Social Media

Purpose

 The Watertown Free Public Library (WFPL) is committed to using  current social media. Use of this technology meets a critical need to  inform the public about library resources and activities, increase the  use of library resources and provide additional communication with  members of the public. The Watertown Free Public Library regards social media as an information  source that is in accordance with its mission of serving patrons to meet  their informational, educational, cultural and recreational needs.  Social media sites allow all members of the community access to the  resources of the Watertown Free Public Library without requiring a visit to the physical library

Definition

Social media is defined as any website or application which allows users to share information. Examples of social media are: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, wikis, photo sharing, video sharing, blogs, Flickr, Wordpress, and patron reviews and ratings of library materials.

Application

Comments, posts, and messages are welcome on Watertown Free Public Library social networking  sites/media. While the library recognizes and respects differences in  opinion, all such interactions will be regularly monitored and reviewed  for content and relevancy (before publishing if possible). The  Watertown Free Public Library social media sites provide a limited (or designated) public forum  intended for moderated discussion. Postings which contain the following  will be removed at the library staff’s discretion and the poster may be  precluded from posting any subsequent messages to library social  networking sites:

  • Obscene, sexist or racist content
  • Personal attacks, insults, or threatening language
  • Potentially libelous statements
  • Plagiarized or copy-written material
  • Violation of intellectual property rights
  • Private, personal information published without consent of the appropriate party
  • Comments totally unrelated to the content of the discussion/posts that are off-topic
  • Comments that have the sole purpose to annoy
  • Hyperlinks to material that is not directly related to the discussion
  • Commercial promotions, petitions or spam
  • Organized political activity
  • Photos or other images that fall in any of the above categories

Notwithstanding the above, the Watertown Free Public Library is not obligated to take such  actions, and will not be responsible or liable for content posted by any  subscriber in any forum, message board, or other area within our social  media sites.

Watertown Free Public Library staff reserve the right to not publish any posting, or to remove  it later. Library staff reserves the right to edit or modify postings  or content, while retaining the intent of the original post. The library  has right to reproduce comments, posts and messages in other public  venues/library publications.

The Watertown Free Public Library assumes no liability regarding any event that occurs or  interaction that takes place involving any participant in any  library-sponsored social networking media service. The library does not endorse or review content outside the “pages” created by library staff.

As with more traditional resources, the Watertown Free Public Library does not act in place  of, or in the absence of, a parent or guardian and is not responsible  for enforcing any  restrictions which a parent or guardian my place on a  minor’s use of these resources.

Library social networking sites may be terminated at any time without notice to subscribers.

Challenges to social media used by the library will be dealt with in  the same manner using the library’s reconsideration policy. Patrons who  are blocked and/or have had comments deleted by library staff may appeal  this action, in writing, to the Director/Assistant Director of the  Library within 30 days; the Director/Assistant Director will affirm or  reverse the staff’s decision within 30 days after the written appeal.

Indemnification

By posting content, the patron/user agrees to indemnify the Watertown Free Public Library and  its officers and employees from and against all liabilities, judgments  and damages and costs (including attorney’s fees) incurred by any of  them which arise out of or are related to the posted content.

If any user does not agree to these terms, he or she should not use the social media services.