Social Networking Policy

Purpose

The Clearwater Public Library System sponsors online social networking, including but not limited to photo- and video-sharing, blogs, websites, and other social media sites to further its mission to provide outstanding customer service as a source of quality information, continuous learning, and innovative services that anticipate and support the needs of our community. These sites are also spaces for the public to share information and opinions about library-related subjects and issues.

The goals of Clearwater Public Library System-sponsored online social networking are:

• To increase the public’s knowledge of and use of library services;
• To promote the value and importance of the library system’s services among the general public;
• To educate and inform the public on various topics not necessarily related to the library’s services;
• To maintain open, professional, and responsive communications with members of the public.

Policy

Social Networking Acceptable Use

• Publicly posted information will be professional and reflect positively on the Clearwater Public Library System, its member libraries, the City of Clearwater, staff, volunteers, resources, and services.
• Staff shall check facts, cite sources, present balanced views, acknowledge and correct errors, and check spelling and grammar before publishing any posts.
• When acting on behalf of the Clearwater Public Library System, staff shall refrain from sharing, commenting upon, or acknowledging (e.g. “liking”) posts of a personal, political, religious, controversial, or offensive nature.
• Staff shall not post sensitive or proprietary library or City of Clearwater content, including private information, which can identify specific co-workers, patrons, or any other persons affiliated with the library without permission from that person or persons.
• The library does not act in place of or in the absence of a parent or guardian and is not responsible for enforcing any restrictions which a parent or guardian may place on a minor’s use of these resources.
• When posting on sites not run by the library, and acting as a library representative, staff shall identify themselves and their professional role.
• All postings by staff to Clearwater Public Library System social networking sites must be done from City of Clearwater devices, except in cases of emergency conditions or under the direction of the Library Director or their designee.

Terms of Use and Privacy Notice

The City of Clearwater recognizes and appreciates the rights of all members of our online community to free speech and freedom of expression. All departmental social media sites and all comments posted, however, are regularly monitored by administrators who reserve the right to report to the host site obscenities and hate speech. Furthermore, users are subject to the host site's Terms of Service, and any user in violation of the Terms of Service will be reported.

• Since departmental social media sites are a public forum for the City of Clearwater, any content posted is considered official business and is subject to proper retention and disclosure pursuant to Florida law.
• Third-party content (which is content created by a third party and not by the Clearwater Public Library System or the City of Clearwater) is for informational and educational purposes only. This third-party content represents the views and opinions of the original creators and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the City of Clearwater. The city does not make any representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of this third-party content.
• Under Florida law, names, photos, social media posts, messages, e-mail addresses, and other information submitted to Clearwater Public Library System websites or social media pages are public records. If a patron does not want their information released in response to a public records request, they should not send electronic mail or messages to the Clearwater Public Library System or post on its sites. Instead, patrons should contact the library by phone.
• The Clearwater Public Library System does not collect, maintain, or otherwise use personal information stored by any third-party site in any way other than to communicate with users on that site. The Clearwater Public Library System also reminds users that third-party websites and social networking tools have their own privacy policies and that they should proceed accordingly.
• Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Clearwater Public Library System will not be responsible or liable for content posted by any subscriber in any forum, message board, or other areas within the service.
• By posting a comment, individuals agree to indemnify the Clearwater Public Library System, its officers and staff from and against all liabilities, judgments, damages, and costs (including attorney’s fees) incurred by any of them which arise out of or are related to the content posted by users.
• Forums, comments, and messaging may not be used for commercial purposes.

Copyright

Photo and video content on Clearwater Public Library System online social networking sites is governed by a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial–ShareAlike 3.0 United States license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/).