Board adopts stroller policy, with parking spots at both entrances and a rule against leaving a child behind

The Larkspur Library Board voted unanimously Monday to adopt a stroller policy for the library, setting aside designated stroller parking areas at the front and back entrances while still allowing strollers with children in them to be rolled inside. The policy prohibits leaving an unattended stroller with a child in it while the parent goes elsewhere in the building, and directs patrons who need accessibility accommodations to contact the city's ADA officer.

The push came from a specific incident: a board member described finding a 9-month-old infant alone in a stroller downstairs while the parent took an older child to the bathroom, saying the abandoned stroller was unsettling to come across. Another member noted that a couple of patrons had said a stroller was an accessibility issue for their needs, which complicated a flat ban on bringing them in.

The board approved the policy with two amendments: language emphasizing that strollers are meant for children who cannot yet walk — one member said not everyone should feel the need to wheel one in for a purse or a snack — and a clause stating the library is not responsible for lost strollers or items left in them. Staff had recommended approval as amended.

Birthday parties, celebrations of life and late-night finals cramming: the meeting-room policy heads to City Council

The three meeting rooms at the new library at 400 Magnolia Ave are booked up and not yet governed by a finished policy. A staff report is going to the City Council covering whether to charge fees for private events, how to rank community partner groups for priority, how far ahead groups can book, and whether to keep a study hall open until 8 p.m. even when the library itself is closed.

“I've had inquiries for the room from everything from birthday parties to celebrations of life.”— Library Director, on demand for the new meeting rooms

The director told the board the range of requests has been wide, and said the policy is more likely to be finalized around September than July, after staff watch how the rooms actually get used over the summer. On the after-hours study idea, the director said there hasn't been a single behavior issue in the teen room, but that liability argues for some form of monitoring; one board member liked the improvisational approach, saying teens taking ownership of study space during finals is something they'll remember.

Separately, the library is piloting online study room reservations through LibCal, having stretched the time limit from one hour to two and moved bookings to 30-minute increments. Staff are weighing consequences — warnings, then temporary booking bans — for patrons who won't vacate on time. The director suggested labeling the online version a draft; a board member countered that "draft" implies wiggle room, and that a line saying it's subject to review would do the job.