Internet acceptable use in public libraries

MLA statement on internet usage in public libraries

As well as being trusted and respected providers of information and enjoyment to local communities, public libraries have played a major role in supporting the government's target for universal access to the internet. Over 3,000 public libraries in England provide internet access on over 20,000 terminals. Currently the internet is used for a wide range of purposes including learning courses, information retrieval, job seeking, and family history.

Data suggests that internet use in libraries during 2003 included:

• 105,000 IT training courses being delivered
• 24,000 people starting a formal learning course
• 8,000 people finding a job

Libraries are one route of many that the general public can take to access the internet and the service has proved very popular in communities all over the country. Libraries do not discriminate in terms of age, race, gender or faith, and the internet service is open to everyone. Naturally, libraries take measures to protect users from offensive material that can be found on the internet. The vast majority of library services require internet users to sign an Acceptable Use Policy promising not to view offensive material. Additionally, filtering systems are used to significantly reduce access to offensive web sites. All of this protection is always balanced with the need for public libraries to provide access to legitimate information.

Acceptable use policy (AUP) toolkit

The People's Network team and the Network Services Policy Task Group have studied many examples of AUPs and the results are provided here.

77 AUPs from public library services all over the UK were examined. A list of 7 common information areas were identified in each AUP. These were:

1. Context
   Why are publicly accessible computers being provided in the library?
2. Responsibility
   Who bears the responsibility for material viewed on computers in the library?
3. Conditions
   The conditions that must be met to use computers in the library.
4. Process
   Information about how a computer session in the library should be properly undertaken.
5. Security
   The security measures being implemented to safeguard users and the network.
6. Prohibition
   Forbidden uses of computers in the library.
7. Penalties
   Sanctions that can be imposed on users if the AUP is not observed.

An AUP toolkit has been put together that comprise of key phrases drawn from existing AUPs related to each of these common areas. Most of the areas have options (highlighted in the document in blue) chosen to reflect the variation in approaches to acceptable use. Download the Acceptable Use Policy Toolkit ( Word 16KB).

A second document called Example 1 Acceptable Use ( Word 21KB) shows how the toolkit should be used. It is an example of how the first document has been used to create an Acceptable Use Policy. An option has been chosen from each of the 7 common information areas that reflects the policy views of the fictional Anyshire Library Service.

Examples of AUPs

Here are a selection of AUPs that library services submitted with PN2 plans. MLA would like to thank these authorities for giving us permission to make them available.

East Riding of Yorkshire (HTML)
Derbyshire (ZIP 145KB) (compressed jpg image of user login screen)
Hertfordshire (Word 62KB)
  Kingston upon Hull (Word 37KB)
  Kirklees (Word 32KB)
  Leicester City (Word 31KB)
  Manchester (HTML)
  North Tyneside (Word 40KB)