We strive to make the library a welcoming and safe place for children. However, the library is also a public building open to anyone. Over 300,000 people visit the library each year. Library staff has many duties to attend to in serving all of our patrons. We cannot monitor the behavior or whereabouts of each person in the library, including children. Library staff cannot take over parental responsibilities for children who come into the library.

It is for the safety of each child that the Iredell County Public Library has adopted this safe child policy:

• Children age 8 or under must be in the immediate presence of a parent, sibling, caregiver, or other responsible person age 16 or older at all times while on library property.
• Children between ages 9 and 11 must have a parent, sibling, caregiver, or other responsible person age 16 or older in the library building at all times.
• If a child is unattended, library staff will attempt to locate the child’s parent or other responsible adult in the building. If the adult cannot be located, we will contact the police to assume responsibility of the child.
• If a child age 15 or younger is left unattended at closing time, library staff will attempt to locate or contact the child’s parent or other responsible adult. If the adult cannot be located, we will contact the police to assume responsibility of the child.
• We are also concerned about your child’s safety while using the internet at the library. The library uses special software to block children from visiting websites that are inappropriate for children. The software is updated daily and also scans sites to determine if they should be blocked. However, no software can be totally effective in blocking the millions of websites available on the internet.

If you wish for your child to access the internet at the library, you must sign an Internet User Agreement for your child. If you do not want your child to have access to the internet at the library, you may choose the option to have internet access blocked for your child’s account. The library’s computer software will prevent your child from using any internet computer at the library.