Acceptable Use Policies and Security
Internet Acceptable Use Policy Review
Albany Public Library
I currently volunteer at the Albany Public Library. Their website contains an Internet Acceptable Use Policy, which can be found here. I will base my review on the following key components of an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) from Dewhirst’s article.
Source: Why Acceptable Use Policies are Critical for Education
Introduction
Definitions
The AUP defines the internet as an ‘information resource’ which is accessible to all patrons. The policy points to the American Library Association’s internet access endorsement, which emphasizes intellectual freedom, privacy, and confidentiality.
Policy Statement
As it is focused on Internet specifically, this AUP includes clear definitions for the internet and the library’s stance on internet usage. It also emphasizes freedom of access for all patrons equally, with library staff providing limited troubleshooting assistance. When it comes to parents and children, the policy makes it very clear that it is on the parents to supervise their children’s internet usage. “The Public Library, unlike schools, does not serve in loco parentis (in place of a parent).” (Albany Public Library). The policy also states that the library provides access to filtered search engines, but that is the extent of which the library goes in aiding parents when it comes to internet access.
Acceptable/Unacceptable Use, Violations/Sanctions
The AUP itself does not contain examples of ‘unacceptable uses’ or ‘violations/sanctions.’ However, these can be found in the Patron Behavior and Rules of Conduct.
Source: Albany Public Library Patron Behavior and Rules of Conduct.
Overall
Albany’s AUP communicates is goals and intentions decisively. It prioritizes patron freedom and accessibility, which is directly in line with the goals of the library. Perhaps this is just how the policies are organized, but I do think the policy could be more detailed regarding unacceptable use, violations, and penalties. I would also like to point out that Albany does not have a full-on generic Technology AUP. It might be pushing at the limits of the institution, but I think providing overarching technology policies would be productive, as it would allow the library to further explore technology such as AI.
Empowering Patrons
Albany’s Internet policy appears to be relatively hands-off when it comes to regulations. I believe this is for two main reasons. One, it wants to emphasize freedom of access of information for all, and the freedom of parents to supervise their children how they see fit. Seconds, the library wants to empower its patrons to teach themselves how navigate the internet safely and securely without encroaching on their learning experience.
In much the same way, Securing Your Digital Life seeks to teach people how to secure themselves when exploring the internet. I personally resonated with the subtopic ‘You are not Batman.’ The average person does not have access to the best security resources that a large institution like the national government would have. It is important to assess the risks you are exposing yourself to, what can you do to minimize those risks, and assess how much of those security measures you can afford (Gallagher, 2021). Other sections include ‘Reducing Your Attack Surface,’ which tells the reader to carefully pick and choose where and how one accesses the internet. Not every wi-fi hotspot, computer, or phone is secure, so it is important to be careful where one chooses to log into personal accounts.
The Albany Public Library is a smaller library. With its limited resources, it does well to protect the community’s ability to access a variety of resources and empower their community. Their Internet Acceptable Use Policy is merely one extension of this goal.
Works Cited
1. Albany Public Library: Internet Acceptable Use Policy. https://library.albanyoregon.gov/internet-acceptable-use-policy/
2. Albany Public Library. Patron Behavior and Rules of Conduct. https://library.albanyoregon.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/RulesofConduct-Policy.19.1-1.23.24.pdf
3. Dewhirst, D. Why Acceptable Use Policies are Critical for Education. https://www.kajeet.com/en/blog/why-acceptable-use-policies-are-critical-for-education
4. Gallagher, S. 2021. Securing You Digital Life. https://arstechnica.com/features/2021/10/securing-your-digital-life-part-1/
It sounds like a reasonable policy. As you mentioned, it really is our responsibility to make sure we keep ourselves safe. Understanding how to secure your digital life is the first step.
ReplyDeleteHi, Evan! That's wonderful that you are volunteering at your local public library! Like your library, the library where I work has a policy where it is up to the parents to monitor their internet usage. While this is mainly due to the fact that we don't have the staffing abilites to monitor each child's computer usage all day. But it seems like both Albany Public Library and my library do this to help promote digital literacy for children. We do sometimes run into parents coming in and asking that we don't let their children on the computers in the first place. This is honestly a logistical nightmare that I am sure we cannot execute. Have you all run into any issues like this?
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