ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

 

1.     **Patrons are required to have and show a current Aransas County Public Library card/temporary card. The card will need to be free of overdue items and all fines/charges will need to be cleared.

 

2.      **Patrons are required to sign in at the circulation desk and initially sign a policy statement. Youth under 18 years of age are required to have parental/guardian permission to access the Internet.

 

3.     **Limit information searching use time to 30 minutes or less. Time limits are enforced when patrons are waiting for computers - maximum of 2 hours use time in one day.

 

4.     ** Limit email time to 30 minutes or less. Time limits are enforced when patrons are waiting for computers - maximum of 2 hours use time in one day. Library does not provide email accounts to users. Users, including minors, are advised not to share personal identification information to unknown or otherwise unverified sources via electronic communication.

 

5.      Printing is 25 cents per page-limit 30 pages per week. (Printing from personal laptops is in beta testing. Click the Link "Connect to Public Printer" on the left column.)

           

6.     ** Do not use Internet computers for chat rooms, games, banking or charging, and news groups or other uses not directly related to information seeking.

 

7.      Do not use the Internet for illegal activity or to access illegal materials which include, but not limited to obscenity, child pornography, and materials deemed "harmful to minors". Access by minors to materials deemed "harmful to minors" is prohibited. Library administration reserves the right to determine based on community standards, materials considered to be "harmful to minors". See Internet Safety policy for more information.

 

8.     ** Do not alter settings or do damage to computer hardware, software, desktop, monitor.

 

9.      Do not use workstations  to gain unauthorized access to restricted files or networks.

 

10.     **Do not install or download any software onto the hard drive. Users may download information from the Internet to a 3.5 formatted computer disk - these are available at the library for $1.00 each. Users may also download information from the Internet to a personal USB Flash drive (USB Thumb Drive).

 

11.     **Usage is on a first come, first served basis.

 

12.     ** Parents must accept responsibility for their children's use of the Internet. The Aransas County Library has installed a filtering software product on all public access Internet computers. No filtering system is completely effective or efficient. Library staff does not disable filtering software at any time.

 

13.     Patrons are responsible for being aware of copyright restrictions while using the Internet.

 

14.      Internet workstations are available during the library's normal hours of operation until 15 minutes prior to closing.

 

15.      Any person found to be using the computers in violation of the above policy will be asked to discontinue the practice immediately. Those who continue to disregard this policy after being made aware of an infraction will be denied further access.

 

16.      This is not an all inclusive list, and  the policy is subject to change without notice.  Internet Access is made available as-is, Aransas County assumes no liability for any harm, loss of data, or ANY issue that is caused by your use of our Internet service. 

** = Applies to Library Owned Public Computers

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE GENERAL INTERNET SAFETY POLICY

 

APPROVED BY ARANSAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT DECEMBER 2001.

UPDATED BY THE ARANSAS COUNTY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT APRIL 2008.