Day 7 - March 14, 2007

WEDNESDAY -- I got to the Children's Room today and the librarians were abuzz with some excitement. It turns out that before I got there, they had to throw out a 9th grader out of the library. I knew of the kid they were talking about...Moses. Moses is one of the library regulars and has already been warned a few times in the past not to be in the Children's Room because of his age and because he misbehaves all the time. You know the type...those who talk out loud, using their cellphones in the room, always toeing the line and think they can get away with that kind of behavior all the time. Moses talks to librarians without an ounce of respect and he thinks he's funny and all cool when he does that. His excuse for being in the Children's Room is his younger brother Argo, who is another Moses in the making. Just like his brother, Argo is sometimes asked to leave, maybe twice in a week. I have been warned about Moses during my first week. I realize now that to be a librarian in a children's library one has to learn to be tough when dealing with troublemakers. Cecil is is the enforcer in the library, she's one who has no qualms reminding kids to walk not run, to use their cellphones outside, no food and drinks in the library and she was the one who warned Moses and eventually kicked him out. I admire Cecil because she's a tough one but she always has a very calm and soothing voice even when she would reprimand the children. Apparently, security had to be called to get Moses out. Now he is persona non-grata in the room. In the future, I hope that I will not have to be the one to drive this boy out.

Not even half an hour had passed and there was another commotion. A mother left her 6 yr old in the Children's Room...well, left the premises all together. There is a policy in the library that only kids 9 years and above can be left in the room on their own. Children below 9 should have an adult with them the whole time. Cecil called the mother to come back and the mother took her own sweet time returning. Cathy, a library manager had to call the mother again and told her that we had to call the cops already if she does not return soon. After an hour after she left and after two calls from librarians, the mother finally returned and claimed ignorance of the policy. In fact, Lynne, a library page/tutor, reminded her about the policy before she left. The mother was confrontational, accusing Lynne of lying. Whew, I can't even begin to imagine what parents like her are thinking when they leave their young children alone in public places like a library. The library is not a daycare center! There are crazy people who come in public libraries...I was told that there was even an incident in the past where there was someone who exposed himself in the stacks. Teresa talked to the mother but I wonder if she got through because the mother had the gall to be upset about "not being told" of the policy.

After these two incidents, it was a pretty quiet night. I was sitting at the desk wondering how I would act if I was confronted by a big bad boy, a careless parent or a crazy exhibitionist. I am a pacifist by nature, not confrontational at all. I have never had to worry about throwing out attorneys from the library at the firm nor do I have to worry about having kids below nine years of age left in my care, well maybe once during "Bring Your Kids to Work Day." I was pondering the situation when one of the kids I helped the previous night came to me and thanked me for the one line I gave him for his poem about inertia. I felt some satisfaction in knowing I was able to help. With all the commotion and the one grateful kid...I can't help to think about the saying "Every cloud has a silver lining." Tonight, inertia boy was my silver lining.