Graffiti: Library out of control?

As Youth Services Manager at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library I would like to hear response from our youth customers about a recent letter to the editor that appeared in the Topeka Capital Journal. Please read the letter as copied directly from the Capital-Journal below. Please comment directly to this post how you feel about this letter. Best Regards, Jeff Dawson Youth Services and Bookmobile Manager. Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library

Library Out of Control "I have been patronizing the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library for more years than I care to count and my question is: Why is it I no longer feel safe there (or in the parking lot)? Groups of adolescents playing computer games, fist-fights erupting, profanity even the hard-of-hearing can't miss, threatening the security staff (and each other), playing tag in the aisles, chasing one another, turning the library into a virtual playground. Isn't there something the management can do to keep kids who are causing these problems under control so that I and others won't feel threatened and distracted so we can concentrate on the reason we are there in the first place?"

Comments

Well for one, the writer of that article should also write about the fact that there is nothing for teens to do in TOPEKA! Every other city has teen's clubs and what not and all we have to look forward to is the library. That is the only place we have to go where we can see our friends, play games on the computer and hang out. What about the kids and teens who have bad households where are they supposed to meet friends at? And the kids and teens who have no home or live in group homes what are they supposed to do? If anything [there] should [be] a teen lounge put into the Library. Somewhere people and visitors can't hear the noise. There should be games, music, and computers for teens. That should solve the problem.

Posted by: A Teen that comes here for fun | November 12, 2006 07:33 PM

Well I think that if we had more computers and delete some of those bad games the children be on, I think that would help plus the library needs to be bigger 'cause there aren't enough computers and when people get here they act up or play around cause the computers aren't available now. I know that some kids are doing whatever but together we can eliminate some of the problems at the library. I personally get tired of coming 'cause there are no computers available and I have to wait hours just to get one. I believe that kids should be limited on what sites they can be on.

Posted by: Anonymus | November 12, 2006 07:39 PM

i love the library almost more than any other place i can imagine! i can read, play a computer game, play chess, or just hang out without anyone telling me what to do! why would anyone think this?????!!!! maybe there should just be a section where the people who think this should be shut away from all the other parts of the library so others can actually enjoy it.

Posted by: Can't believe this crud | November 18, 2006 05:14 PM

I think that the elderly madaam has a couple of points, from her perspective. We could try to quiet down a bit, but she is a bit ridiculous in saying that all teens are this way, and that we should be removed from the library. Our Library isn't the old fashioned type. It is modernesque and conforms to people from all walks and parts of life. We aren't required to be silent. If she has an issue with an individual or a group she should approach them and discuss it with them. I know that if I am being too boistrous for someone elses comfort levels, I would like them to approach me about it. And the boistrous people should take the rebuke/advice/requests like the adults we want to be treated as. Those are my two cents.

Posted by: Michael Hockenbarger | November 21, 2006 07:05 PM

Actually, she didn't say all kids or all teens act this way. She only refers to kids/teens who are causing problems. Now I don't know why "playing computer games" is listed as a problem in her letter, but the other objections seem reasonable to me, i.e. fighting, threatening, use of profanity, and running/chasing. She doesn't even mention the noise level except in reference to the profanity.

Posted by: Michelle | November 22, 2006 12:10 PM

I believe that isn't right that just because others did wrong it's now every child and young adult should be punished for what others do. Not to mention the fact about talking, how do you expect all of us to be communicative when we work if we can't even talk to our friends in the Library... am I right or not?

Posted by: Anonymus | November 27, 2006 01:30 PM

Library out of control?

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