Library Board Adopts New Tutoring Policy

Recent complaints from patrons about conversational noise at Emma S. Clark Memorial Library have led to a new policy regulating tutoring activities, which will now be limited to certain areas of the library.

The new policy, adopted at Wednesday night's library board meeting, goes into effect Oct. 1. The policy will restrict tutoring to the lower level and to designated areas of the children's room, as well as the community room when available, to curb conversations taking place in areas where silence is typically observed.

Acting library director Ted Gutmann said the policy is not meant to discourage patrons from using the library as a venue for tutoring.

"What we're faced with is limited resources, limited space," he said. "We just wanted to make sure that there's fair use of space for everybody."

The board's approval of the policy was unanimous; the only points of discussion concerned its wording and how it would be communicated to patrons.

"The librarians have been letting some of the tutors know there may be a change coming up," Gutmann said.

The tutoring policy is the first major change enacted under the leadership of Gutmann, who stepped into the role of acting director when former director Ed Elenausky retired earlier this month after a 20-year tenure.