Teen fighting prompts Dayton Metro Library to adjust Southeast Branch hours

New hours for the Southeast Branch at 21 Watervliet Ave. in Dayton will be:

9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday;

9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Friday;

9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday;

and closed on Sunday.

“This closure will allow us the time we need to work with Dayton Public Schools, Dayton Police Department and our community partners to develop better strategies and policies for managing the influx of teens and behavior issues we see each day at that location,” he said.

The decision to close weekday afternoons from 2:30 to 5 p.m. was not made lightly, Trzeciak said.

“As a public library we always want to be open and available to our communities,” he said. “However, we also have an obligation to provide a safe space. I am hopeful that this temporary change in hours will allow us the time we need to consider new approaches.”