Also being a librarian, and a youth librarian at that, Rapaire's question is very close to home. The anecdotal experiences of my colleagues is similar to mine. It is a very real problem, not only for us but everywhere children congregate. Like a playground.

I have had to deal with this issue in every one of the 3 library systems I have worked in.

We gratefully get the police reports about predators and pedophiles and keep them where we can refer to them. Eventually the majority of them show up in the Library. If they are forbidden proximity to children, we upfront tell them they may not use the children's room or the computers accessible to children. We let them know we are watching them.

We remind parents that it is a public place and they must supervise their children, but the male offenders are often drawn to the 10 year old girls who are old enough to come in on their own.

I encourage parents to have frank talks with their children; this is the best way to protect them, like the anecdote above about laughing Weird Norman out of the coffee shop. Forewarned is forearmed.

We call it the connection vs protection parenting. You best protect them by talking about adults who offer treats, money, or who even make you nervous.

And this doesn't even begin to address the fact that most assaults pm children are by adults known to them.

It's a big, big problem.