Dayton Metro Library officials are creating a working group to figure out the next steps to reducing teen fights at their branches.
The group will be composed of representatives from the school district, police, community groups that work with youth and interested individuals.
The working group was announced during a community forum Tuesday night at the main downtown library.
Many people at the forum echoed support for the library system, for the staff at the Southeast Branch and their decision to close between 2:30 and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This came last month when a conflict between almost 300 teens, some from Belmont High School, escalated into a fight inside the library.
Representatives from the library, the Dayton Public Schools and the city police department were on hand to answer questions and explain how they're responding.
The Southeast branch on Watervliet Avenue sits between Belmont High School and a busy RTA bus stop.
"The fundamental problem here is you guys have been trying to run a library inside a busy bus terminal," Southeast Branch patron Joe Winter said. "I want to suggest that you seriously investigate permanent changes to architecture, landscaping and procedure of Southeast to make it less attractive as a cut through."
Anita Schmaltz is a single mother of two teens, one 12 and one 15.
She describes the Southeast branch as a safe place for them to go after school until she can pick them up.
"I could do work and the kids would ride the RTA there (Southeast library branch) and get their homework done, and they would have the rest of the afternoon free. So the library closure meant we didn't have that anymore," Schmaltz said.
Schmaltz wants library leaders to do a deeper dive into why other branches don’t have this problem.
"There's other high schools that have libraries next to them, and they don't face the same problems, such as Vandalia and the panelists had mentioned Brookfield as well," she said. "And so when we look at those libraries and those communities, what do they have around there and how do people access those things as well?"
More than 98 percent of the patrons are respectful of staff and other patrons, said Rachel Gut, deputy executive director of the Dayton Metro Library.
"The problem that we're experiencing is that we've got some violence that is coming into our libraries. It's a very small portion of the folks who come in," said Gut.
Dayton Public Schools Superintendent David Lawrence encouraged a positive approach.
"We need to create hope for students and that will reduce all these mitigating factors," Lawrence said. "So instead of thinking about it punitively and instead of thinking about how we can corral kids, let's start to think about how we can increase their hope."
Early in November, the Southeast Branch will adjust the closures to 2:30 to 4 p.m. during the week. By late December, it plans to restore normal hours.
To learn more about the working groups, contact Allison Knight, youth services and programming director. She can be reached at
aknight@daytonmetrolibrary.org or 937-496-8507.
