The San Antonio Public Library maintains a website and provides access to the Internet as one means of fulfilling its mission to "inform, educate, entertain, and culturally enrich by providing books and other library resources, facilities and professional services for use by all individuals…." [Mission Statement, approved by the Board of Trustees of the San Antonio Public Library on February 17,1988]. All Internet resources accessible through the Library are provided equally to all users, with the understanding that it is the individual user’s responsibility to demonstrate judgement, respect for others, and appropriate conduct while using Public Library resources and facilities.

Internet computers will not be used for illegal activity, to access illegal materials, or to access materials which by local community standards would be obscene. Library employees are authorized to take prompt and appropriate actions to enforce the Rules of Conduct, and/or to prohibit use by persons who fail to comply with the Internet Acceptable Use Policy as stated or implied herein.

Optional Use of Filtered Search Engines

The San Antonio Public Library supports the right and responsibility of parents to direct use of the Internet by their own children, and provides convenient access to filtered search engines on all Internet terminals. Filtered search engines (which are not under the control of the Library) may restrict access to sites which could be deemed objectionable, but may also limit access to sites which have legitimate research value. No filtering system is completely effective or efficient. Access to filtered search engines has been provided, but Library staff will not require that children utilize Filtered Search Engines for their research.

Library-developed Webpages

The staff of the San Antonio Public Library have developed a variety of webpages with recommended links in order to facilitate use of the Internet. Users should recognize, however, that the Library is not responsible for changes to the content of linked sites, nor for the content of sources accessed through subsequent links. Staff will provide assistance to Internet users to the extent that time and patron demands allow.

Rules of Conduct

1. Internet computers will not be used for illegal activity, to access illegal materials, or to access materials which by local community standards would be obscene.
2. Library staff may limit use of computer equipment which has been purchased from grant funds, according to the terms or intent of the grant agreement.
3. Installation, downloading, or modification of software is prohibited.
4. Users will respect copyright laws and licensing agreements.
5. Users will not make any attempt to gain unauthorized access to restricted files or networks, or to damage or modify computer equipment or software.
6. Prompt payment is required by users who incur charges for printing or other authorized fees.
7. Users must sign up to use the Internet on a next-available-terminal basis. Terminals will not be "reserved" for persons who are not in the immediate vicinity when their name is called, and telephone reservations will not be taken.
8. Access sessions will be limited to thirty minutes, unless otherwise authorized by the Librarian in Charge.
9. Users must end their session and leave the terminal when asked to do so by authorized Library staff.
10. Upon completion of an Internet access session, a user may be required to wait 30 minutes before signing up for another session.
11. The number of access sessions available per day, per user, may be established by the Librarian in Charge: such limitations will be dependent on facility-specific demand in order to provide access for the majority of users.
12. Users will respect the privacy of other users, and will refrain from attempting to view or read material being used by others.
13. By mutual agreement, two persons may share one access session as long as their behavior or conversation does not disturb other users or Library staff.

Termination or Prohibition of User Access

Library employees are authorized to terminate any user’s access session, or to prohibit a user from subsequent access sessions for up to two weeks from the date of informing the user of that action, given cause to believe that the user has failed to comply with the Internet Acceptable Use Policy and/or Rules.