Princeton Public Library says teens are reading, not fighting

Reports of widespread misbehavior are unfounded, officials say.

By: Jennifer Potash
   Reports of widespread misbehavior by young people at the Princeton Public Library are unfounded, library officials say, adding that they want to reassure the community that firm but fair rules have been put in place to deal with troublemakers.
   The library’s board of trustees on Tuesday discussed community concerns that have bubbled up and how the library staff confronts problem behavior among teenagers and other young library patrons.
   "We have a fairly proactive approach to stay on top of this," said library Director Leslie Burger. "There are more than 30 kids here after school every day. And we made a conscious decision to build the teen center as a place for kids to come after school."
   Some erroneous reports that a street brawl on Jan. 12 had its origins in the library led to some panic-filled e-mails exchanged among parents about how the library was not safe for their children, officials said.
   Ms. Burger said some young people rushing to get to the fight that took place on South Tulane Street used the first-floor library hallway as a shortcut. The matter was referred to the police, she said.
   Nancy Russell, president of the trustee board, said one e-mail contained a message from a parent that her sons, in seventh and ninth grades, were too intimidated to go to the library. Another message, Ms. Russell said, had a second-hand comment passed along that a woman’s teenage daughter was too scared to go to the library. But when Ms. Russell followed up with the people mentioned in the e-mails, she said she found a more complex response.
   One parent said her child was shy and tended to stay away from the library during busy times, Ms. Russell said. Another parent said her daughter was not scared to go to the library after school, Ms. Russell said.
   "It’s not so cut-and-dried as one might think," Ms. Russell said.
   So far, no library patron has complained to the staff about harassment by teenagers or other young people, Ms. Burger said.
   Susan Conlon, teen services librarian, said the library has a specific procedure to deal with misbehavior. If a child repeatedly misbehaves or a more serious incident occurs, the child is asked to leave the library and may not return without a parent or a guardian, Ms. Conlon said. The next step is to meet with the child and parent to discuss the problems.
   The library has three building monitors on staff who watch out for behavior problems and work to move the children from the lobby to the teen center on the third floor during the after-school hours, Ms. Conlon said.
   Library Trustee Robert Ginsberg, who is the principal of Johnson Park School, suggested the library encourages unannounced visits by the principals of John Witherspoon Middle School and Princeton High School.
   Ms. Burger said she is working with the library’s architect, Hillier Architecture, to make changes to the teen section for more open space and better sightlines.
   Most of the teens in the library respect the rules, she said.
   "They are excited to be here and they love coming here," she said.
   And many have taken leadership roles in various committees such as the Teen Advisory Board. The board recently launched a fund-raiser for victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami in the Indian Ocean and more than $1,500 in proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross, Ms. Conlon said.