Where to get an old school library experience

[Anonymous]

I've been to several libraries and each has a seating area next to the children section in addition to young kids play area. There are screens in those libraries too but I've never seen children using them and I go regularly.

[Anonymous]

I’ve never seen a kid on a library computer at our branch (Connie Morella/Bethesda) except to look up a book. Those computers are just outside the kids section. However, I rarely see a dedicated kids’ librarian either if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s more of a browse on your own situation.

[Anonymous]

I go to various libraries a lot. I have not seen children on screens playing video games. I see kids picking out books. I see adults on computers. I see kids/teens working with tutors. Last night, there was some sort of rousing literary trivia night in the one I was at with people from late elementary to senior citizens.

I think this is a troll just trying to stir up nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I go to various libraries a lot. I have not seen children on screens playing video games. I see kids picking out books. I see adults on computers. I see kids/teens working with tutors. Last night, there was some sort of rousing literary trivia night in the one I was at with people from late elementary to senior citizens.

I think this is a troll just trying to stir up nonsense.

Same, I live in Fairfax and regularly go to libraries and haven't witnessed kids on screens at the library.

[Anonymous]

Not sure where OP lives but we lie in Fairfax County and regularly go to three different libraries near our home (Chantilly, Reston, Herndon) and all three have what OP is describing. The only computer near the children's section at our libraries is the card catalog computer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure where OP lives but we lie in Fairfax County and regularly go to three different libraries near our home (Chantilly, Reston, Herndon) and all three have what OP is describing. The only computer near the children's section at our libraries is the card catalog computer.

Meant to say - what OP wants. Not what she says she sees. I never see kids on screens at the libraries we go to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure where OP lives but we lie in Fairfax County and regularly go to three different libraries near our home (Chantilly, Reston, Herndon) and all three have what OP is describing. The only computer near the children's section at our libraries is the card catalog computer.

Meant to say - what OP wants. Not what she says she sees. I never see kids on screens at the libraries we go to.

I see what OP sees. It’s happening in my library. Perhaps it’s an inner city library issue (as this is ours). Kids often go to the library after school bc they have no where else to go. They go to pass time, not read books. The library has probably 10 computers in the kids section and they are always filled with kids on headphones watching stupid videos. Zero interest in books. I wish they would get rid of the computers. These are the kids that likely don’t have any books at home or anyone reading to them- the last thing they need is more screen time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure where OP lives but we lie in Fairfax County and regularly go to three different libraries near our home (Chantilly, Reston, Herndon) and all three have what OP is describing. The only computer near the children's section at our libraries is the card catalog computer.

Meant to say - what OP wants. Not what she says she sees. I never see kids on screens at the libraries we go to.

I see what OP sees. It’s happening in my library. Perhaps it’s an inner city library issue (as this is ours). Kids often go to the library after school bc they have no where else to go. They go to pass time, not read books. The library has probably 10 computers in the kids section and they are always filled with kids on headphones watching stupid videos. Zero interest in books. I wish they would get rid of the computers. These are the kids that likely don’t have any books at home or anyone reading to them- the last thing they need is more screen time

It is one million times better for those kids to be in a library watching stupid videos (and probably getting a snack, learning how to be respectful in a public space, etc) than being outside with nothing to do but get in trouble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess I am looking for what the public library used to be for children. Just a place for kids to browse and sit around for hours looking at books, finish homework, ask the librarian for book recs, and be curious. Our local library has a great kids section... which is full of toddlers doing story time (great!) and elementary aged kids glued to the library provided screens playing video games (not so great). The seating area away from the computer banks is usually full of kids on their own iPads. Where can I take my kid to experience what we did growing up? Independent bookstores aren't the same.

I'm very concerned about excessive screen use, but just to be clear, they had plenty of screens at the public library when I was a kid 35 years ago. The library was the only place I ever got to play Oregon Trail.

