Policies

Lithgow Library Rules of Conduct

The library does not allow:

  • Animals in the Library, except service animals that are specifically trained to aid a disabled person
  • Use of tobacco products or consumption of food
  • Disruptive noise or behavior
  • Abusive or obscene language
  • Behavior that endangers oneself or others
  • Offensive body odor or personal hygiene that unreasonably interferes with other patrons’ ability to use the Library and its facilities
  • Lying down or appearing to be sleeping in the Library; having feet on furniture; or blocking aisles, exits, or entrances
  • Soliciting or selling
  • Misuse of restrooms
  • Petitioning or distributing materials
  • Oversized items such as bedrolls, duffel bags, large suitcases, or large plastic bags
  • Unattended personal items or bags
  • People without shirts, shoes, or suitable clothing

 Failure to comply with this policy may result in being asked to leave the library and suspension of library privileges.

Library privileges also may be terminated for the following reasons:

  • Damaging library property
  • Stealing or damaging library materials
  • Threatening, harassing or physically harming staff or patrons
  • Repeated disruptive behavior

Lithgow Chat Guidelines

Guidelines for our Live Chat Service

What we will answer:

  • Short reference questions of a general nature and directional information.
  • Questions about the use and operation of our technology and technological resources.
  • Questions about finding, recommending and assisting with Lithgow’s print and non-print resources on a particular topic/question.
  • Questions on MINERVA holdings and how to obtain materials that are not owned by the library.

What we won’t answer

  • Requests for legal, medical, financial or tax advice.
  • Requests or personal information of individuals that does not pertain to business.
  • Verification and editing services for papers, projects, citations, etc.
  • Questions that are intentionally inappropriate.
  • Questions from tests or exams and in-depth assistance with writing papers or theses.
  • Questions requiring in-depth answers on specific topics: these patrons will be referred to a librarian to answer when time allows.

Process and Procedure      
Reference questions are answered as quickly and capably as possible. Please be aware that the virtual staff may also be staffing a reference desk and may need to assist others. We will notify you if we are assisting another patron. Please be patient and understanding; reference questions will be answered in the order they are received.

Chat Code of Conduct
Patrons are not allowed to harass, provoke, demean staff or use obscene language. We will not answer any inappropriate or intentionally off-topic questions. We will end chats if we deem a question or interaction to be inappropriate and may report the chat, if necessary.

Internet Safety and Technology Use Policy

Lithgow Public Library provides materials and services to help community residents of all ages meet their educational, recreational and professional needs.  In response to advances in technology and the growing availability of information in electronic formats, Lithgow Public Library provides access to all constitutionally protected materials on the Internet within the Library’s means and the boundaries of its policies and the law. It shall be the responsibility of all members of the Library staff to educate, supervise and monitor appropriate usage of the online computer network and access to the Internet in accordance with this policy, the Children’s Internet Protection Act, the Neighborhood Children’s Internet Protection Act, and the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act.

It is the policy of Lithgow Public Library to:

  • prevent user access over its public computer network to, or transmission of, obscene or sexually explicit material via Internet, electronic mail, or other forms of direct electronic communications;
  • prevent user access to violent, bigoted or hateful material;
  • prevent unlawful online activities such as hacking, plagiarism or copyright violation (copyright violation includes but is not limited to downloading licensed materials such as music, videos, games, or software through peer-to-peer networks);
  • prevent use of computers for illegal activities;
  • prevent users from harassing or defaming others using Library technology and the Internet;
  • prevent unauthorized online disclosure, use, or dissemination of personal information of minors, especially that which could be used to identify or locate an individual; and
  • to comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act [Pub. L. No. 106-554 and 47 USC 254(h)].

Users shall not misuse the Library’s Internet resources or equipment, including wireless Internet (WiFi) connections. Misuse may lead to suspension or revocation of equipment and/or Internet privileges. Misuse includes, but is not limited to:

  • using computers or the Internet for illegal activities;
  • viewing obscene or sexually explicit images or videos on public computers or using the public WiFi;
  • hacking into the Library’s computer system, or any other computer system;
  • downloading malicious files, applications or programs to public computers;
  • sending harassing communications to other computer users;
  • violating copyright and/or software licensing agreements;
  • interfering with the Library’s computer settings or security software;
  • transmitting illegal or inappropriate materials via the Internet.

