Comments on: Making Sure the Policy Meets Its Purpose

By: Melissa H.

Melissa H. — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 16:41:00 +0000

Oops…typo in my first sentence above. It SHOULD read:
“This highlights one of my pet peeves: policies that don’t actually address the problem and/or behavior, BUT RATHER FOCUS ON the “type” of person currently engaging in the undesirable activity.”

By: Melissa H.

Melissa H. — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 16:39:00 +0000

This highlights one of my pet peeves: policies that don’t actually address the problem and/or behavior, not the “type” of person currently engaging in the undesirable activity. The policy should be something like “raising a ruckus in the library results in the following reprimand…” (along with a good definition of what “raising a ruckus” entails). Anyone who is violating the policies of the library should be asked to leave the library IMMEDIATELY and if the problem persists from day to the day, the period of “banishment” should be extended. Instead, the library has set up a policy that punishes the innocent and is overlooked by the guilty.

By: Tyler Rousseau

Tyler Rousseau — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 14:04:00 +0000

It could also be the fallacy of multiplication.

Some Teens cause problems.
All Teens have a lot of energy.
Therefore, cut the number of teens and you cut down the problems.

It doesn’t make sense but it is commonly used in the fight against teens. People lose focus on the specific individuals and start attacking the group as a whole (by mistakingly applying the individuals traits to the group), and as long as less show up the goal can be seen as acheived.

btw Liz, how’s that cold?

By: Liz B

Liz B — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 19:44:00 +0000

Since it’s known that the private school does not use photo ids and a photo id is required, have any alternate ids been allowed that the private school kids do have? Otherwise, it sounds as if the purpose was actually aimed at these students (not wanting the private school kids using public library.). Which is pretty sad.

By: Nicki

Nicki — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 18:30:00 +0000

Sounds like a tricky situation! And kids are pretty crafty. I bet KidX with a school ID will check out a temporary card and give it to friend, KidY, who lacks ID... and then KidX will simply use his own library card. Now they are both online!

As you can see, the current policy does nothing to solve the problem and it only makes it very difficult for a Librarian to turn away a sweet looking kid who just happened to forget his library card but has no ID because his private school a block away does not issue IDs.