<div dir="ltr"><div>Thank you to all who responded to this question. Here are the answers I received. <br></div><div><br></div><div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Whyever not. <span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Yes, we allow children of staff to claim prizes. <span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">We let the children of staff claim prizes, including grand
prizes. Myself as the director, did not let my kids enter for the grand
prizes. It would look odd if they would happen to win.<span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">we absolutely would. My staff and their families are
patrons too, and they check out a lot of books that makes up a nice chunk of
circ stats. I see no reason to exclude them as long as the public gets the same
fair chance at prizes.<span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Of course! They are participating.<span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Of the 6 libraries I've worked at, only one allowed children
of staff to win prize drawings, but all of the libraries allowed them to
take finisher giveaways, like a book for completing the reading look.
Much like family of radio station employees are not allowed to win raffles or contests
but could take home swag from an event.<span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black">I've served as director at 2 libraries in the past 20 years, and
at both we have allowed children of staff and board to participate. We
also allow staff and board to participate in adult reading challenges.
Everyone who participates and completes are eligible for prizes equally.<span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Of course.
Why would we penalize them for being a staff member's child?<span style="font-size:12pt;color:black"><span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Absolutely, we do. A lot of us have kids that participate in
reading initiatives such as the Summer Reading Program. Our children get the
same prizes as any other children that have completed the program. <span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)">The kids get the weekly or
level prizes. They do not get entered into the grand prize drawings. We think
it would look bad to the public if a staff member’s child won a grand prize;
the same goes for the adult.<span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black">Yes, although typically if there's a prize drawing in which a
staff member's child or grandchild is participating, we try to get a non-staff
member to draw the name (not even a different staff member, just someone else
present who we trust and who didn't have a hand in putting the drawing
together). If there's a judging panel for an event or prize, the children
can still participate, but the staff member cannot sit on the panel. <span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;color:black">Is it a perfect solution in terms of optics? No, but it also
didn't seem right to refuse entry to a child just because a family member works
there. And then where do you draw the line? What if it's a grandparent who
works there, or a sibling? What about the children of library board members, or
Friends of the Library board members, etc. These are the questions I asked
myself when I was dealing with the uncomfortable decision of whether or not to
exclude members of our service area from prize drawings based on their
relationship to staff or board members.<span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">We consider staff and their families patrons, too. So we
always encourage them to participate in our programs and earn prizes.<span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Yes, we do. This is their library.<span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 8pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I’m currently the only staff member
with children participating in library programs. But I do allow them to get the
goodie bags, etc., that anyone’s kids would qualify for. I don’t enter them
into drawings for grand prizes.<span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span>We allow the children of staff to win
small prize drawings but not our large SRP grand prize drawings. They also can
get the finisher prizes that everyone gets.<span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:rgb(11,83,148)">We do!<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:rgb(11,83,148)">However,
I have asked that my children NEVER win any large prizes. I think it would look
really bad to have the director's child win a big prize... I don't make that
decision for my staff. However, I was working at a library where ALOT of us all
had kids about the same age. So we just went in on a staff kid big prize and
had a drawing amongst ourselves. Staff paid for this, so we didn't use library
funds. It only happened once, the next year everyone was content with the
small prizes. :) It isn't as much fun to buy the prize...<span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">I have always
let the staff''s children claim the weekly prizes everyone receives but the
"grand prize" they were not eligible for. I felt that it looks
unprofessional for a staff member's relative to win the big prizes. Besides our
staff receives a lot of freebies regular patrons do not. Such as free copies,
faxes and fines waived.<span></span></p>
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<br>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">Kristina Reynolds</div></div></div>