Iron River Library Social Media Policy Statement of Purpose for Social Media
The Evelyn Goldberg Briggs Memorial Library (Library) maintains a social media presence to engage with the community, promote its services and events, and to share information about itself. The Library invites the public to participate and encourages comments.
The Library's social media pages are designed to be a family-friendly environment, aiming to foster community participation relevant to its mission and content created by the Library staff. These pages are not intended as a public forum for a general exchange of ideas and viewpoints. The Library requests that comments remain respectful and relevant to topics posted by the Library, adhering to its posting guidelines.
Social Media Guidelines
By publishing any comments, posts or other materials (such as photos) on the Library’s social media pages, users give the Library the right to reproduce, distribute, publish, display, edit, modify, delete, and otherwise use these submissions for any purpose in any form on any media.
As a form of government, all comments on the Library pages are considered public comment and therefore retained and archived, and are subject to public disclosure. Users participate at their own risk, taking personal responsibility for their comments, username and any information provided. Appearance of external links does not constitute endorsement by the Library.
The Library is not responsible for any damages, losses, liabilities, judgments, costs, or expenses (including attorney fees and costs) that arise from a third-party claim related to any material that users have posted as comments on the Library social media sites.
Library Staff Responsibilities
Engage with the community by promoting Library events, services, and resources.
Library staff responsible for posting content to, or managing, the Library's social media are expected to maintain professionalism at all times. This includes verifying facts, citing sources, avoiding copyright infringement, and correcting any errors before posting.
When representing the Library on social media, employees must always conduct themselves as Library representatives and adhere to all Library policies.
Personal opinions, negative remarks, and the use of inappropriate or discriminatory language are strictly prohibited for Library staff.
The Library is committed to monitoring its social media sites for comments that require responses or violate this policy. All responses to public comments will remain factual and civil.
Library staff and others involved in moderating the Library’s social media will attend a board approved training on how to successfully utilize and moderate Library social media.
Ensure that the privacy and confidentiality of Library users are respected in all online interactions.
Regularly update and maintain the accuracy of information shared on social media platforms.
Receive and address feedback or complaints regarding Library services in a constructive manner.
Library staff are available to respond to comments and questions during Library open hours but cannot assure a timely response to questions and concerns via social media. The best way to contact the Library for a time-sensitive need is by phone or email.
Public User Responsibilities
Users are expected to:
Engage in civil and respectful discourse.
Respect copyright law and credit the source when sharing content created by others.
Avoid personal attacks, bullying, libel, threats, profanity, and abusive language.
Refrain from posting obscene, sexual, or pornographic content.
Abstain from making discriminatory comments based on race, gender, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other protected characteristic.
Not post spam, self-promotional content, solicitations, or advertisements.
Abstain from sharing sensitive information online, such as addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses, in the comments.
Refrain from posting comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity and may not violate any federal, state, or local law.
The Library reserves the right to moderate public comments on its social media platform. Should a user violate the aforementioned guidelines, the Library has the discretion (but not the obligation) to take any or all of the following actions:
A standard private friendly reminder of the Public User Responsibilities will be sent to the user via the social media platform.
If a comment is considered flagrant, or if the user persists in violating the guidelines, the offending comment/post may be removed, and the user may be blocked from further commenting. The decision to send a friendly reminder, remove content, or ban a user will be made by the Library Director in consultation with the Chair of the Library Board. The user will be notified within 72 hours of the above action taken and the reason for such action via private social media messaging or email, if available.
The board will be notified of any time a post is removed or a commenter is blocked.
A digital and paper log will be kept for communications subject to the above process such as friendly reminders and other actions taken. The log will preserve all information regarding action taken, reasons for the action and all subsequent communications.
Appeals
Within 30 days of receiving the above notification, the user may appeal the decision to the Library Director. The appeal must be submitted in writing, detailing the basis for the appeal.
Upon receiving the appeal, the Library Director, in consultation with the Board Chair, will review the request. Within seven days of this review, they will send a written response to the user, detailing their decision.
Should the user, the Library Director, or the Board Chair request a review, in writing, by the Library Board, the Board will consider the appeal at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. Following this meeting, the Board will notify the user of its decision in writing.
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Friendly Reminder letter.
Dear [User's Name],
I am reaching out on behalf of the Iron River Public Library. We've noticed your recent interactions on our Facebook page and wanted to touch base with you directly.
At the Iron River Public Library, we strive to create a welcoming and inclusive online community where members can share, learn, and engage in a positive environment. To ensure this, we have established community guidelines that we ask all members to follow. These guidelines are in place to promote constructive conversations, respect for others, and a safe space for sharing information and ideas.
Upon review, it appears that some of your recent posts/comments do not align with our community guidelines. While we value your participation and the perspectives you bring to our community, we kindly ask you to review our guidelines, remove your post, and ensure your future interactions comply with these standards.
We believe that by following these guidelines, we can all contribute to a more positive and enriching online community. Your understanding and cooperation are greatly appreciated, and we look forward to seeing more of your contributions that align with our community values.
If you have any questions about the guidelines or need further clarification on how to contribute positively to our Facebook page, please feel free to reach out to me directly.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and continued support of the Iron River Public Library.
Warm regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
Iron River Public Library
Approved 2/21/24
By the Evelyn Goldberg Briggs Memorial Library Board of Trustees.