[Anonymous]

Where is this OP? The libraries in Arlington and Alexandria are the old school libraries you are describing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure where OP lives but we lie in Fairfax County and regularly go to three different libraries near our home (Chantilly, Reston, Herndon) and all three have what OP is describing. The only computer near the children's section at our libraries is the card catalog computer.

Meant to say - what OP wants. Not what she says she sees. I never see kids on screens at the libraries we go to.

I see what OP sees. It’s happening in my library. Perhaps it’s an inner city library issue (as this is ours). Kids often go to the library after school bc they have no where else to go. They go to pass time, not read books. The library has probably 10 computers in the kids section and they are always filled with kids on headphones watching stupid videos. Zero interest in books. I wish they would get rid of the computers. These are the kids that likely don’t have any books at home or anyone reading to them- the last thing they need is more screen time

They probably can’t read, honestly. At least this keeps them quiet and not bothering other patrons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure where OP lives but we lie in Fairfax County and regularly go to three different libraries near our home (Chantilly, Reston, Herndon) and all three have what OP is describing. The only computer near the children's section at our libraries is the card catalog computer.

Meant to say - what OP wants. Not what she says she sees. I never see kids on screens at the libraries we go to.

I see what OP sees. It’s happening in my library. Perhaps it’s an inner city library issue (as this is ours). Kids often go to the library after school bc they have no where else to go. They go to pass time, not read books. The library has probably 10 computers in the kids section and they are always filled with kids on headphones watching stupid videos. Zero interest in books. I wish they would get rid of the computers. These are the kids that likely don’t have any books at home or anyone reading to them- the last thing they need is more screen time

At what inner city library do you experience this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess I am looking for what the public library used to be for children. Just a place for kids to browse and sit around for hours looking at books, finish homework, ask the librarian for book recs, and be curious. Our local library has a great kids section... which is full of toddlers doing story time (great!) and elementary aged kids glued to the library provided screens playing video games (not so great). The seating area away from the computer banks is usually full of kids on their own iPads. Where can I take my kid to experience what we did growing up? Independent bookstores aren't the same.

I'm very concerned about excessive screen use, but just to be clear, they had plenty of screens at the public library when I was a kid 35 years ago. The library was the only place I ever got to play Oregon Trail.

In 1991? Are you sure? I went to plenty of libraries in the 90s and there was not a single library I can remember that had a dedicated bank of computers in the children's section. We used computers at the library once in awhile, but they were mostly taken up by adults and a few teens. Elementary aged kids were not mixing in with the adults using computers in the adult/public section.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess I am looking for what the public library used to be for children. Just a place for kids to browse and sit around for hours looking at books, finish homework, ask the librarian for book recs, and be curious. Our local library has a great kids section... which is full of toddlers doing story time (great!) and elementary aged kids glued to the library provided screens playing video games (not so great). The seating area away from the computer banks is usually full of kids on their own iPads. Where can I take my kid to experience what we did growing up? Independent bookstores aren't the same.

I'm very concerned about excessive screen use, but just to be clear, they had plenty of screens at the public library when I was a kid 35 years ago. The library was the only place I ever got to play Oregon Trail.

In 1991? Are you sure? I went to plenty of libraries in the 90s and there was not a single library I can remember that had a dedicated bank of computers in the children's section. We used computers at the library once in awhile, but they were mostly taken up by adults and a few teens. Elementary aged kids were not mixing in with the adults using computers in the adult/public section.

Might have been ‘93 or ‘95 but we definitely had a bank of computers in the children’s section. You could sign up to use them for a fixed period of time—maybe 15 or 30 minutes or so. This was in Portland, Oregon, so perhaps things were done differently out west.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure where OP lives but we lie in Fairfax County and regularly go to three different libraries near our home (Chantilly, Reston, Herndon) and all three have what OP is describing. The only computer near the children's section at our libraries is the card catalog computer.

Same, in Oakton. The regular computers are used only by adults. The kids (including my own) use the card catalog computers to look up books. That’s probably because they were brought by their parents/caregivers for the purpose of finding and checking out books, rather than dropped off for unsupervised babysitting.