The Library shall use technology protection measures (or “Internet filters”) on its public network, which are provided by the Internet Service Provider (MSLN/NetworkMaine). These filters, with settings as applied by Lithgow Public Library staff, are deemed to meet CIPA requirements, restricting access to materials deemed harmful to minors.

Internet filters shall be disabled (by a staff member) for computer users who are 18 years and older, who wish to access constitutionally protected information. Staff may refuse to disable a filter if it is judged that doing so may place the Library at risk of legal action.

Despite this good-faith effort to provide CIPA-compliant filtering, it is universally understood that no filter is one hundred percent effective in preventing access to material deemed harmful to minors or objectionable. Conversely, no filter is one hundred percent effective in ensuring that materials which are not harmful or objectionable will not be blocked. For this reason, filters shall be set at the lowest-possible CIPA-compliant settings at all times.

Regarding the disabling of Internet filters, it is Lithgow Public Library’s policy that:

  • adequate signage will be displayed, informing patrons ages 18 years and older of their right to request that filters be disabled;
  • authorized staff members are trained to disable filters upon request, in a timely manner;
  • procedures for the disabling or otherwise modifying any technology protection measures shall be the responsibility of the Systems Librarian.

Staff Proficiency and Levels of Service

Lithgow Library staff has developed a familiarity with electronic resources and can use this knowledge to assist library users in locating information to meet their needs. Among the staff, experience with the Internet and web-based applications varies, so please be advised that the assistance that any one person can provide may be limited.

Limited Assistance:The productivity applications and online services available through the Internet are numerous, varied and, in many cases, extremely complex. Individual library staff members cannot become expert in all of them. Therefore, the library staff members are not expected to provide in-depth assistance in the use of various productivity applications (such as OpenOffice or Microsoft Office), nor in the various online services (such as e-commerce sites, blogging sites, web-based productivity sites, etc.). Patrons needing in-depth assistance with basic computing skills will generally be referred to sources of additional information or instruction such as online tutorials, or local adult education classes.

Basic Assistance:Library staff will provide patrons with brief “tutorials” on how to navigate the Internet using web browsers; how to print materials; how to use word processing software; and how to set up a free, web-based email account.

In-depth Assistance:Library staff will provide in-depth assistance as needed and as time allows, to patrons in the use of standard sources of online information, such as the library catalogs; online databases such as MARVEL; online training and tutorials such as Learning Express; and search engines.

Patrons using their own laptop or tablet computers are responsible for configuring their own access to the library’s wireless internet service. Library staff are not trained and are not expected to engage in technical troubleshooting of patrons’ computers, when for some reason those computers are unable to connect to the wireless internet service. Staff may troubleshoot the wireless access point or router, if connection problems are reported.

Privacy

All library records regarding a patron’s use of the Internet shall be kept confidential. Those records may only be released with the express written permission of the patron involved or per order of a court. Lithgow Public Library endorses the Library Bill of Rights, including the new interpretation on electronic access, as adopted by the American Library Association, and supports the democratic principle of every citizen’s right to free access to information.

Notice for parents

The Library cannot act in place of parents or guardians (“in loco parentis”), in monitoring their children’s access and use of the Internet and other Library resources. The responsibility of what minors read or view on the Internet rests with parents or guardians.

This Internet Safety Policy was approved by the Lithgow Library Board of Trustees at a public meeting, following normal public notice, on May 24th, 2016.

Lithgow Library Collection Development Policy

Criteria for Selection
The Lithgow Public Library is committed to developing and maintaining a collection of materials that meets the needs, interests, and abilities of the diverse community members of Augusta, ME. Criteria for selection include, but are not limited to, an item’s potential popularity, quality, accuracy, timeliness, and ability to meet a unique need within the collection and the community. All collection development is done within the limitations naturally imposed by budget and space.

The Library adheres at all times to the principles outlined in the American Library Association’s “Library Bill of Rights” (see attachment A); these ethics guide all decisions made with respect to the Library’s collection.

