Smoky Hill Library (Arapahoe Libraries) — Attraction in Centennial

I went into this library to pay late fee on my childrens account and check if they had books out. I was told by a female midaged 40s librarian short hair, average height with a rainbow lanyard and a dozen rainbow pins name tag turned backwards- that parents are "not allowed to look at their childrens library account due to childrens rights to privacy from their parents because the children have rights to read whatever they want without their patents knowing" i stated again that i wanted to pay a fine and look for missing books since i am the one who drives my children to the library and pays fines and got the card for children who dont even have an id or driver license. She refused. I also stated that as a parent I DO have every right to know exactly what my child reads. This librarian continued to refuse access to my underaged childs library card despite that i had my id and my own card. I asked for the policy that states this in writing. SHE SAID IT WAS UP TO ME to look it up. I left the library stating i will never return and if there are fines they clearly will not be paid as a result of "her rule". One week later my child received a collection agency BILL for a book past due in my childs name!!! I did an online chat with screenshots which stated the opposite of what this librarian had made up to meet her own personal agenda. I also had the online chat state the policy that parents are not allowed access to their minor childrens accounts, which does NOT exsist. I called the manager and INFORMED her of this experience and that i plan to talk to the library board and the arapahoe county about this policy this librarian claimed as truth in a public library. The manger stated the librarian was wrong. Apologized and cancelled the collection agency and allowed me to pay my childs $5 fee. Beware of librarians at Smoky Hill Public Library (funded by tax payers) whose objective is to strip parental rights for their own personal agenda and create false policies. Be aware of what is happening and hold these fakers who take the law create false policies into their own hands accountable. I found majority of the librarians at Smoky Hill are rude and on their computers not even look at patrons and talking with each other here all the time. Back to Denver and Aurora public...

Recommend : Love almost everything about this library as a patron checking out books. The children's area is big and has multiple different areas to play, the adult area upstairs is cozy and nice, the Cafe has delicious pastries and coffee, and they also have some good events/programs.

Do not recommend : buying used books here. The price of their used books is getting out of hand. They raised prices last year, which was fine - but now they have gone sticker crazy and seem to add a sticker to almost every book (especially kids books), so we quit buying them here. They took the joy out of letting our kids find random books to buy each time we came because now it just costs too much for the ones they find (we've actually found a couple brand new cheaper on Amazon). We've since discovered all the other libraries in the area have kids books for 25 cents to 50 cents for the most expensive ones, so we go there instead because it's more affordable for letting them find random used books. If this library got rid of the special sticker prices and stuck to the $1-2 per kids book they had originally raised the prices to, we could handle that and even though that is much higher than everywhere else, we would support buying used books at this library again.. but the $3 to $8 for a used kids book....... no. And this seems to be the only Arapahoe library it's gotten out of hand at where it's hot SHELVES of books with stickers where I'd say close to or maybe more than half the books are stickered as costing more - not just a couple here and there. Anyway, hope they read this and reconsider and reevaluate all the stickered books they've got out there... take the stickers away from whoever is shelving...

This library must do better for children with special needs that are learning to be in groups with their peers. Today, I took a family to Smoky Hill for the first time to teach a mom that libraries are safe, welcoming place for all children and that this would be a great place to bring him to learn how engage with his peers with my support. She was so nervous to come because he will often scream in new places and it can be difficult to predict his behavior. I convinced this mom that the library would be understanding and welcoming. We were ready to expose him to story time and I had three adults to support him. We went into the story time with a 3 to 1 ratio of support. When he got upset because I was trying to redirect him (away from the hundreds of sensory toys that were not available yet) to another area, he started to cry. I was working on helping him calm and the librarian stopped her story and asked us to leave. As we were actively trying to calm and get him redirected. She did not even give him a chance to learn. LIBRARIES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE PLACES FOR ALL KIDS. How he is supposed to learn this skill if not in free, public places for kids? You need to do better. There were so many other things this librarian could have done to be inclusive. She could have allowed him to hold some of many sensory toys she was not giving out yet. She could have changed it up and did an active song in the beginning. This was shocking and not inclusive to a child that was trying and wanted to be there. I have never been so disappointed in a library staff and will never suggest this branch again. You may have a cafe but lack...