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Article

Communicating Patron Rights and Responsibilities Transparently: Creating a Model Internet Acceptable Use Policy for UK Public Libraries

Details

Citation

Robinson E & McMenemy D (2022) Communicating Patron Rights and Responsibilities Transparently: Creating a Model Internet Acceptable Use Policy for UK Public Libraries. Public Library Quarterly, 41 (4), pp. 381-405. https://doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2021.1936883

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.

Keywords
Public libraries; acceptable use policy; qualitative content analysis; filtering; surveillance

Journal
Public Library Quarterly: Volume 41, Issue 4

StatusPublished
Funders
Publication date31/07/2022
Publication date online31/07/2021
Date accepted by journal27/05/2021
URL
PublisherInforma UK Limited
ISSN0161-6846
eISSN1541-1540

People (1)

Dr Elaine Robinson

Dr Elaine Robinson

Research Fellow, CHeCR

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