Bad behaviour in libraries, including a kick-boxing fight in Martinborough, may lead to librarians taking the initiative and starting a programme to ''re-educate'' young people on how to behave.
In a report to South Wairarapa District Council, Penny Griffin, who works in Featherston library, said the Martinborough incident had resulted in
police and a Maori warden being contacted.
She said the incident had started as ''a bit of rough-housing'' and had escalated into a kick-boxing fight.
When others had stepped in to try and stop the fight, they were verbally abused.
Martinborough librarian Shirley Nightingale had ordered those involved out of the library and banned them from returning.
Mrs Griffin said in such situations the proper thing to do was issue the culprits with a trespass notice.
''We all have these but they have to be served by a professional document server.''
Mrs Griffin said in the Martinborough case the boys who had been fighting were ''talked to by a kuia'' outside the library and the matter had been resolved.
As far as using computers was concerned, Mrs Griffin said Featherston and Greytown libraries had not reported any problems during the school holidays. Martinborough library reported improved behaviour.
Last year serious behavioural problems arose at Martinborough, prompting the council to consider taking away computers installed through the Aotearoa People's Network.
Mrs Griffin said having computers had resulted in many people who were not ''traditional users'' coming to libraries.
She said the behaviour of some of them showed they had not learned how to behave, either through their family life or schooling.
''This whole thing is a two-edged sword for library staff, as we want to encourage people into our libraries with the ultimate aim of becoming borrowers.
''We are looking at the prospect of going into the schools and colleges and re-educating them.''
Mrs Griffin said with the retirement of Bill Bain from Greytown library, there was only one male librarian in South Wairarapa, being Ewan Hyde in Carterton.
Restructuring by South Wairarapa District Council could result in the demise of women librarians working alone, she said.
South Wairarapa is not alone in having problems in libraries.
Police have issued a formal trespass notice to a man banning him from both Carterton and Masterton libraries.
Constable Maureen O'Leary, of Masterton CIB, said this was done after several people had ''raised concerns relating to his inappropriate behaviour''.
