Tweens Run Amok at Saratoga Library

I love Saratoga Library ... most of the time. I'm an avid reader, a member of a book club, and visit once or twice a week religiously. I especially love the "staff picks" and new book sections.

I also loved a promotion the library did recently related to Valentine's Day. They wrapped a bunch of books in heart paper and said, "Have a blind date with a book." I checked out a wrapped book and when I got home, I unwrapped it. It ended up being a really interesting book that I ended up reading.

I last visited Friday at 5 p.m. and was sad to see so many tween-age children by themselves. I think the kids walk over from Saint Andrew's Episcopal School and Redwood Middle School and are told by their parents to hang out and wait there until they get off of work. I could tell the Saint Andrew's students from their uniforms.

I notice the older kids, 14 and up mostly just quietly doing homework. 

On Friday, there were around 15 children around 10 or 11 years old being very loud and fooling around in the cafe area. I wanted to go in there and read for a few minutes to finish my book but it was too loud and the way the kids acted made me feel uncomfortable. They were poking fun at each other and I think even throwing things.

I didn't notice anyone telling them to be quiet. I did notice two parents coming in a few minutes later to pick up a couple of the kids. The parents were wearing scrubs. I'm guessing that they were picking up the kids after work and the kids got off school a few hours prior.

I then went to the teen section to pick up something for my son and I saw five girls, again, around 11 or 12 years old, playing a full on game of tag actually running around the book shelves yelling.

A librarian walked right by them and said nothing! I, of course, being the mom of a 12-year-old, said, "This is a library. Where are your parents? Can you sit down and be quiet so I don't get my toes stepped on during your game?" The girls listened and sat right down and then didn't move. They were good kids. And playing tag is okay. But not in the library where people are doing homework and trying to have a relaxing quiet experience.

So what's the deal with the parents using the library as free daycare? Is this okay? I don't think it is. I think some of the kids are a bit too young to be left alone for so many hours. I think it's totally okay for them to play and run around but that's best done outside, of course.

Am I judging these parents? I hope not. I don't mean to. Am I worried about the kids being left by themselves? Yes, I am.

I did talk to a couple of librarians about this. They didn't have anything to say except to tell the "boss librarian" so I left her a message.

Maybe next time I go it will be a little more calm and normal.

Despite the unsupervised tweens running amok sometimes I still love Saratoga library.