Clark County Library(Nevada) – Internet and Wireless Use Policy

Adopted by the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Board of Trustees on September 14, 2000; revised and adopted on January 13, 2005; revised and adopted on January 12, 2012.

LIBRARY MISSION

We enable the people of our community to pursue lifelong learning through our responsive collections, electronic resources and innovative services. Our inviting public libraries are the cornerstones of our diverse communities where children and adults can experience personal enrichment and connect with one another.

GENERAL POLICIES

In support of this mission and in response to advancing technology, the Las Vegas- Clark County Library District offers the community access to the Internet by District computers and to individual patrons using their own equipment. The Internet is an unregulated medium consisting of information on a wide range of topics provided by millions of individuals and organizations around the world.

In providing access to the Internet, the Las Vegas-Clark Country Library District subscribes to and fully supports the principles of intellectual freedom endorsed by the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, particularly Access to Electronic Information Services and Resources, and Freedom to Read statements. These principles are reflected in the District’s Patron Privacy Policy. The District’s Internet access is provided primarily as an information resource.

DISCLAIMER

Links to Internet sites are provided on the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District’s website. District staff selects Internet links in accordance with the District’s materials selections guidelines. Beyond this, the District has not participated in the development of these other sites and does not exert any editorial or other control over these sites. Providing a link from the District’s website to another website does not constitute an endorsement from the District. The District is unable to warrant that its website, the server that makes it available, or any links from its site to other websites are free of viruses or other harmful components. The District is unable to control or monitor the content or presentation of materials on the Internet, which change quickly and without warning. The District cannot be held responsible for the content of the Internet.

Not all information found on the Internet is accurate, complete, up-to-date, and/or legally or philosophically acceptable to all individuals. The District assumes no responsibility and shall have no liability for any direct, indirect or consequential damages arising from the use of information found on the Internet, or any communications sent through the District’s Internet workstations. The District is not responsible for any damage to personal equipment or software that may occur as a result of using the District’s wireless network.

ACCESS AND USAGE

The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District does not provide e-mail accounts to users. In some cases, users with existing e-mail accounts may access their accounts through the District’s Internet workstations. The District assumes no responsibility and shall have no liability for any claims or damages that result from the provision of such access to users. Adult patrons may select to access the Internet in filtered or unfiltered mode.

Use of the District’s Internet workstations for the transmission, dissemination and/or duplication of information is regulated under various state and federal laws. The District expects all users to comply with such laws. The use of the District’s network to access material that is obscene, child pornography, or “harmful to minors,” as described by law, is expressly prohibited.

All adult users of the Internet are required to comply with the provisions of the District’s Internet and Wireless Use Policy, the Library Rules of Conduct and administrative procedures for use of computer workstations developed in accordance with this policy. Failure to comply with these policies or guidelines may result in Internet use privileges being suspended and the patron may be asked to leave library premises.

INTERNET ACCESS BY MINOR CHILDREN *

Parents/guardians are responsible for their minor children’s use of all library materials, including the Internet. Library District staff cannot monitor the Internet resources that minor children may select. A collection of age-appropriate Internet sites selected by District staff is included on the District’s website. These sites meet the same selection criteria used for the selection of other library materials for youth. The District provides filtering software on computers located in designated children’s services areas in an attempt to limit access to age-appropriate Internet sites by minor children to the extent that is feasible given technical requirements and support. However, the District cannot guarantee that filtering technology will successfully block all inappropriate sites. Parents/guardians must ultimately accept responsibility for determining appropriate use of the Internet by their minor children. Any restriction of the minor child’s access to the Internet remains the sole responsibility of the parent/guardian.

In order to provide flexible Internet access to young people the District restricts access to computers in the children’s services area to minor children and their accompanying parents/guardians.

Minor children may use filtered workstations without parental permission. To access an unfiltered Internet workstation a minor child is required to have parental/guardian acceptance of the terms outlined in “Parental Permission Agreement for Use of the Internet” and his/her library card in possession during computer use prior to accessing the unfiltered Internet workstation. Parents are encouraged to guide their minor child’s use of the Internet and to visit the following sites for more information: www.ConnectSafely.org, www.SafeTeens.com and www.iKeepSafe.org.

USE OF PERSONAL EQUIPMENT

The District is not responsible for any damage to personal equipment or software that may occur as a result of using the District’s wireless network. In light of security issues and the variety of equipment that can be used to access wireless networks, the District urges patrons to incorporate appropriate protections systems such as anti-virus, firewall software and updated patches when accessing the District’s wireless network. The District does not provide encryption services and does not guarantee privacy of data transmitted across its network.

WIRELESS ACCESS

By providing wireless network access to the Internet, the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District expands its ability to provide information resources to the public. Wireless access is provided for use by the District’s computers configured for wireless access as well as for use by a library patron’s personal computing equipment subject to the conditions outlined in this policy.

Wireless access to the Internet in District libraries is to conform to the general provisions outlined in this policy and use by library patrons is subject to the District’s Library Rules of Conduct. Failure to comply with these policies or guidelines may result in wireless network access privileges being suspended and the patron may be asked to leave library premises. Use which creates a disturbance or interferes with the ability of other patrons to use the library will not be tolerated.

The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District provides configuration specifications about its wireless network for patron access in designated community libraries but does not provide technical support for individuals wishing to use their equipment in community libraries. District staff is not allowed to configure, diagnose or modify a library patron’s equipment to enable access to the District’s wireless network.

WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS BY MINOR CHILDREN *

Minors accessing the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District’s wireless network are subject to all the restrictions contained in this policy. The District provides filtered Internet access on the wireless network for minor children under the age of 18. This is the same filtering software used on computers in the District’s children’s services areas. Anyone under the age of 18 accessing the wireless network is required to use the filtered network unless they have parental/guardian acceptance of the terms outlined in “Parental Permission Agreement for Use of the Internet” allowing unfiltered access to the Internet. Minors who have parental/guardian approval to use the District’s unfiltered wireless network must use their personal computing equipment in the adult areas of the library.

*Minor children are defined as minors under the age of 18.