- Mission Statement
- Roles Chosen by the Fairlee Public Library to Meet the Service Needs of Our Community
- Materials Selection
- Other Policy
- Fairlee Public Library Policy and Guidelines for Public Access Computer Use
- Challenged Materials
- Facilities Policy
- Building Fire Exits and Automatic Door Openers Policy -- Facility Opening & Closing
- Policy for Use of the Fairlee Public Library Meeting Room
V. Fairlee Public Library Policy and Guidelines for Public Access Computer Use
- Purpose:
In accordance with the Fairlee Library's goal of providing access for its patrons to a wide variety of print and non-print materials, some materials are being made available in electronic formats. Materials will be selected by the professional staff, in accordance with the library's Materials Selection Policy. Access to these materials shall not be restricted because of a patron's age, race, religion, gender or socio-economic status. The library will provide direct, limited (see IV.) access to the Internet through the library computer.
- Disclaimer:
The Fairlee Library assumes no responsibility for information found by electronic access, which patrons might find to be inaccurate, offensive, and/or illegal. The library will not be responsible for any charges made by a patron to Internet services. The library assumes no responsibility for the work you may generate on the computer, or for any damage to the programs you may use.
For those who like it technical: all users agree to hold FPL harmless for any and all users of the claims, losses, damages, obligations or liabilities, directly or indirectly related to the use of the Internet. FPL will assume no liability for monetary loss, indirect, special, punitive, or consequential damages, nor any liability to any third party.
Be a careful information consumer. Material placed on the Internet by individuals does not have to be accurate. Consider the source of any information you find, before you make decisions based on the material.
Parents concerned about what their children may find on the Internet are encouraged to join them in their on line sessions. The library does not act in loco parentis.
The library upholds and affirms the right of each individual to have access to constitutionally protected material. We ask all users to be respectful of future users. This includes removing all paperwork generated by a session, and logging off the Internet at the end of the session.
- Eligibility to use the Fairlee Library computer
- Patrons must be in good standing, owing no fines, and having no violations of the guidelines for computer use.
- . Patron must have read, understood and signed the Computer User Registration.
- Users who have little or no computer and/or Internet searching experience may make special arrangements to receive training (See VI. F.). The library staff is available to answer basic questions but cannot spend more than 15 minutes per patron to instruct or assist during regular library hours.
- Acceptable Access and Excluded Uses
- World Wide Web may be accessed.
- Specifically excluded from access are chat rooms, bulletin boards, and the library's e-mail account.
- Word processing programs, which are not on-line but in the computer, may be used.
- Users may not interfere with library files, may not go into DOS, and may not exit Windows.
- Users shall respect the policies, rights and conventions of all the organizations and individuals who use the Internet, shall not perform mass unsolicited mailings, and shall not access any systems for which access has not been authorized. (i.e. No Hacking)
- The library will not provide fax service. Nearby public access fax is available at local businesses.
- Users may not conduct commercial activity on the library terminals, including but not limited to operating a business for personal gain.
- User may not misrepresent oneself as another user.
- Users may not use the library terminals to engage in illegal activity of any kind.
- Library staff reserves the right to interrupt and end a computer session that is becoming disruptive or creating a disturbance.
- Saving information from on-line sessions
- No downloading to the library hard disk is permitted.
- New, IBM formatted, 3.5" diskettes, may be purchased from the circulation desk, to receive information you may want to download from the Internet. If the diskette's cost is prohibitive for a patron, a recycled diskette can be obtained from the librarian, subject to supply on hand.
- Patrons who need to bring their own diskettes in order to work with ongoing projects, must present the diskette to the library staff BEFORE inserting it in the computer, so staff can run it through a virus scanning program.
- Printing--Users may print from the display according to instructions. A per page fee will be charged for any material printed through the library's printer. This fee covers the cost of paper, ink cartridges, and printer maintenance. Students may receive up to 10 pages free for school / study use.
- Reserving and Using Computer Time
- Advance registration is recommended, but not required, pending review of actual demand.
