The Missouri River Regional Library has adopted the "Code Adam" process for instances when a child is reported missing within the library.
Code Adam is a safety program in which steps are taken following reports of a missing child at a business.
If a child is reported missing, the business takes a detailed description of the child, including their clothing. All exterior access to and from the building is locked and monitored.
The employee who takes the information goes to the nearest in-house phone and pages Code Adam, describing the child's appearance and clothing. Designated employees monitor entrances while other employees begin a search.
If the child is not found within five minutes, the library is to call police.
If the child is found and appears to have been lost and unharmed, they are reunited with the searching family member.
If the child is found accompanied by someone other than a parent or legal guardian, reasonable efforts to delay their departure are to be used, without putting the child, staff or visitors at risk. Law enforcement is to be notified of any details concerning the person with the child.
The Code Adam page will be canceled only after the child is found or law enforcement arrives.
The code was created in memory of 6-year-old Adam Walsh, who was abducted from a Florida department store and later found dead. It is a program of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a nonprofit co-founded by Adam's parents, John and Reve' Walsh.
"We take the safety of our patrons very seriously," MRRL Director Claudia Cook said in a news release. "With summer upon us, traffic increases exponentially at the library and we want to have a procedure in place should the worst happen."