Policies

Rules of Behavior on Tyler Public Library Premises

The Tyler Public Library strives to provide a safe, pleasant and comfortable environment for all who use its resources, materials and facilities. As there are often a multitude of people using the Library at any given time, balancing every user’s needs and wants is a responsibility that Library takes seriously. In order to accomplish this, all those who use the Library are expected to respect the rights and activities of other patrons and Library and City staff and use Library spaces for their intended purposes. Misconduct and violations of this and other Library Policies are not allowed and will be addressed by Library staff and law enforcement, if necessary.

Patrons are expected to:

Behave respectfully to Library staff and other library users.
Use Library collections, equipment, facilities and furniture for their intended purposes.
Be courteous and as quiet as possible while using personal devices and computers.
Provide proper supervision of children.
Dress appropriately, including wearing a shirt and shoes. Face masks or coverings may be required during pandemic outbreaks.
Cooperate with staff and allow belongings to be searched in order to prevent unauthorized removal of library materials and equipment.
Conduct themselves and their business so as not to disrupt or prevent others from using Library resources, materials, furniture and/or facilities.
Parents or other legal guardians are responsible for the behavior of their minor children in the Library.
All patrons are asked to leave the building at closing.

In order to allow a wide variety of people maximum enjoyment and comfort while in the Library, patrons may not engage in the following activities or behaviors:

All customers and those on any Library property are expected to abide by this Policy. Inappropriate behavior as outlined above or the commission of any crime on Library property will not be tolerated and will be addressed by Library staff immediately. Depending on the behavior or activity and the severity of the violation, staff may respond in the following ways:

Patrons will be notified that they are in violation of this Policy and asked to stop or correct the activity or behavior.
A patron may be asked to leave the library premises immediately and not allowed back for the remainder of the day.
Additionally, a patron may be barred from library premises temporarily, such as a few days, a week, month or longer depending on the severity of the offense or a patron’s refusal or apparent inability to change his/her behavior.
If a violation is particularly egregious or dangerous or a patron engages in the same activity repeatedly, the Library may permanently ban that customer from either a service (such as using the public computers) or from the Library premises.
Any person who is asked to leave the Library as a result of a violation of these guidelines and refuses to do so shall be considered to be trespassing and may be subject to permanent exclusion from the Library.
Law enforcement will be called when necessary when staff are unable to handle a situation or patron.

It is against library policy to leave children age six (6) or younger unattended at the library. For purposes of this policy “unattended” means that the person responsible for the child is not within sight of the child. Library staff will not assume responsibility for the safety and security of unattended children. Exceptions may be made when a child is attending a children’s library program.

Any child who is considered to be disruptive or unsafe by the library staff will be asked by the library staff to stop the behavior. A second request by the librarian for the child to stop the disruptive behavior will be directed to the responsible parent, legal guardian or childcare provider to correct. If a parent or legal guardian is not on the library premises a child may be asked to leave the building. If the child needs to contact a parent or guardian, they may do so. If a problem involving an unattended child still remains and library staff feels the child may be unsafe, library staff has the right to call the police or child protective services.

Internet and Computer Use Policy

Purpose or Intent

The Tyler Public Library provides free use of computers and access to the Internet to all users, with the understanding that it is the individual user’s responsibility to demonstrate judgment, respect for others, and appropriate conduct while using Public Library resources. The purpose of the Computer and Internet Use Policy is to insure the best use of computers and access to the Internet by the greatest number of people.

Internet Use Guidelines

Library computers may not be used to view sexually explicit material, illegal drug-related, gang related, hate group related or violent materials. Users are not allowed to change the settings and configuration and should not clear the browsing history. Users should log out of any accounts accessed on the public computer.

Users may not use non-library software or save anything to the hardware of the computer without permission from the head librarian. Users are financially responsible for any damage to the Library’s equipment, hardware or software. The Library’s Rules of Behavior on Library Premises policy applies to the behavior of patrons using library equipment and resources. Failure to follow this policy could result in revocation of library privileges. Library and/or City employees are authorized to take prompt and appropriate actions to enforce the Rules of Conduct, and/or prohibit use by persons who fail to comply with the Internet Acceptable Use Policy as stated or implied herein.

Use of the Library’s Internet connection to harass, bully or stalk others with messages, prints, images or software will result in the loss of Internet and/or Library privileges

Children are allowed to access the internet on library computers and also on their personal devices using the library’s wireless internet. Library staff cannot act in place of parents and hold no responsibility for what children access online at the library. Parents must monitor and be aware of their children’s internet usage.

Acceptable Use

Installation, downloading, or modification of software on Library computers is prohibited. Personal software or hardware may not be used or installed on the library’s computer. Computers will be reset to default upon reboot

Prompt payment is required by users who incur charges for printing or other authorized fees.