Selectors
Materials are selected by the following staff: Library Director, Systems Librarian, Youth Services Librarian and Teen Services Coordinator, for their respective constituencies. Additional library staff may also provide input in the ordering of materials.

Method of Materials Selection
Librarians should exercise their knowledge and experience of the library’s collection and of the community served. Each type of material must be considered in terms of its own merit and intended audience.

Reviews in professionally recognized periodicals are a primary source for material selection. Selectors should also use the High-Demand Holds feature in SIERRA to ensure there are adequate local copies in the system to meet the demand of Lithgow members.

Requests
All requests from patrons for specific titles or subject requests will be considered, as long as it meets our criteria for selection.

In-Kind Donations
All items donated to the Library are referred to the appropriate selector for evaluation for inclusion in the collection. Considerations used in evaluation include, but are not limited to, timeliness, condition, quality, ease of processing, fit with material already in the collection, and available space. Items not chosen for use in the collection are placed in the Friends of Lithgow Library’s book sale or given away for free. If a donor wishes material not chosen for selection to be returned, he or she must make that wish clear upon delivery of said material. As the Library does not employ professional appraisers, any written acknowledgement of in-kind contributions will list only the appropriate bibliographic information and number of titles; it is up to the donor to set a value for tax purposes.

Monetary Donations
The Library welcomes unrestricted monetary donations for use in building the collection. Donors should be directed to the Library Director.  If a donor wishes to specify a part of the collection the donation should be used for, he or she will be referred to the appropriate selector for discussion. Memorial gifts that have been specified for use in developing the collection will be recognized with book plates. The Library is not required to accept monetary donations that are restricted to the acquisition of specific titles.

Replacement of Lost/Damaged Materials
Patrons are required to compensate the library for lost/damaged materials through payment for the items.  Replacement copies will be accepted in lieu of payment, as long as they are new and in the same format as the copy they are replacing.

Withdrawal of Materials
The health of any library collection depends on periodic deselection, or “weeding.” It is the responsibility of each selector to assess on a regular basis the the collection under his or her oversight in order to weed out superfluous items. Criteria for weeding include, but are not limited to, condition, duplication within the collection, circulation (or lack thereof), accuracy, and timeliness. At no time will a title be removed from the collection for ideological reasons.

Reconsideration on Materials
The Lithgow Public Library welcomes comments and suggestions regarding the continued appropriateness of materials in the collection, especially concerning the ongoing process of collection development.

Individuals may take issue with library materials that do not support their tastes and views.  Staff is available to discuss concerns and identify alternate materials in the collection, or to assist patrons in obtaining them through Inter-Library Loan service.  If a patron’s concern is not satisfied through discussion with staff, a formal, written request for reconsideration of materials may be submitted to the Library Director.  Copies of this form are available at the public service desks or from the Library Director. (see attachment B).

The Lithgow Public Library is not a judicial body.  Laws governing obscenity, subversive materials and other questionable matters are subject to interpretation by the courts.  Therefore, no challenged material will be removed solely for the complaint of obscenity or any other category covered by law until after a court of competent jurisdiction has ruled against the material.  No materials will be knowingly added to the library collections that have been previously determined to be in non-compliance with local laws.

For a request for reconsideration to be evaluated, the relevant form must be completed in full.  The patron submitting the request must be a resident of Augusta, Maine, or hold a valid library card.  The Library Director will respond, in writing, within 30 days of receipt of the completed form.  The response will indicate the action to be taken and the reasons for or against honoring the request.  An item will only be evaluated for reconsideration once in a 12-month period.

Should the complainant not be satisfied with the response of the Library Director, he or she may appeal the matter to the Board of Trustees.

Adopted January, 26, 2021
Attachment A

Library Bill of Rights

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

  1. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, age, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
  2. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

  1. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.
  2. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.
  3. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

VII. All people, regardless of origin, age, background, or views, possess a right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use. Libraries should advocate for, educate about, and protect people’s privacy, safeguarding all library use data, including personally identifiable information.

Adopted June 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; January 29, 2019.

Inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996.