The Ligonier Valley Library is a forum for all points of view and adheres to the principles of intellectual freedom as expressed in the Library Bill of Rights formulated by the American Library Association. The Ligonier Valley Library provides its Patrons with access to the wealth of Internet information resources without charge. It is the policy of the Ligonier Valley Library to comply with all applicable Federal and State laws governing the use of public library computers and the Internet.

As with other information sources, Internet sources may not be accurate, appropriate, or current. Internet users need to be good information consumers, evaluating the information found. The Library makes no warranties, expressed or implied, that the functions or the content of the Internet will meet any patron’s specific requirements, or that access will be trouble-free or uninterrupted.

The Internet is an unregulated medium. The Library shall not be held liable for any direct or indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including lost data, information, or income, sustained or incurred in connection with the use, operations, or inability to use the Internet. Patrons assume the risk of all such harms.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has enacted the Child Internet Protect Act (Act 197) to protect children while in a public school or public library setting from exposure to obscenity, child pornography and other material that is harmful to minors. The Act seeks to balance the goal of providing free access to educationally suitable information sources on the Internet against the compelling need and duty to protect children from contact with sexual predators and from access to obscene material, child pornography and material harmful to children.

The Ligonier Valley Library, in complying with the Pennsylvania Child Internet Protection Act (Act 197) and the Pennsylvania Obscenity Statue-18 Pa. C.S. 5903, has set the following restrictions on the use of the Library’s computer equipment and communication services:

1. All Patrons and Library Employees are prohibited from using the Library’s computer equipment and communications services for sending, receiving, viewing or downloading visual depictions of obscenity, child pornography or material that is harmful to minors as defined in Act 197 (which defers specifically to definitions under the Pennsylvania Obscenity Statue, 18 Pa. C.S. 5903, stated above.
2. All Minors (anyone under the age of 18) are required to have written permission from a parent or legal guardian to use the library’s Internet service.

   Parents or legal guardians, not the Library or its staff, are responsible for monitoring their children’s use of the Internet and for the information selected and/or accessed by their children. The Library strongly encourages parents or legal guardians to supervise their children’s Internet use. Members of the Library staff are available to assist parents with advice about their children’s use of the Internet and to answer questions or concerns.

3. All Patrons and Library Employees are prohibited from using the Library’s computer equipment and communications services for illegal activities, interfering with systems operations or security, violating copyright laws and software licensing agreements, sending harassing messages to other computer users, gaining unauthorized access to another person’s files, hacking into other computer systems, intentionally damaging library equipment and software and altering the library’s computer settings without authorization.

Misuse of the computer by a Patron will result in the loss of computer privileges, potential loss of library privileges and possible prosecution. Any Library Employee who violates these use restrictions shall be subject to immediate review by the Personnel Committee, and may be temporarily suspended from work or dismissed.

While the Library staff is not expected to police Patrons on their use of information resources, the staff has the authority to intervene on-line sessions as necessary when dealing with these use restrictions.

In addition to the use restrictions stated above, the Library shall utilize software programs or online servers designed to block access by Patrons and Library Employees to visual depictions of obscenity, child pornography or material that is harmful to minors.

The Library Director or a designee of the Library Director may disable the software program or online server for an adult or a minor (who has specific written consent from a parent or legal guardian) to enable access for bona fide research or other lawful purposes, but only to the extent such material is not illegal under Federal or State Law.

Notwithstanding, all users of Library computers for Internet access shall abide by all stated rules and regulations and the Internet Ethics Code and Rules as then posted at each Internet access location.

The intent of the Internet Use Policy is to protect both the freedom and the rights of the individual (adult and child) in his or her pursuit of education and information, while still protecting children and respecting the right of others to not be exposed to obscenity, child pornography and other material that is harmful to minors. Additionally, while the intent of this Policy is to protect children, it does not supercede or eliminate the responsibility of the parent or legal guardian to monitor his or her child’s Internet use.

Originally Adopted by the Board of Trustees
Ligonier Valley Library Association
October 18, 1999
Revised and restated on March 21, 2005

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