Computers & Internet

The Library provides computers and Wi-Fi connectivity for public access to the Internet at all locations. Express computers are provided for quick access and for those without library accounts. Computer users must use their own library accounts. Patrons with accounts that are barred for conduct violations or materials more than 49 days overdue are not eligible to use public library computers.

Users are responsible for the content they access. Apart from resources selected by professional librarians and purchased through authoritative publishers, the Library is not responsible for the information found on the Internet. Parents or guardians are responsible for monitoring their children’s use of Library computers.

Computers in children’s areas and the McClung Historical Collection are dedicated to children’s, historical or genealogical resources and may not be used for other purposes.

Children under 12 must have a parent or guardian with them to access computers in the adult areas. No one over age 13 may use computers in the Children’s Room or other child-only computer areas for any reason other than supervising a child’s computer activity.

In accordance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) (Pub. L. 106-554), all public computers are equipped with filtering software. The software is set to screen out sites which may be reasonably construed as obscene, as defined in 18 USC 1460, or child pornography as defined in 18 USC 2256 or is harmful to minors as defined in Pub. L. 160-544 section 1703. Patrons may request that filtering software be disabled.

Users of computers and/or personal devices may not display any “material which depicts nudity, sexual contact, excess violence or sadomasochistic abuse, and which is harmful to minors” per the Tennessee Code § 39-17-911.

Library staff reserves the right to monitor the use of computer workstations to ensure compliance with the policy.

No more than two people per computer is allowed.

Computer users may have up to three one-hour sessions per day. A fourth session may be granted at the discretion of library staff in branches if 50% of the computers are available and at Lawson McGhee if three computers are available and no reservations are pending for the next hour.

Public computer use ends ten minutes before the library closes.

Express computer sessions are for fifteen minutes. Users may have three sessions with a 15-minute break between sessions. Library staff reserves the right to end express sessions.

Telephone reservations are allowed at all locations. The patron’s library card number is required to reserve a computer by telephone. Telephone reservations must be made at least 60 minutes prior to the start of the session.

Computer users may not violate copyright or any other local, state, or federal law.

Computer users may not install software or hardware, damage hardware, or alter the computer’s configuration.

Patrons may save files to their own storage devices or to the cloud. Library staff is not responsible for troubleshooting the files, devices, or hardware of computer users.

The Library assumes no responsibility for damage to personal hardware, software, or data as a result of using a public access computer or receiving assistance from library staff.

Failure to comply with the Library’s Public Computer Use Policy and other Library restrictions and rules will result in the loss of Library and computer use privileges.

Library staff at all locations provide help with basic computer use. For more extensive help, patrons may contact the Reference Department to schedule an appointment for personal instruction or to get information about computer literacy resources.

Policy Type