City of Palmdale

Official Web Site

PALMDALE CITY LIBRARY

Pay Ranges

HOME

CONTACT CITY STAFF

Palmdale City Library

Policy #230 - Internet Use

The Palmdale City Library provides access to the Internet to enhance the Library's collection and to allow access to ideas, information and commentary from around the globe. While the Internet offers opportunities to expand the scope of information available to users, it is an unregulated medium. The Library does not limit access to sites on the Internet nor to information that may be considered controversial or offensive by some.

As a reasonable step toward protecting children, the Library has installed guided searches on the Internet workstations designated for children that are in line with the Library's mission. Library staff cannot maintain constant monitoring of Internet use and has no control over the information available through the Internet. Parents or guardians must monitor and supervise their children's use of the Internet. If and when feasible, the Library may implement software and hardware control mechanisms to prohibit information which the Library has determined to be inconsistent with its mission.

To use the Library's Internet workstations:

a valid Palmdale City Library card is required;
children under eighteen (18) must have a parent or legal guardian complete a permission form in the presence of Library staff;
access is limited to a single one (1) hour time period per day, including time required to print;
a workstation may be reserved in advance for one (1) hour per day
latecomers lose their reservation if more than five (5) minutes late;
access to the children's Internet workstations is limited to those fourteen (14) and younger;
downloading files is not permitted;
the Library is not liable for any transactions conducted online; and
a maximum of two (2) people are allowed on a single workstation.

Use of the Internet is a privilege and inappropriate use will result in a cancellation of this privilege. Examples of inappropriate use include, but are not limited to:

unauthorized tampering with hardware or software;
downloading or installing software;
unauthorized access to minors;
violation of another user's privacy;
engagement in any activity which is deliberately and maliciously offensive, libelous or slanderous;
violation of software license agreements and copyright laws;
- U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code) prohibits the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of copyrighted materials, except as permitted by the principals of "fair use." Users may not copy or distribute electronic materials (including electronic mail, text, images, programs or data) without the explicit permission of the copyright holder. Responsibility for any consequences of copyright infringement lies with the user; the Library expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility resulting from such use.
accessing sites which contain pictorial material considered harmful to minors;
- Section 313 of the California Penal Code states, "'Harmful matter' means matter, taken as a whole, which to the average person, applying contemporary statewide standards, appeals to the prurient interest and is matter which, taken as a whole, depicts or describes in a patently offensive way sexual conduct and which, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors."
use of Internet workstations for purposes other than Internet access; and
violation of computer system integrity.

Viewing obscene, sexually explicit or harmful matter in the presence of a minor, or tampering with computer hardware or software will result in immediate and permanent loss of Internet privileges. For all other policy violations:

first time offenders will lose Internet privileges for one week and if the offender is a minor, the parent or guardian will be notified and given details of the offense; and
second time offenders will lose Internet privileges permanently.

Illegal acts are also subject to prosecution by local, state or federal authorities. Illegal acts include providing access to, or exhibiting harmful or sexually explicit matter to minors.

adopted: 1/21/97
revised: 10/19/99
revised: 4/18/00
revised: 5/17/05
revised: 9/20/11

En Español/Other Languages:

Links of Interest