Abstract
ABSTRACT Facilitating access to the Internet is an important part of the public library mission, and is crucial in ensuring that all citizens have the possibility of access to contemporary digital information and public services. Part of managing this access relies on the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), an agreement between the library and the user regarding the conditions of access. This article reports on a national UK study of public library AUPs and the development of a new national model policy for public libraries, and which can be considered as ‘best practice’. The article reports analysis of AUPs across the UK, with specific focus on how they communicate the use of filtering, and surveillance. This research adds new insight by studying the content of AUPs and contributes to the limited research that exists on public library AUPs in the UK. The research analyzed AUPs from 205 authorities in the UK, a return rate of 99.5%. The resulting conclusions and synthesis of relevant guidance on AUPs led to the formation of the model policy presented in this article.
Highlights
This paper explores the creation of a single Internet Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) that could be utilized by public libraries in the United Kingdom (UK)
The methodology for this research incorporated the use of Freedom of Information requests made to all UK public library services to obtain their AUPs, followed by qualitative content analysis of the AUPs based on the best practice literature on AUP design, and the literature on surveillance and monitoring, and filtering
Almost all of the AUPs made some form of reference to illegal or unacceptable use of the facilities, as well as references to upholding or concern for the public good, discussion of service and user commitments, and outlining user commitments
Summary
This paper explores the creation of a single Internet Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) that could be utilized by public libraries in the United Kingdom (UK). Public libraries in the UK are an important information source for citizens and help to foster digital inclusion and bridge the digital divide – in that they provide a crucial access point to online digital services. Libraries provide access to information about public services, opportunities to under take online transactions (such as applying for permits and benefits) as well as opportunities to communicate with public service providers (by e-mail or other online forms). The digital divide is defined as “the gap between indivi duals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socioeconomic levels with regard to both their opportunities to access information and communication technologies (ICTs) and to their use of the Internet for a wide variety of activities” (OECD 2001, 5).
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