An Essex County library hopes to close the book on bad behavior by closings its doors.

The Maplewood Memorial Library on Baker Street will now be closed for several hours in the afternoon on school days. Workers say the library was becoming a loud, obnoxious day care for middle school students, and something needed to be done. According to the vice president of the library?s board of trustees, since the library is across the street from the middle school, parents often instruct students to wait there after classes are over.

The board vice president says the library is now working with different programs and the school to come up with new solutions. She hopes the library will reopen in the afternoons shortly, but didn?t offer a time frame. Meanwhile, the library?s new hours will begin January 16. The library will be closed from 2:45 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday.