The Bloomfield-Eastern Greene County Library wishes to become a vital, friendly, comfortable center for providing cultural, informational, and recreational needs for all members of the district. The Library welcomes children into its facilities and wants a safe and secure environment for children who use the Library. We ask each parent to join us in protecting children. The following children’s policy has been adopted by Bloomfield-Eastern Greene County Public Library Board of Trustees to insure that children will be properly supervised in the Library. A responsible adult is defined as a parent/guardian, teacher, or assigned child-care giver over the age of 16

Rules:

1. The responsible adult who has transported minor children onto the Library premises or who has otherwise directed or allowed minor children onto the Library premises shall be responsible for the care and safety of those children at all times. This policy affirms that the library staff cannot assume responsibility for unattended children. The parent must be aware of library hours.
2. An unattended child is defined as a child under the age of 11 who is in the Library not accompanied by a responsible adult. If a Library staff member becomes aware of an unattended child in the Library, reasonable measures will be taken to locate the adult. If this cannot be done, the police will be informed. An incident report will be filed in the Library.
3. Children under the age of 11 may not be left unattended for any length of time. This includes children participating in Library-sponsored programs. The responsible adult must remain in the building during the program, and must immediately pick up the child when the program ends.
4. School age children 11 through 18 years of age may use the library unattended as long as their conduct is acceptable in a library setting. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated and the child will be asked to leave the Library premises. A second warning will result in contacting the parent and/or police. An incident report will be filed in the Library.

It is our aim to create a pleasant and secure atmosphere for all patrons. To encourage the proper use of the library materials and services, disruptive behavior is not tolerated and privileges may be suspended. Such disruptive behavior includes, but is not limited to:

• Excessive noise
• Drinking
• Eating
• Tobacco use
• Rollerblading
• Threatening behavior
• Loitering
• Carrying weapons (except as permitted under Indiana Code 35-47-11.1)
• Horseplay
• Excessive displays of affection
• Throwing rocks

The Library’s mission is: “The Library, with the aid of modern technology, activities, and collections, shall become a window to the world by which Greene County residents’ lives, both children’s and adults’ can be enriched.”
To this end, the Library provides free use of computers and access to the Internet for its patrons as a privilege. Each patron wishing to use the computers must agree to abide by the policies and procedures set out in this statement. The Library is not responsible for any patron’s use of, or inability to use the public access computers in the Library, nor is the Library liable for any damage which may result to any patron or work product resulting from malfunctions of equipment or errors in usage. Each user releases the Library Staff and Board from any and all claims arising from the use of the computers. Patrons using the computers, and the parents of users under the age of eighteen, will be responsible to the library for any damage caused to the computers or computer systems through deliberate destruction, defacement, or misuse of the computers.
Each user releases the Library Staff and Board from any and all claims arising from the use of the computers. Patrons using the computers, and the parents of users under the age of 18, will be responsible to the Library for any damage caused to the computers or computer systems through deliberate destructions, defacement, or misuse of the computers.
The Library Staff retains the right to refuse to permit use of the computers by any patron who lacks basic computer skills, violates Library policies, or abuses the privilege to use the computers. The Library Staff is the sole arbiter of what constitutes inappropriate use, abusive conduct, or violation of its policies. Inappropriate use may result in suspension of user access privileges.
Examples of inappropriate Internet use include, but are not limited to the following:

• any purpose that violates applicable federal, state, or local laws
• interfering with or disruping other computer users, services, or equipment
• solicitation, advertisement, or any commercial purposes
• attemping to gain or gaining unauthorized entry to other computing, inforamtion, or communications devices or resources’ malicious, threatening, harassing, or obscene behavior, including public display of obscene materials on computer screen or in hard copy.

