4-105 Social Media
The Chatham Area Public Library District (Library) maintains various social media applications and services to engage with the community it serves and to facilitate an online platform of communication between library staff and library patrons about library-related issues. The Library’s social media applications and services are not intended to be traditional public forums for the general exchange of ideas and viewpoints, but a limited public forum for discussing Library programs, events, and materials.
By posting any comments, posts or other materials on the Library’s social media pages, patrons give the Library permission to reproduce, distribute, publish, display, edit, modify, delete and otherwise use your submissions for any library-related purpose in any form on any media.
The Library does not collect, maintain or otherwise use the personal information stored on any third party site in any way other than to communicate with patrons on that site, unless granted permission by patrons for Library contact outside the site.
The Library recognizes and respects differences in opinion. Posted comments are the opinion of the author only and publication of a comment does not imply endorsement or agreement by the Library. All comments, posts, and messages are subject to review and the Library reserves the right, but is not required, to remove any comment, post, or message that it deems, in its sole discretion, to be:
- Obscene, homophobic, sexist, hateful or racist content
- Specific and imminent threats
- Personal attacks, insults, or threatening language
- Potentially libelous statements
- Private and personal information published without consent
- Comments unrelated to the content of the discussion
- Hyperlinks to material that is not directly related to the discussion
- Commercial promotions or spam
- Organized political activity
- Violations of copyright, trademark right or other intellectual property right of any third party
By using the Library’s social media applications and services, Patrons agree to abide by this policy and all other rules and policies of the Library. Abuse or violations of this this policy may result in the responsible poster being barred from posting any subsequent messages to the Library’s social media sites. The Library, its Board of Trustees, employees, agents, and official assume no responsibility for any damages, direct or indirect, arising from participation in Library-sponsored social media. Patrons are personally responsible for their commentary. Patrons should be aware that they may be held personally liable for commentary that is defamatory, obscene, proprietary, or libelous by any offended party. In addition, patrons agree to indemnify the Library and its Board of Trustees and employees, from and against all liabilities, judgments, damages, and costs (including attorney’s fees) incurred by any of them which arise out of or are related to posted content. is not responsible or liable for content posted by any person in any forum.
Disclaimer: Content posted on Library social media sites that relate to the Library’s business may be public records and subject to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the State of Illinois record retention laws. The Library is not responsible or liable for the content of postings by third parties on any Library sponsored social media site. Third party postings do not reflect the opinions or positions of the Library, its employees, or its Board of Trustees. Third party websites have their own privacy policies, of which patrons should be aware.
LEGAL REF: (5 ILCS 140/) Freedom of Information Act,
(50 ILCS 205/) Local Records Act
CROSS REF.: 3-20, 4-100, 5-10
APPROVED: OCTOBER 24, 2011
AMENDED: APRIL 19, 2021