Solutions for the library
By Susan Bromley
Brandon Twp.- The police are out, but a ‘Center for the Afterschool Crowd? is in.
The Community Afterschool Taskforce is out, but a taskforce to consider a community center is in.
The Brandon Township Library staff and community members have been busy working on solutions to the library’s ongoing problems during the afterschool hours with large numbers of students in the library, reduced adult patronage during those hours and vandalism in the bathrooms.
Library officials decided against a police presence at the library for two hours everyday after school following a Dec. 6 meeting with police officials.
However, Library Director JoAnn Gavey implemented a new program that she says is working very well to curb problems.
The ‘Center for the Afterschool Crowd? opened Dec. 14 at the library located at 304 South St. ‘CAC? confines students from the intermediate and middle schools to the community room inside the library during after school hours. Students are no longer allowed to roam the library, but sign in and must stay in this room until parents come in to pick them up. If they do not want to stay in the room, they must leave the library building and property and are not allowed to return. Students can use the bathroom or water fountain with a pass, but only one child is allowed to go at a time. Another pass will allow children to go directly to a librarian if they have reference homework that needs to be done. Otherwise, they remain in the room watching a movie, playing board games, doing homework or using laptop computers. The students are supervised by three library staff members.
Zoe Pearson, library public relations director, said that on the first day, they had 63 children. On the second day, they had 20 fewer kids.
‘The kids that didn’t want to be there went somewhere else,? she said. ‘It’s working out pretty good.?
Pearson has heard objections from four parents and she has invited those parents to come volunteer after school.
‘This (CAC) is a temporary thing we’re doing,? she adds. ‘It’s a stopgap to try and alleviate some of the problems we all know and have heard about… I don’t necessarily think it’s the final answer, but it’s a way to keep the kids occupied constructively and safely and keep the rest of the library open to the community… adult patrons are excited to be able to use the library during those hours.?
Pearson notes she would like to see a community center, which will be discussed at the next Community After School Taskforce meeting from 7-9 p.m., Jan. 10 at the library conference room to be chaired by Nancy Strohschein after Nancy Rossi stepped down.
The taskforce will also be reorganized or even possibly disbanded at that meeting if no interest is shown. Rossi wants to take some of the focus off the library and focus more on getting a community center for kids.
‘I believe the youth of our community would be well served by having a safe place to socialize and learn,? she says. ‘As far as I’m concerned, it could be in an existing building. A safe place to be themselves and have fun, other than the library.?
Rossi doesn’t have a preconceived notion of what a community center has to look like, rather she is willing to work with other people to see what can be created for the kids. She isn’t sure how it will be funded, but doesn’t want to stop because some may think the obstacles are too large.
‘I don’t think they are,? she said. ‘I think it would really serve our community well if people would just have a collective can-do attitude. We have all the resources we need to offer great opportunities for our kids after school. People are interested, parents are willing, it just requires people coming to the table and saying we can do this, let’s get it done.?