Dayton Metro Library wants community input to reduce youth fights in their branches after school.
Dayton Metro Library will host a community meeting 6 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Eichelberger Forum at the main branch. The public is invited to the community meeting to brainstorm ideas on how to reduce these fights.
Around the end of September, the southeast branch on Watervliet Avenue changed its hours in response to teens, including some from nearby Belmont High School, fighting at the crowded branch. Debi Chess, director of external relations and development for the library system, said "The door count read over 300 people in the facility at the time."
Now, Monday through Friday, the branch locks up at 2:30 p.m. It then reopens at 5.
"We work with the Dayton Public Schools, the school resource officers, the Dayton Police Department, our staff, our Protect Safety and Protective Services to mitigate incidents as we see them starting to rise," Chess said. "But there are times when they just hit a crescendo quicker than anyone expects. This was one of those times."
According to Chess between 2:30 to 5 p.m. is when the southeast branch experiences the most youth disturbances. She said closing during this time allows the staff to re-evaluate how they’re managing all patron needs.
"We exist for our patrons, our community to utilize our resources and so it's a community wide issue of ways we can create safe spaces at our library for young people to congregate, to thrive, to socialize," Chess said.
Questions can be submitted ahead of time at this link.
