FOREST CITY, SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A hot debate is brewing in NEPA over allowing minors to check out books from the library without parental oversight.
On Monday, the Library Board of Trustees in Susquehanna County amended a rule that allows parents to keep better track of the books their kids are borrowing.
This means parents, not children, are solely responsible for who can add or remove a name, giving access to a library account.
Before, kids could keep their checkout history private from their parents.
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After the ruling, there was mixed a reaction.
"Children are the responsibility of the parents, not of the state and not of the library," Uniondale resident Louise Cator said.
"It's not appropriate for a board to legislate their ideals of parenting or what they feel is appropriate or not. That is up to the parents," Susan English from Montrose stated.
The Library Board of Trustees states the new policy is in compliance with state laws, which grant parents access to their child's records at federally funded institutions, such as libraries.
