Recently Asked Questions

We are a small, rural, association library that serves a population of under 4,500. We recently received an Abuse or Molestation Exclusion from our general liability/property insurance company. It states that the Abuse or Molestation Exclusion on our policy has been replaced with a new "Broad" Abuse or Exclusion, which applies regardless of whether the abuse or molestation occurs while in the care, custody or control of any insured. Basically, we have no coverage in the case of any abuse or molestation claim made against a staff member. Our library has 21 security cameras throughout our facility, including any room where a staff member might be alone with children. We have a strict policy where a staff member is never to be alone one-on-one with a child. We have a Child Safety Policy in place. We also have Directors and Officers insurance, Employment Practices Liability insurance, as well as Workmans Comp coverage. We've had our insurance agent look into a separate Sexual Abuse Molestation (SAM) policy but it is quite expensive. Is it necessary for libraries to purchase an additional SAM policy, if we have taken these extra precautions?

We are revising our Meeting Room Policy. Currently we have a group of seniors who meet at our library for [really healthy] exercise in the morning before the library is open. They have been doing this for about [many] years. As we know the participants very well and they want to meet before the library is open, we have allowed them to come into the building when it is not officially open.

There is no staff on duty. They open and lock up when finished. This has been a wonderful service we can provide our seniors in a rural community where there are very few options for group gatherings. We would like to keep this practice in place.

However, as we discuss the meeting room policy, we realize that we would not be comfortable with having other groups be in the library when we were not open to the public with staff present.

Can we write our policy to allow this group to continue with the current practice, yet limit other groups to only use the meeting room when the library is open.