The internet is a global information network containing a wide variety of material and opinions fom diverse points of view utilizing text, graphs, and sound. It is a valuable resource for educational, informational, and receational material. The internet is in constant state of change, however, and not all information available is current, accurate, or complete. As with all other resources, the Library is not responsible for the information provided and does not guarantee that an Internet source will provide accurate, complete, or current information.
THE LIBRARY DOES NOT CONTROL ACCESS TO MATERIAL. The Library cannot control the availability of information through the Internet, because information links change rapidly and unpredictably. the Internet contains infoormation of a controversial nature, allows direct communication between persons through chat lines, and permits the purchase of goods and services. USERS THEMSELVES MUST DETERMINE THE VALIDITY AND APPROPRIATE USES OF INFORMATION RETRIEVED FROM THE INTERNET.
Persons under 18 must have parental permission to access the Internet in the Library. PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING THEIR MINOR CHILDREN’S (under 18) USE OF THE INTERNET.
Users are cautioned:
To guard closely the security of personal information, credit card numbers, computer accounts, passwords, and other types of authorizations when using the Internet; To take steps to protect their systems from computer viruses or other destructive computer programs when downloading program to disk for use on other computers; and that purchasing goods and services through the Internet using credit cards can result in unwanted financial obligations or fraudulent uses of the information given out.

Procedures for Using Computers

1. PERSONS UNDER 18 MUST HAVE PARENTAL PERMISSION TO USE THE INTERNET
2. All users must sign in when using the computers.
3. No more than 2 persons may use a computer together.
4. Computers are available for 1-hour time blocks, on a first-come, first-served basis. Users must relinquish computers after one hour if others are waiting or if computers are reserved. The time limit may be waived if no other users are waiting or have reserved time.
5. Computers left unattended for more than 10 minutes will be available to other users.
6. RESERVATION POLICIES: Users may make advance reservations for a maximum of one hour per day. Reservations may be made in person or by phone to the circulation desks (384-4125).
7. Disks for use in the computers may be purchased from the adult circulation desk for $1.00 each.
8. All disks brought in by users will be scanned by the computer’s virus detection system.
9. Printing is available for 10 cents per page, payable at the circulation desks.
10. The CD-Rom drives are not available to users for playing music or for mounting personal software.

The Internet is a global electronic communication network that contains information from sources around the world. As with all other resources, the Library is not responsible for the information provided and does not guarantee that an Internet source will provide accurate, complete, or current information.
USERS THEMSELVES MUST DETERMINE THE VALIDITY AND APPROPRIATE USES OF INFORMATION RETRIEVED FROM THE INTERNET.
The Library does not control access to material. The Library cannot control the availability of information through the Internet, because information links change rapidly and unpredictably.
THE INTERNET CONTAINS INFORMATION OF A CONTROVERSIAL NATURE, ALLOWS DIRECT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PERSONS THROUGH CHAT LINES, AND PERMITS THE PURCHASE OF GOODS AND SERVICES.
Parents are cautioned to monitor their minor children’s use of the Internet.
Users are cautioned to guard closely the security of personal information, credit card numbers, computer accounts, passwords, and other types of authorizations when using the Internet.
Users are cautioned that purchasing goods and services through the Internet using credit cards can result in unwanted financial obligations or fraudulent uses of the information given out.Users are cautioned to take steps to protect their systems from computer viruses or other destructive computerprograms when downloading programs to disk for use on other computers.
THE LIBRARY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGES, INJURY, OR CLAIMS OF ANY KIND ARISING FROM PATRONS’ USE OF THE INTERNET. PARENTS ASSUME ALL LIABILITY ARISING FROM THEIR MINOR CHILDREN’S USE OF THE INTERNET AT THE LIBRARY.

The Bloomfield-Eastern Green County Public Library provides FAX machines for purposes of obtaining or distributing information for patrons and staff.
USE FOR LIBRARY RELATED PURPOSES. The FAX machine located in the library shall be primarily used for library administration (legislative information, registration for workshops, ordering materials, interlibrary loan ETC) and to obtain library-related materials for patrons(document delivery and interlibrary loan, etc) The library will absorb all associated costs as necessary, for these incoming or outgoing materials.
USE FOR NON-LIBRARY PURPOSES. The library will allow use of its FAX machines for persons who have non-library related communications needs. When a patron requests a personal FAX, the fee will be $.50 for the first page and $.25 for each subsequent page. The fees are the same whether the item is being sent or received.
Staff will operate the machine to assure proper operation and efficient use of connect time and supplies.