Internet and Computer Use Policy and Disclaimer

By signing this statement or clicking “accept” on the computer screen, you are confirming that you understand this policy and agree to abide by the rules set forth in this policy as adopted by the Switzerland County Public Library Board of Trustees.

The ability to access the Internet is a privilege offered by the Switzerland County Public Library (SCPL) to patrons and guests. A valid Evergreen Indiana library card is required for computer use. Patrons who owe fines or fees in excess of $10.00 will not be allowed to use their library cards to access public computers until their account balance is less than $10.00. All patrons who have a valid library card have access to the Internet. A minor child may be blocked from the public access computers upon the request of the parent or legal guardian.

Non-residents or visitors of a few days will be issued a guest pass for which they must present a driver’s license or other valid form of identification at the desk. Guests who owe fines or fees in excess of $10.00 in the Evergreen Indiana system may use a guest pass to access the public computers but will still be unable to check items out until their account has been paid and is in good standing.

Assistance in using computers: The SCPL staff does not provide technical help or troubleshooting. Library staff may provide limited assistance in locating information or searching. Patrons requiring more guidance are encouraged to schedule an appointment for a free computer class. Please inquire at the front desk.

Printing: The user is responsible for all pages printed. Printing Internet pages is unreliable and unpredictable. The result may not be as the user expects. The library is not responsible for user mistakes. Users are encouraged to use “Print Preview” and/or to copy and paste into a Word document to minimize printing costs. Users are charged 10₵ per black & white page printed and 25₵ per color page printed. Two-sided prints will be considered as 2 pages. Money will not be collected until the total cost of the prints exceeds $5, at which point the patron will be charged the full amount.

Wireless access: The SCPL provides wireless access to the Internet for users who bring their own Internet-accessible devices to the library. Wireless users must adhere to the guidelines in the policy for Internet and computer use and will be affected by the library’s filtering system. Due to the wide range of laptop and wireless hardware, library staff will not be available to assist users; users are expected to know how to configure their equipment in order to use the network.

Inappropriate uses include disrupting the network systems, unlawful or malicious activity, viewing sexually explicit material, using abusive or objectionable language or images in public or private messages, accessing inappropriate material, violating copyright laws, and allowing others to use your Internet account.

Patrons who violate this agreement in any of the above mentioned ways may permanently lose their computer privileges. The staff has the right to end an Internet session when the Internet and Computer Use Policy is violated. Internet access may be suspended or revoked by the SCPL at any time, without prior notice or hearing, for violation of the conditions of use set forth in this policy. The SCPL will be the sole arbiter of what constitutes violation of this policy. Loss of computer use privileges will be noted in the patron’s library record.

Filtering: In accordance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) the Switzerland County Public Library uses a filtering program. Be advised that no filtering software is totally foolproof, and it may occasionally fail to block access to a site an individual may deem as inappropriate. It may also occasionally block access to a site not considered offensive. SCPL will provide unfiltered Internet access to persons 18 or older who request it for bono fide research or any other lawful purpose.

Time Limits: Patrons and guests are allowed 90 minutes per day on public use computers. If there are more than 2 open computers, a patron or guest may use another 90 minutes at the discretion of staff.

Disclaimer: Internet users must be cautious in the selection of sites they choose to use. The Internet is not secure or private. The SCPL is not responsible for any misuse of personal information you provide online. The SCPL makes no warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, for the service it provides and is not responsible for any damages suffered including loss of information or data from delays or interruption in service. Use of information obtained via the Internet is at your own risk, and any Internet activity should not be considered confidential.

Material downloaded by the public cannot be saved on the library’s computers. Patrons who want to save their material must save it on their own portable device. Although SCPL has antivirus software on the computers, this will not completely protect patrons from a virus that has been saved or downloaded to their devices. Switzerland County Public Library is not responsible for damage to a person’s disk or computer, or for any loss of data, damage or liability that may occur from patron use of the library’s computers or wireless internet use.

Adopted by the Switzerland County Public Library Board of Trustees

October 2, 2007

Revised August 11, 2009

Revised and approved by the board January 10, 2012.

Revised and approved June 12, 2012.

Revised and approved June 11, 2013.

Reviewed and approved without revisions June 10, 2014.

Reviewed and approved without revisions June 9, 2014

Revised and approved June 14, 2016.

Reviewed June 13, 2017. No revisions.

Revisions approved September 12, 2017.

Reviewed June 12, 2018 and approved with no revisions.

Revised and approved June 11, 2019.

Revised and approved June 14, 2022.

Revised and approved June 13, 2023.