Policy
on the Use of On-Line Services
The Wilmington Library provides public access
to on-line services on computers available to adults, as well as children.
Consistent with the Library's mission to provide education and cultural
information needed by the public to enhance quality of life, this Internet
policy affirms the safeguarding of First Amendment rights, intellectual
freedom, equity of access, and confidentiality of information about users
and their use of library resources.
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Electronic information should be readily, equally
and equitably accessible to all library users;
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The library should not deny or limit access to electronic
information;
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Electronic information should be constitutionally
protected unless it has been determined otherwise by court action;
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Parents or legal guardians are responsible for any
restriction of a child's use of the Internet, as indicated on the application
for the child's library card.
The Library:
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Assumes no responsibility for damages arising from
its connection to on-line services;
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Makes no guarantees with respect to quality or content
of information on on-line services;
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Does not endorse information offered by on-line services;
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Encourages parents not only to discuss with their
children the type of information offered via on-line services and their
use in relation to specific family values, but also to monitor their children's
use of the services if possible.
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User
Responsibilities for On-Line Services
All users of on-line services are expected to
use the services in a responsible and courteous manner, consistent with
the purposes for which it is provided, and to follow all on-line services
related rules, regulations and procedures established for its use including,
but not limited to, those of the library.
Responsible, courteous use of on-line services
includes:
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Recognizing that on-line services, like all of the
library's information sources, must be shared and used in a manner which
respects the rights of others and refrains from activity that prevents
others from using it. Use is limited to 30 minutes unless a longer
period is authorized by library staff. An express e-mail only terminal
is available for 15 minutes;
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Using the Library's Internet resources for educational
and informational purposes only;
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Refraining from using the Library's on-line resources
to conduct a business or commercial enterprise, or to engage in commercial
activity such as the distribution of advertising;
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Refraining from illegal, offensive or unethical use
of the Internet and refraining from the printing of information or graphics
which are illegal, offensive or unethical;
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Respecting intellectual property rights by making
only authorized copies of copyrighted, licensed or otherwise controlled
software data;
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Respecting the privacy of others by not misrepresenting
oneself as another user and by not attempting to modify or gain access
to files, passwords, or data belonging to others;
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Refraining from damaging the equipment or altering
the set-up of the equipment used to access on-line services at the library;
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Refraining from altering or damaging software or
data residing on the Internet;
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Refraining from the deliberate propagation of computer
worms or viruses;
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Refraining from the transmission of threatening,
pornographic, harassing, or abusive language or images.
In addition to this specific policy, general guidelines
for the use of all public access computers govern the use of on-line services
in the Library. Violation of the policies and regulations that govern
the use of Library on-line resources may result in suspension or loss of
the privilege to use these resources. Illegal activity involving
the Library's on-line resources will be subject to prosecution by the appropriate
authorities.
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