Download Student Handbook - Massasoit Community College

esponse to these goals, the advances in technology, and the changing needs of the community,
The Massasoit library provides access to the Internet as a library reference tool.
The Internet is a worldwide network of computers which provides access to a wide range of materials
for educational, recreational, and reference use. The Massasoit library does not control the content
of the information that resides on the Internet, nor is there an outside central control over its use or
content. The Massasoit library does not use filtering software to block access to information resources
and cannot protect its users from information or graphic images that they may find offensive.
Internet access for research purposes is provided equally to all library users, regardless of age. Parents
or guardians, not the library or its staff, are responsible for the Internet information accessed by their
children. Parents –and only parents – may restrict their children -- and only their children – from accessing
Internet resources. We suggest that parents, concerned about the types of materials available on the
Internet, supervise their children as they explore Internet sites and help them select resources consistent
with their family’s values. Massasoit can only be held accountable for information that appears on the
World Wide Web pages produced by the library. These are identifiable by the “Massasoit Logo” that
appears on all of Massasoit’s pages.
Like other information resources, not all sources on the Internet provide accurate, complete, or current
information. Users need to be good information consumers, questioning and evaluating the validity
of information that they find.
Responsibilities of Massasoit Community College Library As a Provider of Internet Access
The library shall:
• inform its users of the Internet resources available to them through Massasoit
• provide basic instruction for how to access these resources and the World Wide Web, but users
must understand that Internet trained staff may not always be present to assist with their
needs.
• develop websites and other guides to Internet resources of particular usefulness and interest to
the community
The library shall not:
• provide e-mail accounts for users
• reveal information about an individual’s use of its computer resources unless compelled to do
so by a court order
Libraries rely on the cooperation of their users in order to efficiently and effectively provide shared
resources. Massasoit strives to balance the rights of users to access a wide range of information resources
with the rights of users to work in a public environment free from offensive and harassing sounds and
visuals. We ask all our library users to remain sensitive to the fact that they are working in a public space
shared by people of all ages, with a variety of information interests and needs.
41