Look in a librarian's repertoire.
ReplyDelete