Event Calendar

Mar 19 2024
Preschool Storytime: County
10:30AM - 11:00AM
Mar 19 2024
Trading Card Meet-Up: County
04:30PM - 05:30PM
Mar 19 2024
Library Foundation Capital Campaign Committee (Stone House)
05:00PM - 06:00PM
Mar 20 2024
Baby Story Time: Strasburg
10:00AM - 10:30AM

Acceptable Use Policy
Policy for Monitoring & Voluntary Disclosure
Electronic Monitoring & Disclosure Policy


Acceptable Use Policy

It is the policy of the Shenandoah County Library System to: (a) prevent user access over its computer network to, or transmission of, inappropriate material via Internet, electronic mail, or other forms of direct electronic communications; (b) prevent unauthorized access and other unlawful online activity; (c) prevent unauthorized online disclosure, use, or dissemination of personal identification information of minors; and (d) comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) [Pub. L. No. 106-554 and 47 USC 254(h)].

It shall be the responsibility of all members of the Library staff to educate, supervise and monitor appropriate usage of the online computer network and access to the Internet in accordance with this policy, the Children’s Internet Protection Act, the Neighborhood Children’s Internet Protection Act, and the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act. The Library System cannot guarantee protection of its patrons from materials they may find offensive. In accordance with the Commonwealth’s laws, all public access computers are filtered in an effort to block access to and display of sexually explicit material. The Code of Virginia, as well as CIPA, bans the display of child pornography, obscene materials, and material harmful to children. To further protect children, other categories are filtered on computers designated for use by patrons under age 17.

Requesting Internet access by presenting a library card is acknowledgement that one will abide by the Library‘s Acceptable Use Policy.   This document is available at each location’s Circulation Desk and is presented as part of the patron registration process.

The Library System filters computers on three tiers: Adult, Young Adult and Juvenile. Young Adult and Juvenile Computers are filtered for the same content with the exception that Young Adult Computers allow access to Social Networking websites such as Facebook. Access to the computers is age-dependent as follows:

  • Adult Computers – Age 17 and up
  • Young Adult Computers* – Age 13-16
  • Juvenile Computers – Age 0-12

* Where Young Adult Computers are not available, children age 13-16 will use Juvenile Computers

Other conditions of use include:

  • The Shenandoah County Library System provides WiFi access at all of its locations. The Library System filters content according to CIPA regulations and intends that all WiFi access will come through its filter.
  • Individuals are prohibited from accessing computers using another individual’s library card.
  • Should one using an Adult public access computer for bona fide research or other lawful purposes find access to a legal site blocked, he/she can submit a written request for access to the Library Director, or other authorized individual, who shall be responsible for disabling the technology protection measure in order to allow access to the requested information. ?
  • Using library equipment to violate copyright law both subjects one to civil remedies and criminal penalties under federal law and to loss of library privileges.
  • Alteration of software or hardware is not permitted. ?
  • Printing off the Internet costs fifteen cents per page. Where available, color prints are fifty cents. Please ask for staff assistance before printing.
  • Patrons with blocked status, an outstanding recall item or fines $2 or more are denied use of library computers.
  • Internet access time is limited to sixty minutes per day per patron.  Locations with PC Reservation allow an additional hour.
  • Violation of the Acceptable Use Policy subjects one to a ban from all future use of the system's public access computers.
  • Internet access on all library staff and volunteer work sessions are filtered in accordance with this policy.

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Policy for Monitoring & Voluntary Disclosure

While it is the policy of our library to respect the privacy of patrons pursuant to this state’s library confidentiality statute, it is also the responsibility of the library to protect its electronic systems from unauthorized or criminal use and to make appropriate referrals to federal and state law enforcement authorities. In general, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act permits an “electronic communication service” provider to the public and a “remote computer service” provider to the public to monitor their system for management purposes and to make voluntary disclosures of content and other information in the following very limited circumstances: As necessary to protect the property of the provider; if related to the commission of a crime; or if related to an emergency involving immediate danger of death or serious physical injury.

Accordingly, it is the policy of this library that we do not monitor on a routine basis the use by patrons or staff of our electronic systems. The library, however, does reserve the right (1) to monitor as necessary to manage and protect its systems from unauthorized or criminal use, and (2) to make voluntary disclosure to federal and state law enforcement and national security authorities as deemed appropriate by library management and counsel.

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Electronic Monitoring & Disclosure Policy

The Shenandoah County Library System’s computer workstations and network system is for authorized members of the public and is subject to the rules on our Acceptable Use Policy. This Library system does not routinely inspect, monitor or disclose content but may do so in the course of system management and maintenance. Accordingly, your use of this system constitutes consent to monitoring and you are advised that any evidence of criminal activity identified by the monitoring process, including communications content and transmission details, will be disclosed to law enforcement and national defense agencies as appropriate. In addition, any individuals found to be using the network in excess of their authority or contrary to the library’s Acceptable Use Policy are subject to the penalties stated in the Acceptable Use Policy and to having all of their activities on the system monitored and recorded to ensure subsequent compliance with policy.

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