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PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. With the first day of school approaching, parents and students arent the only ones gearing up for the new year. The Mount Pleasant Public Library is making changes in order to better accommodate students who spend their afternoons in the Pleasantville branch.
Its tough to straddle the line because you want to welcome the students to the library, but you also want to make sure that the other guests feel comfortable as well, said Library Director John Fearon.
During the school year, the Mount Pleasant Public Library becomes a prime location for Pleasantville students after school. The library is adjacent to all three schools in the Pleasantville School District. Parents frequently use the parking lot as a pickup location and some students spend most of the afternoon at the library until they are able to go home. Fearon said that although two-thirds of the librarys patron's come from outside the school district, the abundance of students at the library during the year has become a factor that must be dealt with.
In previous years, the library paid a security guard to walk the premises and ensure everyone stays as quiet as possible. The library has since eliminated that position and created an after-school liaison position to help students in multiple ways.
We understand that although some of the students want to be here to get some work done, some of the students only want to be here if they can goof around, Fearon said. So well now have some fun and interesting things that they can do.
Fearon said the after-school liaison will help lead activities for the students and can also provide educational help. The library is working with the Pleasantville Recreation Department to provide more events for children at the library. The liaison position has not been filled and Fearon said the hiring process is still under way.
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