Overview
The Amherst Town Library offers social media tools for educational, cultural, civic and recreational purposes. They provide a limited (or designated) public forum to facilitate the sharing of ideas, opinions and information about library-related subjects and issues, activities and collections. The library’s social media is intended to create a welcoming and inviting online space where members will find useful and entertaining information and can interact with library staff and other library users.
The act of "liking" or "following" another page or person does not imply endorsement by the Library, nor does it necessarily reflect the views of the Library Board of Trustees or staff.
Comments are moderated by library staff and the library reserves the right to remove comments that are unlawful, off topic, or fail to abide by the guidelines stated herein.
Definition of Social Media
Social Media is defined as any website or application which allows users to share information. Social media software can include, but is not limited to, blogging, instant messaging, social networking sites, wikis, posts to community reviews, and patron ratings of library materials via the library’s website and online catalog.
Parental Controls and Privacy
The Amherst Town Library does not act in place of, or in the absence of, a parent/guardian and is not responsible for enforcing any restrictions which a parent/guardian may place on a minor’s use of social networking software applications.
Users should be aware that third party websites have their own privacy policies and should proceed accordingly.
Users are encouraged to protect their privacy by not posting personally identifying information.
Commenting
The Amherst Town Library respects and encourages differences in opinion; however, all posts and comments will be monitored for content and relevance. Any post or comment that contains or commits any of the following content or actions may be removed:
- Defames, abuses, harasses, stalks, threatens or otherwise violates the legal rights (such as rights of privacy) of others
- Is of a profane, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, racist, sexist, or unlawful nature, or is deemed inappropriate by library staff
- Violates any applicable laws or regulations
- Violates the copyright, trademark right or other intellectual property right of any third party
- Advertises or offers to sell or buy any goods or services for any business purpose
- Represents organized political activity
- Hyperlinks to websites that are not directly related to the current discussion topic
- Is unrelated to the library, its mission, its activities, or the current discussion topic; this includes photos or other images
- Contains viruses or programs that may damage the operation of another's computer.
- The final decision to remove a post or comment lies with the library director. Members of the public who wish to question the decision may do so by contacting the library director in writing.
Liability
The Amherst Town Library is not obligated to take any action on posts and comments, and will not be responsible or liable for content posted by any visitor to its website or affiliated social media sites.
Personal Use
All library employees may have personal social media sites. These sites should remain personal in nature and clearly convey that postings are their own and don’t reflect or represent the opinions of the library.
Ongoing Use Evaluation
The role and utility of social networking services in relation to the goals and purposes of the Library will be evaluated periodically by the Library staff and Board of Trustees, and may be terminated at any time without notice to subscribers.
Approved by the Library Board of Trustees 04/19/2021