- Time may be reserved in the special schedule at the circulation desk, in blocks of 30 or 60 minutes, up to one hour per week, and may be reserved up to one week in advance.
- Reservations may be made by phone, during library hours. If reservation requests are left on the answering machine, patrons should call during library hours to confirm availability of the requested time slot.
- Cancellations should be called in to the library, as soon as you realize you cannot keep your scheduled appointment.
- Late arrival--If a scheduled user arrives more than 10 minutes after reserved time was to start, without a warning call to tell the librarian of late arrival, the reservation will be invalid. In such a case, the computer can be used by the first qualified person present who wants to do so. If no one wants to use the time, the reserved patron who arrives late may use the computer to complete their original time block.
- If you require training, you may reserve time during a FPL training session, or you can borrow instructional books and videotapes to learn the basic skills, or receive training of your choosing from another source.
- Priority of Library Business
- The Fairlee Library has two computers as of this writing, one for public and one for staff.
- In the event that one computer is out of service, and the Library staff needs to use the computer, staff will have priority and may interrupt a user courteously, requesting that the user get to a convenient stopping point within about 5 minutes, so that library business can be conducted. Reasonable attempts will be made to minimize such interruptions.
- Compliance with Copyright laws--All copyright laws must be observed.
- Public Domain -- much material on the Internet is available for all users, and can be copied or distributed as the user chooses.
- Copyrighted material -- No one may copy any computer program, documentation or other material unless it is in the public domain.
- What it means : It is a mistake to believe that if a work has no copyright notice, it is not copyrighted. In fact, everything from April 1, 1989 is copyrighted by the owner or author whether it has a copyright notice or not. All Internet users must assume that a work is copyrighted, unless otherwise specified by the author. There are some documents published on the Internet which state that they have been dedicated to the public domain, or that use for nonprofit purposes is permitted by the copyright holder. If the author of a work has explicitly granted it to public domain, anyone who stumbles upon it can use, take, or copy without giving credit to the owner. If use for nonprofit purposes is granted, use may be made as specified in the document. A case may be made for "fair use" of Internet materials, just as one may make a claim of "fair use" for print and audiovisual materials which may be reproduced for the purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, research, etc.. Four tests of "fair use" should be used as guidelines :
- Is it to be used for nonprofit educational purposes?(Yes)
- Is the type of material to be used primarily factual and not highly creative material?(Yes)
- Is the amount of material copied significantly less than the entire document?(Yes)
- Will the impact of your use of the material greatly affect the market of the copyrighted material?(No).
If your answers to these four questions match the ones in parentheses above, then you probably have a good case for making a claim of "fair use". Also, frequently a user may contact the author of a work and be granted permission to use it. Requesting permission is not difficult and often, access to works on the Internet is granted easily and can avoid costly legal hassles.
- Considerate and Careful Use
- All users, reserved or walk-in, must sign in at the circulation desk.
- Headphones must be used whenever using programs which produce sound.
- NO FOOD OR DRINK is allowed at the computer station.
- Hands should be washed before using the computer.
- Any diskettes or CD ROMs should be handled with care, and should not be stored near the windows or heater.
- When users are done with their Internet connection, they should "disconnect" from the Internet only, according to the instructions provided.
- Patrons should NOT shut the computer off, nor exit from Windows.
- If two or more people are using the computer together, their time block still counts as that for one individual.
- Groups are expected to talk quietly, when it is necessary to talk.
- The librarian has the right to limit the number of people sitting or standing near the computer work station if the session presents a disturbance.
- Technical Difficulties
- Library staff are not computer technicians, but will try to be helpful.
- Basic guidelines and manuals will be available at the computer station to deal with common problems.
- If there is any equipment malfunction, library staff should be alerted.
- If damage occurs which is due to careless use, or from failure to notify the staff, repair costs will be charged to the user. In the case of minors, the user's parent or guardian will be responsible for such costs.
- Unauthorized Use and Vandalism
- Users who are found to have violated the guidelines will lose their privileges.
