The Boca Raton Public Library is dedicated to providing quality library services and resources necessary to meet the educational, recreational, cultural, business, and other informational needs of its users. It is within this context that the Library offers World Wide Web access to the Internet and its multitude of resources as an enhancement to existing Library collections. Being an unregulated medium, however, the Internet contains sites that may include inaccurate, outdated, or potentially offensive material. Users must accept responsibility for the information they retrieve through their Internet searches. The Boca Raton Public Library does not monitor and has no control over the information accessed on the Internet and is not responsible for its content.

As with other Library resources, parents or legal guardians, NOT the Library or its staff, are responsible for information selected and/or accessed by their children. The Library recognizes that parents may be concerned about the use of the Internet by their children and employs the use of Web content filtering in the Youth Services Section (with the exception of the WordLab) to assist in prohibiting access to questionable sites. Parents must be aware, however, that all other areas of the Library will offer full, unfiltered access, and are encouraged to supervise their child’s use of the Internet. Parents are also encouraged to review the information available on the following websites with their children: Child Safety on the Information Highway, and ALA’s Great Web Sites for Kids.

Users are reminded that all Library computers are located in public areas and that what they are viewing may be observed by others. Users are asked to consider this if they access potentially offensive information and images. The Library maintains no record of what individuals view.

Guidelines for use:

• Use of the Library’s computers is provided for educational, informational, and recreational purposes only, not for unauthorized, illegal, or unethical purposes. Such activities include: hacking into any computer system, damaging computer equipment or software, interfering with systems operation, integrity, or security, gaining unauthorized access to another person’s files, sending harassing messages to other computer users, altering the Library’s computer settings, and violating copyright laws and software licensing agreements.
• Internet access is available on a first come, first served basis.
• Internet access will be available to Library cardholders in sixty (60) minute increments, and to non-Library cardholders in thirty (30) minute increments.
• Library cardholders may enter their barcode number and PIN to receive sixty (60) minutes of Internet access. Non-Library cardholders may obtain a Guest Pass at the Circulation Desk to receive thirty (30) minutes of Internet access.
• Additional time will be granted based on availability of computers with Internet access.
• Users may not send, receive, or display graphics or text, which may reasonably be construed as obscene.
• Internet access may not be used for newsgroups, multi-user dungeons, creating personal home pages, use of ftp (file transfer protocol), or downloading. 

Violation of the policies and regulations that govern the use of the Library’s Internet resources may result in suspension or loss of computer privileges. Any illegal activity involving the Library’s Internet resources will be subject to prosecution by the appropriate authorities.

The Boca Raton Public Library reserves the right to amend and update this policy as necessary to keep pace with technological advancements and with the ever-changing nature of the Internet.

3/7/08