Something is in the air. I'm not sure if it's the Christmas/holiday season, full moons every night (I'm sure it's possible!), or something in the Ogden water, but there is a lot of nervous, perhaps a tad bit excited, energy waiting to be expended by so library patrons in Ogden!
Or maybe it's just that it is winter and the warmth of the public library draws more people in. We have our usual transient patrons who sit in the library all day reading and occasionally using the Internet. Seriously, people who complain about "those people" using the library should shut up and complain about the taxpayers who also use the library and actually cause problems.
In the past couple of weeks we've had several incidents. The Juggalos are back and intimidating patrons. They're also spreading their damaging influence on the younger regulars. It is so sad when you see seventh graders passing around smokes (even though these same kids can be terribly obnoxious). And, yes, I know Juggalos are not bad in and of themselves, but these ones in particular are not model citizens.
Sunday we had a young adult run into the library claiming someone in a car pulled up to the 20 minute parking in front of the library and pulled a gun on him.
Then yesterday, we had a couple of "incidents" at the same time. One was a rumored attempted child abduction, which actually turned out to be inattentive parenting, a good Samaritan trying to keep the kid out of the street, and a meddlesome regular who likes the drama the front of the building has to offer. At the same time, a couple of our obnoxious kids were being accused of harassing patrons. Maybe a rude comment to one of the associate directors will be enough to kick the kids out once and for all for a whole year because they were actually caught in the act of harassing and not just reported.
Then we have the young people who are on winter break from school and excited about the prospect of escaping into a good book. It is so much fun to suggest books to kids who enjoy reading and take a stack of 10 novels to the checkout counter, barely able to hold onto them, with huge smiles on their faces.
Or maybe it's just that it is winter and the warmth of the public library draws more people in. We have our usual transient patrons who sit in the library all day reading and occasionally using the Internet. Seriously, people who complain about "those people" using the library should shut up and complain about the taxpayers who also use the library and actually cause problems.
In the past couple of weeks we've had several incidents. The Juggalos are back and intimidating patrons. They're also spreading their damaging influence on the younger regulars. It is so sad when you see seventh graders passing around smokes (even though these same kids can be terribly obnoxious). And, yes, I know Juggalos are not bad in and of themselves, but these ones in particular are not model citizens.
Sunday we had a young adult run into the library claiming someone in a car pulled up to the 20 minute parking in front of the library and pulled a gun on him.
Then yesterday, we had a couple of "incidents" at the same time. One was a rumored attempted child abduction, which actually turned out to be inattentive parenting, a good Samaritan trying to keep the kid out of the street, and a meddlesome regular who likes the drama the front of the building has to offer. At the same time, a couple of our obnoxious kids were being accused of harassing patrons. Maybe a rude comment to one of the associate directors will be enough to kick the kids out once and for all for a whole year because they were actually caught in the act of harassing and not just reported.
Then we have the young people who are on winter break from school and excited about the prospect of escaping into a good book. It is so much fun to suggest books to kids who enjoy reading and take a stack of 10 novels to the checkout counter, barely able to hold onto them, with huge smiles on their faces.
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