Northland Public Library | Computer Center

Computer Use Policy

Computer Reservations & Sign In Procedures
Internet Use Policy

Computer Reservations & Sign In Procedures

All computers may be used on a first-come, first-served basis. Each user is limited to one hour when others are waiting.

Computer reservations are only accepted for persons who need to use the scanner and for persons who are scheduled to take an online exam.

Internet Use Policy

To advance its mission of providing timely and accurate information to community residents, the Northland Public Library offers access to the resources of the Internet as one tool to expand the size and scope of available information resources.

Internet Users
Access to the Internet is available to any Northland patron. The Internet is a global electronic network with no centralized control or monitoring of its users or its contents. The Internet and its available resources may contain material of a harmful or controversial nature. The Library cannot control the availability of information links that often change rapidly and unpredictably. The Library does not deny access to material that falls within the scope of its mission and selection policy. The Library requires that parents or guardians, just as with books, videos, and other formats, assume responsibility for monitoring their children’s use of and access to information. A signature of a parent or legal guardian for a child’s library card indicates and pledges that parents or guardians take, and will continue to take, responsibility for monitoring that child’s access to all library materials and services, including the Internet. Not all sources on the Internet provide accurate, age-appropriate, complete or current information. Northland Public Library cannot and does not make any promise, commitment or guarantee, either expressed or implied, with respect to the quality or content of the information available. Internet users, especially children and their parents need to be good information consumers, questioning, evaluating and judging the validity of the information. Users are cautioned that ideas, points of view and images can be found on the Internet that may be controversial, troubling, disturbing, upsetting, divergent and/or inflammatory. The provision of access does not mean or imply the Library endorses or sanctions in any way the content or point of view of the information or commentary. The Library staff does attempt to identify specific starting points for searches and links to sources that are consistent with Northland’s mission and roles and responsive to patron requests.

Internet workstations cannot be used for any fraudulent or unlawful purpose, including any activities prohibited under any applicable federal, state, or local laws. The Northland Public Library prohibits minors from accessing Internet and online sites that contain or make reference to explicit sexual material as defined by law.

Northland Public Library assumes no responsibility for any damages, direct or indirect, arising from its Internet connection. Northland Public Library reserves the right to terminate a patron’s Internet session at any time.

Use of the internet via Northland facilities by any patron is an express and continuing acknowledgment of, and agreement with, these policies by the patron.

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)]. The Electronic Information Network (eiNetwork), the countywide consortium which provides Northland's Internet access receives such funding and therefore, as a member, Northland complies with the requirements of CIPA.

The eiNetwork uses filtering software that blocks or filters access to some Internet sites. Please be aware that filters have been shown to be 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.

Any adult (17 years or older, as defined by CIPA) may request that the filter or technology protection measure be disabled without significant delay by a Northland Library staff member. Proof of age [and identity] will be required at the time of any such request. The staff member receiving the request is required to log the request and proof of age.

A Northland Library staff member may override the filter or technology protection measure for a minor (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. Such an override will be logged by the staff member.

Northland Library is not responsible for any user's unauthorized use of a computer with a disabled filter. Unauthorized use of a computer and/or disabling of a filter by a patron will be reported to appropriate authorities for prosecution.

A user who wishes to file a complaint about the filtering software on the library computers may do so within thirty (30) days of any event giving rise to such a complaint to:

The Library Director and/or the President of the Board of Trustees
The Director of the Electronic Information Network
The Federal Communications Commission

User Responsibilities
All users of the Internet must use this library resource in a responsible and courteous manner, consistent with the purposes for which it is provided and follow all applicable laws, regulations, policies and procedures established for its use. Responsible, courteous use of the Internet includes, but is not limited to:

Recognizing that the Internet, like all of the Library’s information sources, must be shared and used in a manner which respects the rights of others and refraining from activity that prevents others from using it.
Using the Library’s Internet resources within the context of the Library’s mission.
Refraining from using the Library’s Internet resources to conduct any business or commercial enterprise.
Refraining from illegal or unethical use of the Internet.
Respecting intellectual property rights by making only authorized copies of copyrighted, licensed or otherwise protected software or data residing on the Internet.
Respecting the privacy of others by not misrepresenting oneself as another user; by not attempting to modify or gain access to files, passwords or data belonging to others; and by not seeking disallowed access to any computer system via the Internet.
Refraining from damaging or altering the setup of the equipment used to access the Internet.
Refraining from altering or damaging software or data residing on the Internet.
Refraining from the deliberate propagation of computer worms and viruses.
Refraining from the transmission of threatening, harassing or abusive language and images.
Violating any federal or state law applicable to computer use.

Sanctions
Violators of the established policy or other Library behavior guidelines may lose library privileges. Violations will be dealt with in a serious and appropriate manner. Illegal acts involving library computing resources will be reported to appropriate authorities and may be subject to prosecution by local, state or federal authorities.

Staff Assistance
The Library cannot guarantee that Internet-trained staff will be available to all users at all times. Time permitting, as with any other information request, staff will try to answer specific questions, offer suggestions for effective searching, provide information about available training opportunities and assist in locating books, source material and manuals about the Internet.

Electronic Mail
Northland Library does not offer E-mail accounts. Users may create web-based email accounts or access their personal accounts through their provider.

Downloading
Internet users may not save their data on the hard drives of the library computers but may save data to their own storage devices.

Adopted by Northland Public Library Authority Board 2/15/00
Revision adopted by Northland Public Library Authority Board 5/13/04
Revision adopted by Northland Public Library Authority Board 11/16/10