- Anyone who causes malicious damage to the computer will be subject to prosecution.
- Assessment of penalties for loss of privilege will be determined on a case by case basis, at discretion of library staff and Board of Trustees, as needed.
- Appeals to the suspension or restriction of privileges will be heard by the Board of Trustees, at their next scheduled meeting.
- XII. Keeping Current
This policy shall be reviewed at least annually, to be sure that it is up to date, and to address any new problems or insights which will enhance computer use at FPL.
VI. Challenged Materials
Occasional objections regarding materials may occur despite the care taken to select materials. The Board of Trustees support the principles of intellectual freedom. The established procedure listed below will follow an individual's or group's request for reconsideration of materials.
All complainants shall be informed of the materials selection policy and referred to the library director. The library director will discuss the selection policy and procedure with the complainant without commitment. If the complainant is not satisfied:
" The complainant will be invited to file his / her objections in writing, and will be given a "Request for Reconsideration of Materials" form.
Only written complaints will receive further consideration. This is to assure clarity of the nature of the complaint.
Procedure for review of selections: (to be carried out by the library director)
- Inform the complainant of the materials selection policy and make no commitments.
- If the complainant wishes further consideration of his / her objection to the library material in question, he / she must submit a written "Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials" form to the library director.
- Inform other Fairlee Library staff members, volunteers, and Board of Trustees that a challenge has been made.
- The challenged material will be kept on the shelves during the reconsideration process.
- Upon receipt of the completed form, it will be presented to the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees so that the request may be incorporated into the agenda of the next regularly scheduled board meeting.
- Prior to the next regularly scheduled board meeting that follows a meeting where a reconsideration request has been on the agenda, the library director and the Board will: read, view, or listen to the material in its entirety; check general acceptance of the material by reading reviews and consulting recommended lists; determine the value of the material to the collection.
- The library director and the Board will present a written response to the complainant.
- The complainant may request an appeal within 30 days of notification which will be heard at an open meeting in accordance with open meeting law.
- The Board of Trustees will announce its decision concerning the appeal at the next regularly scheduled meeting after the open meeting.
VII. Facilities Policy
The purpose of this policy is to protect and preserve the structural and aesthetic quality of the facility and furnishings.
It shall be the policy of the Library that there will be no articles of any nature affixed in any manner to the walls, woodwork, furniture, stacks, ceilings, or windows without prior Board of Trustee approval at a regular meeting.
Notices, papers, posters, labels, etc. will be applied only to bulletin boards or displayed in provided frames.
This policy will be disseminated to all volunteers, and to any individual/group given permission to use the Library space outside of regular business hours. (Adopted June 18, 2002)
VIII. Building Fire Exits and Automatic Door Openers Policy -- Facility Opening & Closing
The purpose of this policy is to ensure compliance with State Fire Codes and amend any existing policy.
This policy will be disseminated to all volunteers and to any individual/group given permission to use the Library space outside of regular business hours.
It shall be the policy of the Fairlee Library that the individual responsible for opening the facility for the public's use, will first unlock the main entrance; secondly unlock the deadbolt lock on the adult room exterior door. (The lock on the door handle should remain locked, the handle will still open the door.) The third exterior emergency exit, through the storage area off the juvenile room, has a handle that opens from the interior even when locked. This will facilitate the egress paths available for emergency exiting.
To maintain the handicap door operation optimally, it shall be the policy to turn on the units (press the toggle switch up) when opening the Library and shut off the units (center the toggle switch) when closing the Library. (Adopted June 18, 2002, Amended January 14, 2003)
Policy for Use of the Fairlee Public Library Meeting Room
The purpose of this policy is to establish the parameters for the use of this facility by other than staff.
There will be NO alcoholic beverages of any kind.
Non profit organizations, when providing proof of this status upon request, will not be charged for use of the space.
Other organizations, including private individuals, will be charged a fee of $50.00 per use.
It is expected that all groups will clean the area after use. If the Library must clean up, an additional $20.00 will be charged. (Adopted 10/8/02)
Library Policies - Page
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