Through observation we found that our previous behavior guidelines were disproportionately impacting marginalized youth. We found that youth who had been suspended for relatively minor behavior infractions were often denied access back to the library due to their parents or guardians being unavailable to meet with our staff before reinstatement, resulting in youth being punished for their guardians’ inaction. We decided to look at our procedures more comprehensively and align with trends happening in public schools to ensure youth are given adequate support to be successful in their learning environment including the library.

Approaching our behavior guidelines in this way helped us start looking at our practices, policies, and impact from an equity standpoint, instead of focusing on treating all of our patrons equally. Being one of the only free destinations for young people after school and out of school, we wanted to provide a safe space for young people to learn and explore their role in the larger community through reflection, accountability, and relationship building. Our long-term goal is to help youth build social capital by creating adult allies and mentors throughout the library environment.

We are seeing hundreds of diverse youth after school and out of school every month. We believe we have created a safer space for young people, especially young people of color. Through our regular peace circles we are seeing young people learn to talk openly and vulnerably about the issues that impact their lives and behaviors. These issues range from bullying to school funding inequities. These circles provide a space for youth to safely call each other out and hold each other accountable. We are also seeing more youth successfully reintegrate into the library setting after being suspended.