Library Misadventures

Background Info: Paid $30 for a PLAC (Public Library Access Card) so we're able to use any library in the state.
Reason: We live 7 minutes from a library which we are not allowed to use because we live on the wrong side of the tracks. We live 25 minutes from our county library.

Now on with the post:

Today we went to the library nearest our home. There is never anyone in the library except the librarian. She just sits behind her desk waiting for patrons who rarely come in. It has the potential for a Stephen King book. It is a brand new library in a very nice, new building with about 300 books that are about 100 years old. It still has a paper card catalog. It is housed in one room with a librarian desk about 8 foot from the front door. On one side of her desk is the "Children's Library" (I use that title loosely) and the other side is the adult side. I was looking at books while my children ages 9, 6, and 3 were looking at books and playing on the large structure decorated like a pirate ship. The 3 year old picked up a "Clifford" dog that made a barking noise off of one of the shelves. Of course, he pressed the button to make the dog bark about 10 times in a row. By this time, a young man probably 19 or 20 had walked in to the library to use the internet. I took the three year old across the library to look for a certain book on the adult side. My three year old was still happily playing with "Clifford". The librarian stood and walked over to where we were standing and asked my son if he could pretend that "Clifford" was taking a nap because there were "other's" using the internet and we needed to be quiet. I looked for the "off" button, but there wasn't one, so I had to trust that he wouldn't push the button anymore. The young man got up from his chair and walked out of the library. We walked the 12 steps back over to the "Children's Library". I see my daughter frantically picking up white chunks of what appeared to be chalk off of the floor. One of the flags off of the pirate ship had been housed in a beer "coozie" with plaster of paris in it to hold the flag up. Well, it fell and broke into a million pieces. I decided it was time to go. I took her and the three year old to the librarian's desk to leave our books and to ask for a broom. I explained that she had knocked over the flag. She insisted that she would clean it up. I told her I was happy to do it, but she stated that she would need to vacuum it up. (What is this 'vacuum' you speak of? That concept is unfamiliar to me) She then proceeded to ask me how old my oldest son was. I stated that he was nine. I asked her why she was asking, thinking that there might possibly be a program at the library for kids his age. She then says to me, "The library has a policy to not leave children under a certain age unattended." So I in return say to her, "So what you're saying is that I shouldn't have left those two over there while I walked across the room to look at another book." She says to me, "Well, we really can't see them over there and there are a lot of displays and things." Keep in mind that my children were within 12 feet of me. I said to her, "You know the thing that she knocked over is on the children's play area right?"
She says to me, "Yes, I know exactly what you're talking about."
OK. Glad we had this little talk. This woman made me feel like I dropped them off at the library and ran to Starbucks for a latte! I could feel my heart beating fast and my face turning red. My judgment and good sense had been called into question in the one-room, empty library with the lone librarian and 300, 100 year old books! I had violated their "policy" and left my child out of arm's reach. I need invisible fencing so I know where my boundaries are. I clearly cannot be trusted.