Dayton library engages community to reduce branch brawls

Dayton Metro Library officials are forming a working group to develop next steps to reduce teen fighting in their branches.

The group will include representatives from the school district, police, community groups that work with youth and interested individuals.

The working group’s makeup was announced Tuesday evening during a community forum at the city center’s main library.

Many people at the forum expressed support for the library system, Southeast Branch staff, and their decision to close from 2:30-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. That happened last month when a standoff between nearly 300 teenagers, some from Belmont High School, escalated into a brawl in the library.

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Representatives from the Dayton Public School System (DPS), the city police department and the county library system attend a community meeting on October 22. It took place at the Eichelberger Forum in the main branch in the city center. Pictured: Melvin Jones of DPS (far left), Police Officer Maj. Jason Hall, DPS Superintendent Dr. David Lawrence, Deputy Director Rachel Gut of the county library system.

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On Tuesday evening, October 22, Dayton residents shared their overwhelming support for the Dayton Public Library system. Many people have expressed concerns about teen violence in some chapters, and others have suggested connecting youth with their nonprofit groups.

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Dayton has 17 library branches along with information services including youth programs, book lending and visits to senior care communities.

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In the summer of 2024, the Dayton Public Library system added 3,500 new library card holders.

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Representatives from the library, Dayton Public Schools and the city police department were on hand to answer questions and explain how they are responding.

The Southeast Branch on Watervliet Avenue is located between Belmont High School and a busy RTA bus stop.

“The fundamental problem is that you’re trying to run a library in a busy bus station,” said Joe Winter, patron of the Southeast Branch. “I want to suggest that permanent changes to the architecture, landscape and procedures of the Southeast be seriously explored to make it less attractive as a transition.”

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Anita Schmaltz is a single mother of a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old. She says her children take the RTA to the Southeast Branch Library at least once a week to study while she finishes work. According to Schmaltz, access to the library is an important asset for her family. Now, when it’s closed in the afternoons from 2:30 to 5 p.m., her children go to fast food restaurants and she has to juggle work to pick them up from school.

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Joe Winter, a man with glasses and a plaid shirt, often visits the Southeast Branch Library. He suggested changing the landscaping around the building to discourage teenagers from cutting through the building to get to the nearby RTA bus stop.

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Many members of Dayton’s religious community urged listeners to pray, both for library staff and for teenagers and all library patrons.

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Anita Schmaltz is a single mother of two teenagers, one 12 and one 15.
She described the southeastern unit as a safe place where they could go after school until she could pick them up.

“I could work and the kids would go there at RTA (Southeast Library Branch) and do their homework, and they would have the rest of the afternoon off. The closing of the library meant we no longer had that,” Schmaltz said.

Schmaltz wants library leaders to take a closer look at why other branches don’t have this problem.

“There are other high schools that have libraries next door to them and don’t struggle with the same issues as Vandalia, and the panelists also mentioned Brookfield,” she said. “So when we look at these libraries and communities, what do they have there and how do people access these things?”

More than 98 percent of patrons show respect to employees and other patrons, said Rachel Gut, assistant executive director of the Dayton Metro Library.

“The problem we are experiencing is that violence is pouring into our libraries. It’s a very small portion of the people who come,” Gut said.

Dayton Public Schools Superintendent David Lawrence encouraged a positive approach.

“We have to create hope for students, and that will reduce all the mitigating factors,” Lawrence said. “So instead of thinking about punishment and how we can keep kids in the pen, let’s start thinking about how we can increase their hope.”

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Currently, approximately 400,000 active cardholders are connected to the Dayton Public Library system.

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The Dayton Public Library does not tolerate fighting, violence or disorderly conduct at any of its 17 locations.

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DPS Superintendent Dr. David Lawrence said his team is working to provide more extracurricular activities for youth. He told the audience that the goal was to inspire “hope” and provide youth with positive options to strive for.

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At the beginning of November, the Southeast Branch will close from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. during the week. It plans to restore normal working hours by the end of December.

To learn more about working groups, contact Allison Knight, Director of Youth Services and Programming. She can be contacted at
[email protected] or 937-496-8507.