Users will respect the privacy of other users, and will refrain from attempting to view or read material being used by others. Computer use may be monitored by library and/or city staff.

Users will not disclose, use or disseminate personal information regarding minors without written authorization of the parent of legal guardian.

Patrons may download data from the Internet onto personal portable storage devices. Personal documents should not be downloaded onto library computers. The library disclaims any responsibility for documents or data downloaded onto library computers.

Patrons should always log out of any accounts or applications when they have completed their computer session. Customers handling financial transactions or other activities that require confidentiality do so at their own risk.

Patrons should use headphones when viewing material accompanied by sound. Anyone playing movies, videos, music, or anything else that makes noise on Library-owned computers or personal devices will be asked to use headphones or turn the sound off. Failure to do so will result in being asked to leave the library.

Headphones are provided at all desktop computers for patron use. Patrons may borrow headphones for use with personal devices in the library. Patrons may use personal listening devices on library computers.

Cell phone use while using the computer is prohibited. Patrons should take phone calls outdoors or in the lobby. Anyone talking on their phone while using the computer will be asked to end the call.

By mutual agreement, two persons may share one access session as long as their behavior or conversation does not disturb other users or library staff.

No customer will tamper with, hack or damage in any way Library equipment, filtering software or any other software or device meant to protect the Library’s network and security systems. Damaging, altering, or degrading computer equipment, peripherals, software, or configurations will result in the cancellation of library computer privileges and may result in criminal prosecution. If there is a problem with the computer, please notify a library or city employee.

Time Limits

Computers are available on a first come basis during regular library hours. Patrons are required to sign in at the circulation desk, noting the time. Users are allowed to use the computer for 30 minutes or longer if there are no other patrons waiting for an open computer.

Library or city staff reserve the right to end a computer session at any time if it is creating a disturbance or if the user is not abiding by the guidelines set forth in this policy.

Filters

In compliance with Minnesota and Federal obscenity laws, the Library does filter Internet access on Library-owned computers and the wireless points using a personal device. Filtering software works to block access to information and materials that are child pornography or considered obscene or harmful to minors. The Library does not guarantee that such software will block all material under these categories; likewise, such information and websites that do not fall under these categories may inadvertently be blocked.

Privacy
The library avoids collecting or maintaining records that could compromise the privacy of patrons. There is no electronic tracking of computer use that would enable the library to determine who users are. Users must exercise caution when using the Internet to avoid unauthorized disclosure, use and dissemination of personal, identifiable information.

Users handling financial transactions or other activities that require confidentiality do so at their own risk. The Internet is not a private environment and security of electronic communication cannot be guaranteed. Users are encouraged to respect the sensibilities of others when accessing information that may reasonably be offensive to someone else. Absolute privacy for people using electronic resources in the library cannot be guaranteed.

Wireless Internet Access

The Computer and Internet Use Policy applies to any laptop, tablet or cell phone, used to access the Internet through the library’s Wi-Fi connection. As a result, your Internet connection will be filtered and prohibited web sites will be blocked. Users are responsible for making sure their computers have the correct settings and necessary hardware. Library staff will provide limited instruction for access. The library cannot guarantee that users’ hardware will work with the library’s wireless connection.

Each user is responsible for complying with copyright law and adhering to software licensing agreements, as well as all Minnesota and Federal laws including, but not limited to, those concerning hacking, fraud, privacy, or obscenity. U.S. copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) prohibits the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of copyrighted materials, except as permitted by principles or “fair use.” All responsibility, or consequences of disregarding copyright laws or licensing agreements and infringements, lies with the user; the Library expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility resulting from such violations.

Charges and Fees

There is a charge of 10₵ per sheet (1 page front and back) in black and white and 25₵ per sheet (1 page front and back) in color for all printouts. All fees must be paid at the time of service.

Disclaimer

The Internet and its available resources contain a wide variety of material and opinions from varied points of view. Users need to be good information consumers, questioning the validity of the information. Not all sources on the Internet provide accurate, complete or current information. It is the responsibility of the user to make individual choices and decisions when using the Internet. Users may encounter material that could be considered inappropriate. Parents of minor children assume responsibility for their children’s use of the Internet through the Library’s connection. The Library expressly disclaims any liability or responsibilities arising from access to or use of information obtained through its electronic information systems or any consequences thereof. Laptops and other devices should never be left unattended in the library. The library assumes no responsibility for damage, theft or loss of any kind to a user’s equipment, software, or data files.

The Library Staff and City of Tyler Staff are authorized to take prompt and appropriate actions to enforce the rules and/or to prohibit use by persons who fail to comply with the Internet Policy.