Responding to major advances in technology and to the ever changing informational demands of the communities we serve, the Northern Tier Regional Library strives to develop collections, resources, and services that fill their diverse informational, cultural, and recreational needs. Within this mission we offer access to the Internet.
Displaying material that may be considered obscene or indecent is prohibited. The library staff will be the sole arbiter of what constitutes unacceptable content. The library staff reserves the right to end an Internet session at any time. Internet workstations cannot be used for any fraudulent or unlawful purpose, including any activities prohibited under any applicable Federal, Pennsylvania or local laws. All Internet workstations are filtered in order to fulfill CIPA compliance (see CIPA compliance below).
The Internet is a global electronic communication network and information resource. There is no county, state or federal control of its users or content. The Northern Tier Regional Library does not attempt to monitor or exercise any control over the information accessed through this resource, except as defined under CIPA. Not all sources on the Internet provide accurate, complete, current or high quality information. Some material on the Internet may be considered controversial. As with all library materials, the determination of viability and usefulness of resources found on the Internet rests with the individual patron.
A child’s access to the Internet, like all other library materials, is the sole responsibility of the parent or legal guardian and should be supervised accordingly. The library does not have the right or responsibility to determine the appropriateness of particular resources for any child, however, the Northern Tier Library prohibits minors from accessing Internet and online sites that contain or make reference to explicit sexual materials as defined by 18 PA, C.S., Section 5903. Any minor observed accessing such sites with have their session terminated.
- 1. The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is a federal law that requires all computers in a public library to be filtered if that library accepts any federal funds for Internet access or computers used for Internet access. [Supreme Court decision: United States v. American Library Ass’n, Inc., No. 02-361 (June 23, 2003)] The Northern Tier Regional Library Association complies with the requirements of CIPA.
- 2. All computers in the Northern Tier Library are filtered. Please be aware that filters are unreliable, at times blocking sites of legitimate informational or educational value, or allowing access to sites that are illegal, obscene, or sexually explicit within the meaning of 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. Sec. 5903.
- 3. The Northern Tier Library uses filtering software that blocks or filters Internet access to some Internet sites that may not be consistent with the policy of the Northern Tier Library.
- 4. Parents or legal guardians, and not the Library or its staff, are responsible for monitoring their children’s use of the Internet and for the information selected and/or accessed by their children. The Library strongly encourages parents or legal guardians to supervise their children’s Internet use and to provide them with guidelines about acceptable use.
- 5. The Northern Tier Library’s computers cannot be used for any fraudulent or unlawful purpose, including any activities prohibited under any applicable federal, Pennsylvania, or local laws, including activities in violation of 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. Sec. 5903, which prohibits certain acts of public indecency.
- 6. Any adult (17 years of age or older, as defined by CIPA) may request that the filter or technology protection measure be disabled without significant delay by a Northern Tier Library staff member authorized by the Library Director, consistent with the privacy policy of the Northern Tier Library.
- 7. An authorized Northern Tier Library staff member may override the filter or technology protection measure for a minor (age 16 or younger, as defined by CIPA) in the event that the filter wrongly blocks or filters Internet access to a site with legitimate informational value.
- 8. The Northern Tier Library cannot be responsible for any patron’s unauthorized use of a computer with a disabled filter.
- 9. Complaint Procedure Any patron who wishes to file a complaint about the filtering software on the library computers may do so in writing to:
- 1. The Library Director and/or the Library Board President;
- 2. The Director of the Electronic Information Network;
- 3. The Federal Communications Commission.
