POLICY STATEMENT CONCERNING SOCIAL MEDIA

HANNIBAL FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Effective:  May 9, 2011

 

Hannibal Free Public Library provides services through social networking sites as an extension of the Library’s mission to enrich the personal, professional, and/or educational lives of those who use its resources.  The purpose of the Library’s social media presence is to enhance the connections between the Library and its users, and to elevate a patron’s interactive experience with the Library and its collection of materials.

 

This policy pertains to any and all social media accounts maintained by Hannibal Free Public Library. Social media is defined here as any web application, site, or account created and maintained by Hannibal Free Public Library which facilitates an environment for Library staff and patrons to share opinions and information about library-related materials and activities.  This includes, but is not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, and Delicious.

 

The Library Director and/or Library staff will determine how to effectively post this policy.  Depending on the location, it may be posted in its entirety, or broken into logical segments and partly posted.  In either case, the concepts contained within reflect the decision and will of the Hannibal Free Public Library Board of Trustees.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELINES

 

  1. Social media services are maintained by Hannibal Free Public Library.  These accounts will be monitored by the Library Director and/or designated staff.

 

  1. The Library welcomes a free exchange of comments and opinions on its social media sites. Nevertheless, the Library prohibits posting of material that contains:

 

    1. Obscene, hateful, or racist language or content
    2. Defamatory statements, personal attacks, insults, or threatening language
    3. Plagiarized material
    4. Comments or hyperlinks not directly related to the topic under discussion
    5. Commercial promotion or spam
    6. Organized political activity
    7. Private or personal information (age, phone number, address, etc)
    8. Photos, images, or links which fall into any of the above categories

 

  1. Any content may be edited or removed at the sole discretion of the Library Director and/or designated staff. Users who repeatedly violate the above may be blocked from continued use of the Library’s social media services.

 

  1. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Library is not obligated to edit or remove any user-generated content, and will not be responsible or liable for content posted by any user.   Hannibal Free Public Library, its trustees, and its employees will not in any way be held liable for any damages arising from or related to the use of, or inability to use, the Library’s social media sites.

 

  1. The Library is not responsible for any of the content on third-party sites to which the Library’s social media sites may be linked.

 

  1. Opinions expressed on the Library’s social media sites do not necessarily reflect those of the Library, its Board of Trustees, or its employees.

 

  1. Use of the Library’s social media services constitutes an agreement to abide by this policy.

 

REQUESTS FOR RECONSIDERATION

 

Users of the Library’s social media services may request reconsideration of decisions about monitoring made by the Library Director and/or designated staff. 

 

Such Requests for Reconsideration must be timely.  In the event that the complaint centers on removal of content, the Request for Reconsideration must be made within thirty (30) days of the removal.  Complaints centering on posted content may be made at any time. 

 

Requests for Reconsideration must be made in writing and addressed to the Library Director, Hannibal Free Public Library, 200 S. Fifth St., Hannibal, MO  63401.  The name, mailing address, and other contact information of the initiator of the complaint must be included.  If the complaint represents that of an organization, club, or association, the name of the organization, club, or association must also be included.

 

The Library Director will review and respond to the Request for Reconsideration as promptly as possible.  Such review takes time, however, and response may take as long as thirty (30) to sixty (60) days.  The Library Director’s response will be made in writing and mailed to the initiator’s address.

 

If the initiator of the Request for Reconsideration is not satisfied by the Library Director’s response and wants to pursue the matter further, then a request should be made in writing to be heard by the Library Board’s Personnel & Services Committee. 

 

The request to be heard is made in writing and addressed to the Library Director, Hannibal Free Public Library, 200 S. Fifth St., Hannibal, MO  63401.  The Library Director will communicate such a request to the Chair of the Committee. 

 

The Library Board’s Personnel & Services Committee will conduct a hearing at a regular or special meeting within sixty (60) days of receipt of the request to be heard.  The hearing may be continued to another or additional meetings at the Committee’s discretion.  Once the matter has been heard to the satisfaction of the Committee, a recommendation will be formulated and addressed to the full Library Board of Trustees.

 

The Committee’s recommendation will be considered by the Library Board of Trustees at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

 

OWNERSHIP AND USE OF INFORMATION ON THE LIBRARY’S SOCIAL MEDIA SITES

 

Any and all posts to Hannibal Free Public Library’s social media sites become the intellectual property of the Library to the extent that licensing by the social media account allows.  Use of the Library’s social media services constitutes an agreement that Hannibal Free Public Library is authorized to use and reproduce content posted to its social media site for purposes of publicizing the Library’s programs or for any other lawful purpose.  The user of the Library’s social media services grants this permission without any payment, other compensation, or further consideration. The user acknowledges the Library’s right to edit, alter, copy, exhibit, publish and distribute the content in print or in electronic format.  In addition, the user waives the right to inspect or approve the finished product, including written or electronic copy, wherein the content appears. 

 

AUTHORITY

 

This policy supplements the following policies:

 

Public computer use polices, including Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

Harassment Policy

Request for Reconsideration Form

 

Hannibal Free Public Library’s social media sites are regarded as virtual reading rooms; therefore Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMO 182.230 (2010) applies.  This section provides that

 

Every library and reading room established under sections 182.140 to 182.301 shall be forever free to the use of the inhabitants of the city where located, always subject to such reasonable rules and regulations as the library board may adopt in order to render the use of the library and reading room of the greatest benefit to the greatest number. The board may exclude from the use of the library and reading room any and all persons who willfully violate such rules. The board may extend the privileges and use of the library and reading room to persons residing outside of the city in this state, upon such terms and conditions as the board, from time to time, by its regulations, may prescribe.

 

This policy has been adopted by the Hannibal Free Public Library Board of Trustees under its statutory authority to determine and govern the use of the Library’s facilities.