Introduction:
This policy has been written to establish
guidelines by which patrons can access the Internet at the Duchesne County Library. These
guidelines are being put into place so that patrons of the library will have a more
enjoyable and useful exploration of the Internet. A separate document establishing
procedures in dealing with concerns and policy violations has been created to act as
companion to this document.
Internet Content Standards:
Internet users shall not access material
that is obscene or is considered child pornography. "obscene" means
materials meeting the standard established by the U.S. Supreme Court in Miller vs.
California, 413 US. 15 (1973) whereby an affirmative answer is required to each of the
three (3) following questions:
| 1. |
Whether the average person applying
contemporary community standards would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to
the prurient interest; |
| 2. |
Whether the work depicts or describes, in
a patently offensive way, sexual content specifically defined by the applicable state law;
and |
| 3. |
Whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks
serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. |
Internet Use Guidelines:
| 1. |
|
Internet users shall not access material
that is obscene, pornographic, child pornography, "harmful to minors", or
otherwise inappropriate for educational uses. |
| 2. |
|
Internet users shall not use any
resources that engage in "hacking" or attempt to otherwise compromise system
security or filtering. |
| 3. |
|
Use of chat, instant messenger, or other
forms of direct electronic communications by Internet users is expressly forbidden without
staff intervention. |
| 4. |
|
Use of E-mail and
bulletin board services is allowed within the following
guidelines: |
| |
A. |
the material being
sent meets "contemporary community standards"; |
| |
B. |
does not contain
sexually explicit information; |
| |
C. |
would not contain
information that would be considered "harmful to
minors"; |
| |
D. |
would not be considered libelous. |
| 5. |
|
Users may not use library computers for
personal financial gain. |
| 6. |
|
Patrons are not allowed to access
non-educational games on library computers. |
| 7. |
|
Patrons are limited to no more than 1
hour of Internet use time per day. This time may be extended at the discretion of
the staff member in charge. |
| 8. |
|
Patrons shall not change computer
settings or install programs on library computers without staff intervention. |
| 9. |
|
Patrons under the age of 18 must have
written parental or guardian permission to use the internet. When permission is
given a parent or guardian must be present. |
Filtering:
The Duchesne County Library uses the Utah Education
Network as their service and filtering provider. This filter does not filter out all
inappropriate information. This filter may also filter out appropriate information.
The Library's filtering will be turned off at the request of
patrons for legitimate purposes. Filtering will be turned
off for patrons under the age of 18 only if a parent or guardian
is present.
Responsibility for Damages:
The Duchesne County Library Staff and the Duchesne County
Library Board assume no responsibility for an damages, direct or indirect, arising from
the use of the computers at the library.
Policy Review:
This policy will be reviewed not less than every three
(3) years or as the need may arise. The last date of review was
June 16, 2004. Policy changes will take effect July 1, 2004.
Duchesne County Library
Internet Use Procedures
Introduction:
This document is hereby established this
the 13th day of June 2001 as a companion to the library's Internet Policy. It will
outline the procedures library staff members and library patrons shall follow when using
the library's computers. Users needing to print off information may do so at the
cost of ten (10) cents per printed page. Users needing a disk to save information
can do so at a cost of seventy-five (75) cents per disk.
Login/Sign Off Procedures:
Use of the internet is on a first-come
first served basis. Persons needing to do research for educational classes or work
related research have first priority. Users must present a
current Duchesne County Library card before using the library's
computers. Users must sign in at the desk
giving a library staff member their library card, drivers license
or photo identification. Staff members will record their
library card number or identification number and the time they
signed in. Patrons will then be assigned to a computer to
use. Patrons under the age of 18 must have a parental
permission slip on file at the library. Permission slips
must be renewed yearly by July 1 of each year. Permission
slips are available at the circulation desk. When signing
off patrons will check in at the desk where staff members will
return their library card and record the time they signed off.
Procedures for staff when
addressing
users violating internet use guidelines:
Library staff members should maintain a
professional manner when dealing with Internet users. Any staff member who observes
a person viewing inappropriate materials (obscene), or who is in violation of the
guidelines established in the library's Internet Policy will
direct the user to remove the
materials from the computer screen. The patron will be asked to refrain from viewing
such materials, or violating the restrictions in the future. If the user refuses to
comply with the staff member's request law enforcement officials will be called to
enforce compliance.
Violators are
provided three (3) chances:
| 1. |
First offense - Informed about
the
rules
and told to discontinue the offensive behavior. |
| 2. |
Second offense - Patrons will be asked to
exit the site and will be restricted from computer use for the remainder of the day.
The staff member in charge will have jurisdiction over the removal of patrons. |
| 3. |
Third offense - Patrons will be
suspended from using the computers. The Library
Director will have jurisdiction over the restriction of such patrons. |
Repeat offenders will be restricted from
use of the library's computers until they meet with the library board in a regularly
scheduled meeting. The library board meets every 3rd Wednesday of each
month (with
the exception of August and December) at 5:30 PM at the library. To get on the
agenda contact the library director no later than 10 days prior to the meeting. The
library board will render a ruling concerning further use of the library's computers.
The ruling by the library board will stand as final.
Privacy:
In general staff members of the Duchesne County Library
will treat information displayed on it's computers and/or printed on the library's
printers as confidential. Requests for disclosure of information will be honored
when required by local, state, and federal law or when required by library policy.
Requests for information made by local law enforcement will be honored when the
information requested will assist officers in criminal investigations.
Procedures for challenge of Library Internet
Policy:
The library staff is interested in the community's
concerns, especially in regards to library services. If a patron has some questions
or concerns pertaining to the library's Internet Policy they should express their concerns
to the library staff member in charge.
Procedure for staff:
| 1. |
After hearing the patron's concern, the staff member in
charge should supply the patron with a "Policy Challenge Form." Patrons
are encouraged to fill the form out at that time but the form may be taken home and
returned. |
| 2. |
The Patron will be informed that all complaints need to be
submitted in writing. |
| 3. |
Complaints will be reviewed at the next scheduled Board
Meeting. Board meetings are held every 3rd Wednesday of each month with the
exception of August and December at the library at 5:30 PM. |
| 4. |
Patrons may appear to present their position at the board
meeting. This may be done by scheduling it with the Library Director ten (10) days
prior to the meeting. |
| 5. |
Patrons will be informed of the Board's Decision. |
| 6. |
The Board will take no longer than 90 day
to render a
decision. |
Procedure Review:
This document will be reviewed by the library board not
less than every three (3) years or as the need may arise. This document was last
reviewed on June 16, 2004.
