It is the policy of the Kasson Public Library to provide free access to information to users of all ages, while attempting to protect them from unwanted exposure to graphically depicted obscenity and child pornography and to restrict access by minors to materials harmful to minors.
In order to offer such protection, and to comply with Public Law 106-554, Title XV11, the library has installed a filtering device, which is intended by the manufacturer to block access to possible illegal or inappropriate sites. The user should be aware, however, that no device or software can block every site, which contains illegal or inappropriate content, and sites may be blocked that do not contain illegal or inappropriate content. The library does not accept responsibility for these incidents. If the user encounters sites that may be illegal, staff should be notified immediately.
All library owned or leased computers, whether for public or staff access, must be filtered. Requests for disabling the filtering device should be directed to staff. Anyone 17 or older may request unfiltered access. Such requests must be honored and the adult need not express a reason. An adult accompanied by his or her child may request and be allowed unfiltered access but the parent(s) must remain there and use or monitor their child’s use of the unfiltered Internet.
Children under 17 may request that a particular site be unblocked if they believe it is inappropriately blocked. Librarians may provide alternate access to the needed information or may determine that the site was inappropriately blocked and
allow access to that specific site.
Users wishing to access the Internet at the Kasson Public Library must agree to comply with the following Rules:
1. Internet computers will not be used for illegal activity, to access illegal materials, or to access materials that by local community standards would be obscene.
2. Users will obey copyright laws and licensing agreements.
3. Users will not make any attempt to gain unauthorized access to restricted library or Internet files or networks or to damage or modify computer equipment or software at the library or at another location by using library
4. Users will not disclose, use, or disseminate personal information regarding minors without written authorization of the parent or legal guardian of the minors involved.
5. To preserve their own personal safety, users should avoid disclosing personal information over the Internet.
6. Parents/legal guardians are responsible for their children’s use of the Library’s resources and facilities. Parents are requested to monitor their children’s Internet use.
7. Library employees are authorized to take prompt and appropriate actions to enforce the Rules of Conduct, and/or to prohibit use by persons who fail to comply with the Internet Acceptable Use Policy as stated or implied
As required and allowed by law, the Kasson Public Library will protect the confidentiality of records, electronic or otherwise, that indentify individual users to search strategies, sites access, or other specific data about the information they retrieved or sought to retrieve.
This Internet Policy was developed to assure that Kasson Public Library complies with the Children Internet Protection Act (CIPA) which was enacted by U.S. Congress in 2000. CIPA was developed to address concerns about children’s access to obscene or harmful content over the Internet. Public libraries and school libraries had to certify that they have an Internet safety policy that includes technology protection measures in order to receive certain funding by Congress.
Adopted February 11, 2014