POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR
PATRON’S USAGE OF INTERNET RESOURCES
DIXON PUBLIC LIBRARY
Purpose
To fulfill its mission of providing public
access to information in a wide range of formats, the Dixon Public
Library provides access to Internet resources. The Internet
offers access to many valuable local, national, and international
sources of information. The Library's Web Page (www.dixonpubliclibrary.org)
was created to assist patrons with selection of accurate,
authoritative information.
Computer Access is a limited resource at
the Dixon Public Library. For this reason, patrons are
encouraged to use these computers for informational purposes rather
than for recreational use.
Internet Access by Minors
The Dixon Public library affirms the right
and responsibility of parents to exercise guidance on a child's access
to the Internet. Children under age 14 will not be allowed
Internet access without a parent or guardian present.
Any adult card holder under the age of 18
must have a signed parental release on file to access the Internet
independently.
Procedures
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Patrons must comply with Library Internet Policy
and Procedures for computer use. Violations of the
Internet Policy may result in suspension or loss of computer
privileges. |
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Any adult card holder under the age of 18
must have a signed parental release on file to access the Internet
independently. |
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Patrons are limited to 1 hour of computer use per
day. Additional time may be granted at staff discretion. |
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Use of the computers for Internet access and word
processing is allocated in time slots of 30 minutes (1/2 hour).
Patrons are limited to two time slots or one hour per day.
Computer time may be reserved in advance but will be held no
longer than 10 minutes past the scheduled time. |
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When using the computers in the Adult Department,
only those patrons who are registered to use the computer may view
the accessed material. A parent must be the registered user
and stay with his/her child if the parent wishes to show the
Internet to a minor child. |
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Staff will assist patrons with the computer as
time allows. |
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Headphones are available at the circulation desk
for computer audio access. Headphones are for individual use
and, for sanitary reasons, should not be shared by other users.
The headphones will be disinfected after each use. |
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Patrons may not save personal files or software
applications to the Library's computers. Diskettes and CDs
are available for purchase at the circulation desk or files may be
saved to the patron's USB storage device. |
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Printing services are available to patrons: 20
cents per page for black & white and 25 cents per page for color
printing. |
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Patrons may not use personal software or alter or
reconfigure the library's computers or software. |
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Not distribute unsolicited advertising. |
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Respect intellectual property by only downloading
information or computer files with proper permission. |
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Respect the privacy of others. |
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Not misrepresent themselves, or attempt to gain
unauthorized access either inside or outside the library. |
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Not install any software on library computers. |
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Not alter, remove, or damage configurations,
software, telephone lines, or other facilities of the Dixon Public
Library. |
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Not use Dixon Public Library computers for any
unauthorized, illegal, or unethical purpose. |
The Library reserves the right to take appropriate action to
insure compliance with these procedures.
Disclaimer
Users should be aware that the Internet is
not a secure medium and that third parties may be able to obtain
information regarding users' activities. However, the Dixon
Public Library will not release information on the use of specific
Internet resources by members of the public except as required by law
or necessary for the proper operation of the Library.
The Dixon Public Library cannot guarantee
the validity or accuracy of information found on the Internet.
Library patrons are advised, as with all library materials, to
exercise judgment and discrimination when evaluating the usefulness
and reliability of material found on the Internet.
Although many potentially valuable sources
of information are located throughout the Internet, some resources and
destinations contain material that some patrons may find offensive or
inappropriate for children. There are sites that are
inappropriate for use or viewing in a public setting. The library
cannot control the content of sources found on the Internet.
Therefore, patrons must evaluate the validity and desirability of the
information found. The Library is not responsible for Internet
content, for changes in content of the sources to which the Library
Web Page links, or for the content of sources accessed through
secondary links.
Although Dixon Public Library utilizes
virus-checking software, this is not a guarantee that everything will
be completely protected from viruses. Software downloaded from
the Internet may contain a virus. The Dixon Public Library is
not responsible for any loss or damage to personal disks when
downloading, or to a user's own computer. Further, the Library
is not responsible for any loss of data, damage, or liability that may
occur from a patron's use of the Dixon Public Library's computers.
Violations of the Dixon Public Library
Policy and Procedures may result in suspension or loss of privileges
to use computer resources at the Library. Any illegal activity
involving the use of the Library's computers, including the Internet,
will be subject to prosecution by the appropriate authorities.
In addition, patrons shall agree to hold harmless, indemnify, and
unconditionally reimburse the Dixon Public Library for any damage,
liability, costs, claims, or expenses that the Dixon Public Library
may incur that arises in any manner from any use or misuse of the
Internet access by a patron.
The Dixon Public Library Board of
Trustees may periodically revise this policy.
Revised September 11, 2006
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