The WFPL is committed to providing its patrons with the best materials possible for seeking information.  The WFPL espouses the basic principles governing information freedom and access as outlined in the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights.  The Library and its patrons must observe all applicable local, state and federal laws governing information access.  In order to ensure fair use of the computer technology now available, patrons are asked to observe the following guidelines:

General Use:

• Patron must have a library card.
• Please be considerate of other users and leave the computers and software as you found them.
• All computer users must sign in.
• Computers will be turned on and off only by library staff.
• You may reserve time on the computer for the current day only.
• Users more than ten minutes late forfeit their reservations.  Users are allowed twenty minutes of use and an additional twenty minutes if no one else has signed up.  No more than forty minutes per day is permitted for each person, unless specifically approved by a library staff member.
• Any computer or printer problems must be reported immediately to the librarian.
• Some information available via electronic resources may not be appropriate to our Library’s selection or collection development policy: the WFPL has no control over the information available on the Internet.
• The computer is available during library hours and unavailable only when needed by library staff for library business.

Software:

• Users must respect the integrity of the library’s computer and utilize only those programs and services already loaded on the computer.
• The WFPL cannot be responsible for any damage or loss of data that may occur while using the computer.
• Patrons must not load executable programs or data files on the hard drive of any library computer.
• Any application used by a patron must be properly exited upon completion.
• Patrons cannot work from the DOS prompt.
• Patrons must not alter setting on the computer or delete or modify any files.

Charges:

• Any damage to the computers, software or their peripherals by any patron will be charged to that patron.
• There is a charge of $0.25 per page for any black and white printing and fifty cents for color printing.  These charges help offset the considerable cost of paper and ink.

Privacy:

• The WFPL is committed to the privacy of its patrons; however, users should be aware that the use of the Internet cannot be considered secure and that some of the applications may save temporary copies of data to the hard disk.  Patrons should, therefore, not assume that others will not be able to retrieve their work and should take appropriate care.  
• The provision of electronic access does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of a particular point of view.
• As this computer is in a public area, be aware that the screen will be visible to other patrons and staff.

Children:  

• The WFPL policy on the use of the computers and access to the Internet is the same as for borrowing books: parents and legal guardians of children are responsible for the appropriate use of the Library facilities by children and the Library assumes no responsibility for supervising users who are minors.
• Parents and legal guardians are urged to accompany their children and guide them in their computer explorations.
• Parents and legal guardians shall sign a card for their children giving them permission to access the Internet on the WFPL computers without their presence.  

Sanctions:

• Users who contravene these rules, or other rules of the Library, may have their privileges revoked.  If you are unsure whether your use of the computers might conflict with these rules, please ask the librarian.

back to top