QUECHEE LIBARY, Policies

General Information | Staff & Board of Trustees | History | Policies

Rules of Conduct for Quechee/Wilder Libraries
The safety and security of our employees and patrons are of the utmost importance. Library employees
and users have the right to a safe and respectful environment.
Conduct that causes or threatens harm to others, interferes with library employees’ performance of duties,
or constitutes persistent, unwanted behaviors will not be tolerated. All patrons are expected to comply
with these rules and all reasonable requests of any library employee.

All those in the Library shall be engaged in normal activities associated with
the use of a public library. Anyone disturbing others, loitering, or
jeopardizing safety may be asked to leave. Disruptions include but are not
limited to verbal abuse of staff or other patrons, impediment of any staff or
patron’s acts by physical intimidation, violating internet rules, or creating
undue noise.

Persons will be held responsible for damage or theft of library property. The
library reserves the right to prosecute.  Keep the library and library grounds free of alcohol, cigarette smoke, and illegal activities. Persons who are, or appear to be, under the influence of
alcohol or drugs may be asked to leave.

Use headphones with audio equipment so as not to disturb other people.

Only trained service animals or animals that are part of an approved library
program are allowed in the library.

Appropriate attire, including shoes and shirts, must be worn.

Weapons of any kind in the library are prohibited, unless carried by a law
enforcement officer.

Soliciting in the library or on library grounds is allowed only with the
express permission of the Library administrators.

People who do not abide by these rules may be removed from the library and its premises.

Right to Hearing
Any person alleged to have violated any of the provisions of this policy shall be entitled to a
hearing before the Library  Board of Trustees. . A request for a hearing
must be made within ten (10) days of the date of the removal of the person from the library
and must be submitted in writing to the Chairperson of the Library Trustees. The
request for a hearing shall not postpone the start of the period during which the person is not
entitled to re-enter the library. The hearing shall be scheduled within ten (10) days of the
date the request for hearing is received.
At the hearing the library director or assistant librarian will present case for no trespass
with the person requesting the hearing having the right to question witnesses or put on
evidence.  The decision of the Quechee Library Board of Trustees shall be final.

Sustainability Policy, Adopted Feb. 13, 2023

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The Quechee Library Association’s Board of Trustees and staff are committed to minimizing
our organization’s environmental impact and maximizing future generations’ ability to live, work,
and play in our shared natural environment. We will strive to minimize pollution and waste,
conserve energy and water, protect habitat, support renewable energy sources, buy
environmentally friendly products, and encourage environmentally preferable transportation.
The understanding and involvement of employees and trustees is essential to the
implementation of this policy. All employees will receive a copy of this policy upon hire, and be
educated about the Library’s efforts to continue to strive towards the “triple bottom line”
definition of sustainability: to be truly sustainable, an organization must embody practices
that are environmentally sound, and economically feasible, and socially equitable.
This policy is more than an internal exercise. Quechee Library Association strives to be a
model and support for sustainable practices in our community for all residents, through its
practices and its collection, programs, and community services. The Board of Trustees pledges
its commitment to support sustainable library principles that follow the triple bottom line
methodology to encourage and ensure a resilient, sustainable community for all.

Quechee/Wilder Library Policy for Animals

Animals, leashed or otherwise, are not permitted inside the libraries, except for guide, signal, and service dogs.

Quechee Library Policy for the Internet and other Electronic Resources

Quechee Library offers access to the Internet as part of its mission: to freely provide informative and pleasurable reading materials, media, technology and programs to foster community and encourage lifelong learning and reflection.

In providing access Quechee Library subscribes to the principles of the Library Bill of Rights and its interpretation on Access to Electronic, Information, Services and Networks adopted by the American Library Association. Quechee Library does not monitor and has no control over information accessed through the Internet and cannot be held responsible for its content. All patrons, regardless of age, have access to all information and services provided by the Library for the public. Any restriction of access is the responsibility of the user or the user’s parent or legal guardian, and not the Quechee Library, its members or employees.

The Internet enables the Library to provide resources far beyond the limits of its own collection. The Internet is, however, an unregulated medium. Some materials on it may be offensive, inaccurate or illegal. The resources on it cannot be subjected to selection criteria by the Library.

Library staff will not monitor a user’s Internet use, except for length of use, in order to ensure equal opportunity of access for everyone. The Library reserves the right to terminate an Internet session that disrupts library services or that involves user behavior that violates the Library’s policies. As with all library resources, the Library affirms the right and responsibility of parents/guardians, not library staff, to determine and monitor their minor children’s use of the Internet. (Minors are defined in this policy as those under the age of 18).

Responsibilities & Disclaimers

  • Use of Quechee Library’s computers and/or Internet access is an agreement to the Quechee Library Policy for the Internet and Electronic Resources.
  • Any attempt to alter software configurations or download programs or files onto the computers may result in the suspension of computer use privileges.
  • If someone is waiting while the computer is in use, time is limited to 30 minutes. Check in at the circulation desk.
  • Users are to remain in compliance with copyright laws and federal, state or local laws and regulations. Users may not engage in any activity that is illegal, harassing, defamatory, or disruptive to others. Violations may result in loss of library privileges. Unlawful activities will be dealt with in an appropriate procedure.
  • The Library has no liability for direct, indirect, or consequential damages related to the use of information accessed.
  • Because software and downloaded information may contain viruses, users are advised to use virus protection on home computers. The Library is not respnsible for damage to users’ media or computers or for any loss of data, damage or liability that may result from use of the Library’s computers.
  • There is no charge for use of the public computers. Donations are appreciated. There is a printing charge per page.
  • Use of the Library’s computers and its Internet is a privilege, not a right.
  • The Library believes this policy to be in compliance with the requirements of the Children’s Internet Protection Act.

INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM

Providing a community resource where free individuals may examine diverse points of view is a fundamental service of a library.  Each reader may select among library resources  and request materials not found within.  Those materials will be sought  through interlibrary loan. by collection acquisitions, or electronically.

Similarly, no one should deprive others of reading materials.  If a patron objects to an item’s inclusion or wishes an addition to the collection, a written form may be filled out to be reviewed by the Library Director.It may also be brought before the Board of Trustees which will consider the complaint, the Librarian’s recommendation and provide the patron with a written, final decision.   Responsibility for the reading materials of children rests with their parents and legal guardians.  Children have access to all library materials.

The library staff includes materials that represent therange of human experience, reflecting the ethnic, religious, racial, and socio-economic diversity not only of this region it serves but also the larger world.

Collections contain popular works, classic works that have withstood the test of time, and other materials of general interest.

SELECTION OF MATERIALS

QW Libraries include materials that represent the range of human experience, reflecting the ethnic, religious, racial, and socio-economic diversity not only of this region but also of the larger world.

Responsibility:  The Library Director and the Board of Trustees is responsible for the quality, scope, and emphasis of the material collection.  Individual acquisitions are the responsibility of the Librarian who will make decisions on the basis of the following:

a) Educational,  informational and recreational value with consideration for current interest

b) Coverage of local and regional history

c) Representation of varying points of view and cultures

d) Authority, effectiveness and timeliness of presentation

e) Availability of material at nearby libraries and state interlibrary  loan system

f) Budget and space restraints

Tools: The Librarian is provided with professional journal subscriptions, memberships, and will additionally consider reviews by such publications as The New York Times and The New York Review of Books.