Social Media Use Policy
for St. Charles Public Library Users

Policy
The St. Charles Public Library offers blogs, reviews, patron comments and other social software tools for educational, cultural, civic, and recreational purposes. Library social software tools provide a limited public forum to facilitate the sharing of ideas, opinions, and information about library-related subjects and issues. Library social software is intended to create a welcoming and inviting online space where library users will find useful and entertaining information and can interact with Library staff and other library users. The Library recognizes and respects differences in opinion, and welcomes comments, posts and messages. The Library reserves the right to monitor content before it is posted and to remove messages and postings that it deems, in its sole discretion, to be unlawful or off topic. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Library is not obligated to take any such actions, and will not be responsible or liable for content posted by any user in any forum.

Definition of Social Software
Social software is defined as any web application, site or account offered by the Library that facilitates the sharing of opinions and information about library related subjects and issues.  Social software includes such formats as blogs, listservs, websites, social network pages or posts to community reviews and patron rating of library materials.

Rules for Commenting
Protect your privacy. Do not post personally identifying information such as last name, school, age, phone number, address. Posts containing but not limited to the following are against library rules and will be deleted before posting or removed by library staff:

• Obscene or racist content
• Personal attacks, insults, harassment, or specific and imminent threats
• Potentially libelous statements
• Plagiarized material
• Private, personal information such as comments, photographs and images published without consent
• Comments unrelated to the content of the forum
• Hyperlinks to material that is not directly related to the discussion
• Commercial promotions or spam
• Organized political activity
• Copyright, trademark and fair use violations
• Duplicated posts from the same individuals
• Use of the Library’s name or logo

By posting content, the user agrees to the Library’s rules and to indemnify the Library and its officers and employees from and against all liabilities, judgments, damages, and costs (including attorney's fees) incurred by any of them which arise out of or are related to the posted content. Parents are responsible for their minor children’s use of the Internet.

Adapted with permission from the Washoe County Library System and the Multnomah County Library policies
T: social media policy

10-27-10
1-10-11
1-17-11