Internet User Agreement Form & Internet Parent/Guardian Permission

Information you access via the Internet services provided by the Mercer County Public Library (MCPL), Harrodsburg, Ky. is your responsibility. The Mercer County Public Library cannot censor your access to materials on the Internet nor protect you from information that you may find inaccurate or offensive. The Mercer County Public Library  endorses the Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read Statement, and the Code of Ethics as issued by the American Library Association. The documents strive to protect each individual’s right to the freedom of  religion, speech, and the press and the rights of assembly and petition as outlined in Amendment 1 of the United States Constitution. 

There is much information that is available on the Internet that you may find inaccurate, incomplete, controversial or inappropriate. MCPL believes that the valuable information available and the global interaction presented by this network outweigh the negative aspects. It is the individual user’s responsibility to determine what is acceptable.

 While using the Internet system at MCPL, keep in mind that this is a system for the public use of all patrons in Mercer County and cannot be used to take the place of an individual's private home or business system.   

The following list of items is not permitted on the MCPL Internet system.

  1. Offensive messages or pictures may not be displayed.

  2. Damaging computers or computer systems, internally or externally, changing software configuration or  hardware set-up   is not permitted.

  3. Copyright laws may not be violated.

  4. Intentional waste of communications time is not acceptable.

  5. The MCPL Internet System may not be used for commercial or profit generating purposes. Further, the MCPL address may not be used for any personal use.

  6. ANY activity that would pose a security risk to the system will not be permitted.

  7. Use of outside software will not be permitted.

  8. Information can not be written or saved to the hard drive. 

Violation of the above provisions will result in the loss of privilege of use. First offense will be noted with a verbal warning, a second offense will result in a letter notifying patron of a thirty day suspension from computer use.    

As a user of the Mercer County Public Library, I hereby agree to comply with the rules and regulations governing the access to the Internet via the Library’s terminals. I will not hold the Mercer County Public Library responsible for what I access on the Internet. I will further be responsible for appropriate use of the Library’s equipment.

 INTERNET USE BY A CHILD UNDER 18 YEARS OLD:

Before a child under the age of eighteen (18) can use the Internet services at MCPL, that child must have on file this User Agreement, signed by his/her parent. Notation will be made on his/her library computer registration and will be checked before each Internet use.

  The same stipulations as mentioned above refer to children’s Internet use also; MCPL cannot censor a child’s use of the Internet. Therefore, it is strongly urged that each child have parental guidance when choosing to use the Internet. Further, should any child choose to use the Internet with another child, BOTH children must have this User Agreement signed by his/her parent or guardian on file at MCPL.

 FOR PARENT OF A CHILD UNDER 18 YEARS OLD:

As the parent or legal guardian of the child signing above, I grant permission for him/her to access the Internet at the Mercer County Public Library . I understand that some materials on the Internet may be objectionable to our family, but I accept the responsibility for guidance of Internet use by my child to follow when he/she uses the Internet. I will not hold Mercer County Public Library responsible for what my child accesses on the Internet. I will further be responsible for my child’s  proper use of the Library’s equipment.

 THIS FORM MUST BE SIGNED AT THE LIBRARY, WITNESSED BY A LIBRARY STAFF MEMBER TO BE VALID.