Dear Editor,
Please allow me some space in your newspaper to address the Board of the Philipsburg Jubilee Library.
Members of the Board: On April 19, 2016, at 5:00pm, I received a disturbing phone call from my 13 year old daughter who visited the library, telling me that she was inappropriately touched by a young man who seemed to be ‘dirty, un-kempt and violent looking,’ while she was looking for a book for a report that was due at school.
I hurriedly left my job, which was fortunately a minute away from the library, to finally meet my daughter all alone and scared at the far end of the check-in counter at the library.
I immediately asked where the man had gone. Luckily for him, he had already left. I then sought the assistance of one of the administrative clerks, who then called the director so that I could speak to her.
Upon speaking to the director Ms. Monique Albert’s, she initially apologized about what had taken place but after several questions posed to her, she explained that this gentleman apparently was banned from the library already for touching someone else’s daughter. Yet somehow he managed to find himself back at the library, undetected by the staff and was able to yet again inappropriately put his filthy hands on my child.
My daughter who was so scared, walked away quickly towards the front of the library but was hesitant to react due to the violent look of this person.
When I asked Ms. Albert’s that “if this man was already banned, why was he still allowed to enter the library”? She responded that “there was no security at the time and that the security comes in at 5:00pm,” (at this time it was already around 5:15pm and no security guards were in sight.)
When asked, “what about the safety of our children who frequent the library from 1:00pm to 5:00pm when there’s no security available?” She responded that “security is very expensive and that this could have also happened on the streets”!!!
On the Streets? Well, Ms. Albert’s you are absolutely correct! The only obvious fact was that this incident did not take place on the streets, but within the apparently ‘not-so-safe’ walls of your establishment!
What an ignorant comment! It left me literally at a loss for words, not only from the lack of measures taken by the library’s director Ms. Albert’s, but also by her nonchalant demeanor and inability to establish a system that doesn’t really need to tap into the libraries finances to create a safer place for our children.
I am a mother of three girls, 6, 12 and 13 years old, who all frequent the library several times a month for book reports and/or projects due at school. Am I supposed to chaperone my girls to the library several times a week or shouldn’t measures be set in place that would allow our kids to feel and be safe?
Although I am aware that the library is a public place and banning someone from the library might not be such an easy task, I ask myself, is it that difficult to have professionals take affirmative steps to ensure the safety of our kids? Is it that difficult to have precautionary measures in place for all children and library patrons alike?
How difficult is it for a staff to be more alert of their visitors/patrons and surroundings and keep an eye out for suspicious behaviour? Especially dirty, violent-looking un-kempt individuals walking into a building and passing directly in front of the staff’s reception area. This incident took place in the isle a few feet away from the check-in counters, you are able to see directly in that area even from the outside on the streets!
The library environment can be compared with that of a school environment, it is a place where children congregate, do their homework/projects etc. all year round and Ms. Albert’s response to me is that this could have happened on the streets.
Although this incident was reported to the police and a complaint filed, it doesn’t change what has happened to my daughter, to those previous to her, and what will continue to happen to other young innocent girls unless serious measures are taken.
Should the situation get violent or someone’s daughter hurt before we act? Do we want another situation where a child was beaten on the streets almost to a pulp by some psychotic person as had happened a few years ago? Because as Ms. Albert’s put it, it could have happen on the streets also as if saying being in the library is the same as my daughter being on the streets. Again bringing us back to the safety of our kids at the library!
Who looks out for them, who cares about them, who will put their safety first?
Failure to take adequate action can cause far more damage to a situation rather than take simple preventative measures!
A simple and non-expensive measure would be to enforce a policy where all visiting adults are asked to register with a registered ID before being able to enter or access the library. This way any pervert who really isn’t there to do anything productive might think twice before entering, knowing his information has been registered and he could easily be pinpointed after acting out his sick fantasy with another one of our innocent children.
A few words of advice for the library’s director Ms. Alberts:
If you suspect and/or know that there is a safety problem, especially involving children, take personal responsibility for doing something to address it. This means speaking up persistently and widely until effective action is taken to fix that problem. Don’t just tell someone, even if that person is in a position of authority, and assume that your responsibility is at an end. Follow up to see what is happening. Realize that children and young people who are being targeted or abused need help and protection – and that anyone who is abusing them needs to be stopped.
I pray that the Board of the Library will take immediate measures to ensure and put the safety of our children first! Hopefully sooner rather than later!
Bertil Acuna-Lopez
