Hennepin County Library is committed to the provision of quality library service to children and seeks to provide equal access to them individually and as members of groups. In recognition of the increases in the total number of preschool children, and especially the number of children in groups, coupled with the difficulty in reaching persons in groups as effectively as individuals, Hennepin County Library will actively share information, expertise, materials and services with children in groups, child care workers, and the organizations and networks serving those children. The guidelines for services to groups, combined with continued budget and staff support, will help to ensure fair and uniform service to individuals and groups across the library system.

Guidelines for services to children in groups:

1. Services Provided

   The variety of services provided to children in groups may include, but is not limited to, stories, videos, book talks, reader advisory and reference assistance, tours and library instruction appropriate to the age of the children.

   Children will be encouraged to use the library during their visits

   Applications for library cards may be filled out prior to the visit. It is the leader’s responsibility to inform parents if the children will be applying for library cards or may be checking out materials.

2. Scheduling – For Visits to Agencies
   
   
   1. Groups are encouraged to notify the library in advance of their visits. A lead-time of two weeks is suggested when a program is requested.
   2. Attempts should be made to work within the schedule of the agency; however, non-public service hours may be considered.
   3. Youth Services librarians will notify supervisors and support staff in advance of groups visits so that proper desk coverage can be arranged.
   4. The number of groups each library may reasonably be expected to accommodate each month is determined by agency staffing and other community commitments. It is assumed that other staff, in addition to the Youth Services librarian, may also be involved in providing these services.
   5. Generally, groups located in suburban Hennepin County should be given priority. Others may be served if there is no conflict in requests for service or they may be referred to their local library.
   
   
3. Frequency of Visits Groups will be encouraged to visit for a program at least once a year. Subsequent visits, including a program, may be scheduled dependent upon agency staffing. However, regular ongoing programs for a single group will be given lowest priority unless there is no conflict in requests for service. Groups will be invited to visit regularly for general library use including browsing, information and reader advisory assistance and materials checkout.

4. Visit Duration Visits, including a program, usually last between 30-45 minutes with additional time for browsing. The nature of the visit will determine the timeframe.

5. Size of Group Accommodated In order for the library experience to be most positive, an upper limit of 40 children for an in-house program presented by a librarian is suggested. Larger groups may be accommodated depending on the size of the meeting room.

6. Referrals Referrals work from area to community, community to area, and community to community library, depending upon the size of the groups, the particular service requested, and geography. Even the smallest agencies can be a primary source of assistance to group leaders (catalog instruction, reserving materials, reader advisory, referrals, etc.).

7. Loan Period and Collection In order to ensure fresh, inviting collections for young patrons, the regular loan period should be observed. Librarians can choose reasonable amounts of materials if requested by leaders for use at the site. The leaders will be responsible for picking up and returning these materials.

8. Visits to Child Care Locations Priority will be given to serving groups in the library. Visits to locations will not be publicized but made at the discretion of the Youth Services librarian with supervisor’s approval.