Public Access Internet Policy for Minors Under 18  

Mission:  The mission of the Paterson Free Public Library is to provide all library users with equal access to resources and to enrich their lives with knowledge, information, ideas, and education. 

The Paterson Free Public Library endeavors to provide collections, resources and services which meet the cultural, informational, educational and recreational needs of the community.  In support of this mission, the library is pleased to offer access to the wealth of material available on the Internet, a global resource of recorded thought and information.

Since the Internet is an unregulated medium, it enables access to some material that may be offensive, disturbing and/or illegal, as well as materials that are personally, professionally and culturally enriching to individuals of all ages.  Although the Library will make every effort to guide users to sources on the Internet that enhance the Library’s collection, it is not possible to apply the same selection criteria which are used for other materials.

The Paterson Free Public Library does not monitor and has no control over the information accessed through the Internet and cannot be held responsible for its content.  Each individual user must accept responsibility for determining content, timeliness and accuracy. 

As with other library materials, the parents or legal guardians, not the library staff, are responsible for the information selected or used by their children. Parents or legal guardians may have concerns about access by minors to inappropriate matter on the internet and world wide web.   Only a parent or guardian has the right to define what material or information is consistent with your personal and family beliefs and only a parent or guardian can apply these values for their child.  To assist parents and guardians in this regard, workstations used by children will have filtering software installed.

The library staff shares the concern of parents/legal guardians to protect the privacy of minors while on the internet.  All minors will receive a “Be Safe Online” information packet, outlining issues to protect the safety of minors who use the internet for electronic communication and recommend against disclosure of personal information.   

To the Main Children's page

To Library Homepage

To Adult Reference Page

February, 2008/mpw