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Internet
and Computer Use
Policy
In
response to advances in technology and the changing
information needs of the communities that it serves, the
Lauri Ann West Memorial Library endeavors to develop
collections, resources, and services that meet the
cultural, informational, educational and recreational
needs of our diverse communities. It is within
this context that the Library offers access to the
Internet.
The
Internet is a global communication network and
information resource with the information provided as
varied as its many users. The Library
cannot assume responsibility for the accuracy, quality
or timeliness of Internet information. The
Internet may contain information of a controversial or
offensive
nature.
Lauri Ann West Memorial
Library computers shall not be used for any fraudulent
or unlawful purpose, including any activities prohibited
under any applicable federal, Pennsylvania, or local
laws, including activities in violation of 18 Pa Cons.
Stat. Sec. 5903, which prohibits certain acts of public
indecency.
Lauri Ann West Memorial
Library complies with the requirements of the Children's
Internet Protection Act (CIPA). CIPA is a
federal law that requires all computers in a public
library to be filtered if that library accepts any
federal funds for Internet access or computers used for
Internet access. [Supreme Court decision: United States
v. American Library Association, Inc., No. 02-361 (June
23, 2003)]
All computers in the Lauri
Ann West Memorial Library are filtered but be aware that
filters are unreliable, at times blocking sites of
legitimate informational or educational value, or
allowing access to sites that are illegal, obscene, or
sexually explicit within the meaning of 18 Pa. Cons.
Stat. Sec 5903.
The Lauri Ann West Memorial Library is
committed to providing an environment free from sexual
harassment. Adults may be advised that while
accessing and viewing sexual materials is within the law
for an adult, the risk of exposure to minors and the
consequences of being "harmful to minors" are
significant. As such, when children are in
proximity or even if another adult is expressly
offended, the patron viewing such materials may be asked
to close a website. The Library staff will be an
arbiter of what constitutes unacceptable content and
reserves the right to end an Internet session at any
time if it is creating a
disturbance.
Parents or legal guardians
are responsible for monitoring their children’s use of
the Internet and for the information selected and/or
accessed by their children. The Library strongly
encourages parents or legal guardians to supervise their
children’s Internet use and to provide them with
guidelines about acceptable
use.
Material on the
Internet and the World Wide Web is copyrighted. It
is the user's responsibility to be aware of the display
of any notice concerning the copyright of information on
the Web and to respect the copyright laws of the United
States.
Many
businesses offer the opportunity to buy merchandise by
credit card on the Internet. The Lauri Ann West
Memorial Library shall not be party to any purchases of
services or merchandise made over the Internet and shall
not be liable for any costs or damages arising out of
such a transaction. Any purchases that a child
makes, with or without a parent or guardian's knowledge,
will be the responsibility of the parent/legal
guardian.
While
Library staff will assist users in accessing the
Internet, users are nevertheless responsible for their
own searches.
Internet
privileges will be revoked if
you:
- Display materials that
could be construed as obscene or offensive
- Use the connection for
purposes that would break any local, state, or federal
law
- Damage, misuse, reprogram,
or tamper with the Library's computer equipment or
software
- Enter a chat room
- Use personal software
programs without express authorization from the
Library staff
- Print without paying for
copies
- Act in a way that the
Library deems
inappropriate
The
Library reserves the right to enforce Internet policies,
to designate computers for specific purposes, to set
time limits and to require
registration.
Users who
knowingly disregard Library policies may be denied use
of Library computers, asked to leave the building, or
reported to appropriate law
enforcement.
Approved by Board of
Trustees, [June,
2004]
CIPA
Compliance
- The Children's Internet
Protection Act (CIPA) is a federal law that requires
all computers in a public library to be filtered if
that library accepts any federal funds for Internet
access or computers used for Internet access. [Supreme
Court decision: United States v. American Library
Association, Inc., No. 02-361 (June 23, 2003)] Lauri
Ann West Memorial Library complies with the
requirements of
CIPA.
- All computers in the Lauri
Ann West Memorial Library are filtered. Please be
aware that filters are unreliable, at times blocking
sites of legitimate informational or educational
value, or allowing access to sites that are illegal,
obscene, or sexually explicit within the meaning of 18
Pa. Cons. Stat. Sec 5903.
3. Lauri Ann
West Memorial Library uses filtering software that
blocks or filters Internet access to some Internet sites
that may not be consistent with the policy of Lauri Ann
West Memorial
Library.
- Parents or legal guardians
are responsible for monitoring their children’s use of
the Internet and for the information selected and/or
accessed by their children. The Library strongly
encourages parents or legal guardians to supervise
their children’s Internet use and to provide them with
guidelines about acceptable
use.
- Lauri Ann West Memorial
Library computers cannot be used for any fraudulent or
unlawful purpose, including any activities prohibited
under any applicable federal, Pennsylvania, or local
laws, including activities in violation of 18 Pa Cons.
Stat. Sec. 5903, which prohibits certain acts of
public
indecency.
- Any adult (17 years of
age or older, as defined by CIPA) may request that the
filter or technology protection measure be disabled
without significant delay by a Lauri Ann West Memorial
Library staff member authorized by the Library
Director, consistent with the privacy policy of Lauri
Ann West Memorial
Library.
- An authorized Lauri Ann
West Memorial Library staff member may override the
filter or technology protection measure for a minor
(age 16 years or younger, as defined by CIPA) in the
event that the filter wrongly blocks or filters
Internet access to a site with legitimate
informational
value.
- Lauri Ann West Memorial
Library cannot be
responsible for any patron’s unauthorized use of a
computer with a disabled
filter.
9. Complaint
Procedure
Any patron who wishes to file
a complaint about the filtering software on the library
computers may do so within thirty (30) days to:
1. The Library Director
and/or the Library Board
President;
2. The Director of the Electronic
Information Network;
3. The Federal Communications
Commission. |
