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ADOPTED by the Board of Library Trustees on April 2, 2019

PURPOSE

The Nashua Public Library (NPL) uses selected social media tools as an important enhancement to communication, collaboration and information exchange between NPL staff, library users and the Nashua community. Social media use by libraries can provide cost-effective marketing and outreach, as well as foster a sense of community between the library and its users. This policy establishes the

library’s position on the usefulness and selection of social media models and provides guidelines for management and compliance with other library policies. The library recognizes that technology advancements are continuous and that new tools will emerge which have useful application in the library setting therefore this policy addresses social media in general, and not specific programs or platforms.

POLICY

Social media tools employed by the library will be selected to enhance or provide more cost-effective means to deliver such library functions as:

• Community outreach, marketing and publicity
• Education of the community in the use of library resources
• Information about emerging trends in library services or information technologies
• Reader’s advisory services
• Information and reference services
• Book discussion groups
• Reading incentive programs
• Cultural and educational programming
• Notice of volunteer or employment opportunities available at the library
• Expand the reach of municipal government by sharing important information
• Additional library-related uses that may be explored or expanded upon as deemed reasonable by library

Library social media offerings are intended to create a welcoming and inviting online space where library users will find useful and entertaining information. In some forums users may be able to interact with library staff and other library users, as detailed in the terms of use sections.

 

PUBLIC TERMS OF USE

1. NPL has no affiliation with any advertisements or other material posted by third party sites or software.
2. By choosing to comment on NPL Social Media sites, public users agree to these terms:
   1. Comments are moderated by NPL staff, and NPL reserves the right to not post or to remove comments that are unlawful or off topic as determined in its sole discretion, including, but not limited to:
      • Plagiarized material
      • Copyright violations
      • Off-topic comments
      • Commercial material/spam
      • Duplicate posts from the same individual
      • Comments containing sexually explicit language or images, or statements that ridicule, malign, disparage or otherwise express bias against any race, religion or other class of individuals
      • Personal comments about individuals, including attacks, insults, or threatening language
      • Images, executable programs or any non-textual
   2. Persons who violate these terms on 2 or more occasions may be barred from further postings.
   3. Commenters are urged to protect their privacy. Commenters should not post personally identifying information, including but not limited to: last name, school, age, phone number, address, library card number. Comments containing such information shall be edited or

 

STAFF TERMS OF USE

When representing NPL via social media, personnel shall:

1. Conduct themselves at all times as representatives of NPL and, accordingly, adhere to all associated standards of conduct as outlined
2. Identify her/himself as a member of NPL staff unless posting as the library itself
3. Not make statements about patrons, or post, transmit, or otherwise disseminate confidential information in violation of NPL’s Privacy Policy
4. Not represent postings as official NPL policy, unless this has been clearly approved by the Library Director
5. Not conduct political activities or private business
6. NPL personnel shall observe and abide by all copyright, trademark, and service mark restrictions in posting materials to electronic
7. Communication with customers, vendors and presenters should primarily be conducted via email using official library email accounts since it may be subject to “Right to Know laws”.

 

PROCEDURES

1. Initiating and account or presence by the NPL on social media sites or online communities (not individual posts) shall be approved in advance by the Library Director. (i.e. get permission for joining a new community, adopting a new platform or service: not for individual posts/tweets/updates)
2. Where possible, each social media page should clearly indicate that it is maintained by NPL and should have NPL contact information prominently
3. Where possible, each social media page/profile should include an introductory statement that clearly specifies the purpose and scope of the library’s presence on the
4. Where possible, social media pages should link to NPL’s official website and this social media policy.
5. If user discussion and contribution is invited on library-created and maintained social media sites, it shall be subject to the Public Terms of Use: this shall be clearly indicated on the social media page that invites

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

1. Library staff will provide the same level of excellence in customer service via social media as they do for in-person and telephone interactions
2. Library staff will not make personal connections on their private social media accounts with library customers who are
3. All social media use, private and institutional, should be conducted in a professional manner that protects the reputation of the library and the individual staff
4. Staff private social media accounts may not be used to post, transmit, or otherwise disseminate any patron information including names, dates of visits, materials borrowed or any other confidential
5. Private social media accounts should not be used to disseminate library information, services or policies.

 

 

ADOPTED by the Board of Library Trustees

4/2/2019

David K. Pinsonneault, Secretary