Policies

Violations of the SAILS policies will be dealt with in a serious and appropriate manner. The SAILS board is the final authority in determining inappropriate use. Illegal acts involving SAILS computing resources may be subject to prosecution by local, state, or federal authorities.

Since the Internet is a global electronic network, there is no SAILS control of its uses or content. The Internet and its available resources may contain material of a controversial nature. SAILS cannot censor access to the material nor protect users from offensive information. The network staff cannot control the availability of information links which often change rapidly and unpredictably. Not all sources on the internet provide accurate, complete, or current information. SAILS assumes no responsibility for any damages, direct or indirect, arising from use of its Internet server or from its connections to other Internet services.

The SAILS Library Network provides access to a large collection of interesting and useful internet sites, including search engines and commercial databases to users of the Ibistro™ online catalog. This access is available to users at home or at member libraries.

The trustees of the individual libraries within SAILS are responsible for deciding to offer filtered and/or unfiltered access to the Internet. In providing public access to the Internet via its wide area network, the SAILS Library Network subscribes to the principles of intellectual freedom expressed in the American Library Association's "Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read" statements and its interpretations of these documents. The network will not restrict anyone's access to the range of information available within the limits of State and/or Federal law. Parents or designated guardians, who wish to limit or restrict the access of their own children, should personally oversee their use of the Internet and other forms of electronic information.

Users of the network's computing resources must comply with federal and state laws and the terms of applicable contracts including software licenses. Examples of applicable laws, rules and policies include the laws of libel, privacy, copyright, trademark, obscenity and child pornography; and "hacking," "cracking" and similar activities. Users who engage in electronic communications with persons in other states or countries or on other systems or networks may also be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions and the rules and policies of those other systems and networks.

Users must not use computing resources to gain unauthorized access to local or remote computers or to impair or damage the operations of SAILS computers or networks, PC workstations or peripherals. This includes blocking communication lines and running, installing or sharing virus programs. Deliberate attempts to circumvent data protection or other security measures are not allowed. The SAILS Library Network's Appropriate Use Policy applies to the use of all Internet workstations.

Provision of this service does not constitute any endorsement by the SAILS Library Network. The network shall have no liability for direct, indirect or consequential damages related to the use of information accessed on the Internet from equipment connect to the SAILS wide area network. Internet users are reminded that:

Not all sources on the Internet provide accurate, complete, or current information.

Public library workstations are not private or secure. Individual libraries may employ software that protects confidentiality of records, electronic or otherwise, that identify individual users and link them to search strategies, sites accessed, or other specific data about the information they retrieved or sought to retrieve.

The S.A.I.L.S. Library Network is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information as well as information regarding your individual use of the member libraries or their services. The policy outlined below addresses some specific privacy concerns.

S.A.I.L.S. adheres to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 78, Section 7 which states that library records shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except that such records may be disclosed to the extent necessary for the proper operation of such library and shall be disclosed upon request or consent of the user or pursuant to subpoena, court order or where otherwise required by statute. S.A.I.L.S. will not sell, lease or otherwise share any personal information to outside parties unless required by law. S.A.I.L.S. considers circulation and registration records identifying the names, addresses, and telephone number of library patrons, as well as materials borrowed or accessed electronically, not to be part of the public record.

The information collected by S.A.I.L.S. is limited to what we believe is necessary or useful to conduct library business. Personal information gathered such as name, address, phone number and email address are gathered for the purpose of identification and accountability for use of Library materials. Records of Library use (i.e. amount of or titles of materials checked out and returned or services used) are maintained only for the purpose of statistics.

S.A.I.L.S. keeps no permanent record of Internet sites visited by library patrons, the electronic databases accessed, or the searches performed by individual patrons.

S.A.I.L.S. counts the number of viewers of different web pages within the sites it hosts, using standard web server log files. This information is collected in order to improve the content offered on those sites and may be used to compile statistical reports. These logs do not include names, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses or other identifying personal information.

Email messages sent to S.A.I.L.S. or a member library may be stored or forwarded to others within S.AI.L.S. or to member library staff in order to respond to a request for information.

If you supply your library with your email address you may receive periodic mailings with information about new acquisitions, upcoming events, items about to fall due, or items being held for you. If you do not wish to receive such mailings, please let us know by contacting your local library.

When you are using iBistro, you may select specific authors and subjects as favorites. If you want the network to delete your favorites file, email support@sailsinc.org and your request will be fulfilled within 24 hours. Only patron selected favorites are stored by S.A.I.L.S.

Upon request and verification of identity, S.A.I.L.S. will provide patrons' access to their unique personal identification number (PIN). S.A.I.L.S. will not provide patron address, telephone, or patron identification information.

Library patrons can update their address, telephone number, or email address stored on line by contacting their local library or sending a request via My Account option in iBistro.

With respect to security: S.A.I.L.S. has appropriate security measures in place in our physical facilities to protect against the loss, misuse or alteration of information that S.A.I.L.S. has collected from you at our site. S.A.I.L.S. takes many measures to safeguard user information, but cannot and does not guarantee that every task completed via its network is private.

With respect to Ad Servers: S.A.I.L.S. does not partner with or have special relationships with any ad server companies.

S.A.I.LS. can not and does not guarantee that every task completed on PCs connected to its network is private.

Purpose - to provide a method for patrons to submit complaints to the SAILS board about SAILS network policies and procedures.

The board of the SAILS Library Network will respond in writing to your complaint within 45 days of receipt. The board policy will only respond to issues that relate to network policy and not to policies established by individual member libraries.

Steps:

Each library will have a supply of Patron Complaint Forms.

A patron with a complaint about network policy must complete a written Patron Complaint Form to the library that has issued his/her card.

The library director should review the complaint to make sure that the complaint doesn't pertain to library policy rather than network policy.

If it is a valid complaint, the written complaint form should be sent to the Executive Director of SAILS.

The Executive Director will send a copy of the complaint to the SAILS Board.

The SAILS board will consider the complaint at its next meeting. A written response will be mailed to the patron.

If the patron is dissatisfied with the response, they may request an opportunity to speak to the board. The board will set aside time for public comment at the beginning of its next meeting. The SAILS business meeting will convene following the public comment period.

The SAILS board will decide how to respond to the patron at its next meeting and will submit its response in writing to the patron. That decision will be final.