Embedded Files
Assignment Summary
Acquire three AUP's from the same type of library and analyze them for similarities and differences. Select the one that you think is the most thorough yet patron-friendly.
1. Select one type of library -- public, school, or academic.
2. Acquire online or in person the AUP from three libraries of the type you selected, that is, from three school, three public libraries or three academic libraries.
3. Compare each policy. State the similarities and the differences.
4. Decide which policy you think is the best based on its thoroughness, patron-friendliness, readability, presentation, or other factors.
5. Write a 500 word essay (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. about your conclusions and put this in your e-portfolio. Create a sub page on your e-portfolio entitled APUs to contain your essay.
Reflection
Defining acceptable use among patrons is an important aspect of running a library and library governance. This assignment helped provide a background in this area of library management while underscoring the importance of these policies. This is especially important in preventing minors from being exposed to inappropriate materials online, in addition to creating consistency in what people can or cannot do online. This can be a huge area of liability, especially in school libraries. This issue will become even more relevant to advances in technology, which comes with the increasing role of digital resources in libraries.
Whether it's a public or school library, the library staff needs to determine what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable use. While having a system for addressing infractions, I learned that the policies for school libraries are written by school boards. After reviewing numerous policies, I came to the conclusion that there are several grey areas which will be a detriment to library staff implementing these policies. I would like to develop a handbook and resource for libraries highlighting strategies for successful implementation.
Acceptable Use Policies
Introduction
I was volunteering in my Mom’s kindergarten class one morning when she asked the class, “how many of you have used a computer before?” Less than half the room raised their hand. “How many of you have used a tablet?” she followed up with. Every kid in the class raised their hands. Kids have more access to technology than any previous generation. While there are many positive developments, it has increased the likelihood of exposure to inappropriate materials, especially in settings where children have access to technology, including school libraries. This is a relevant issue for librarians, staff, and school administrators, who encounter this problem frequently.
Recent technological advances have made this issue even more relevant. Children are being exposed to inappropriate content online. For example, I am carrying out a Service Learning project at Palmquist Elementary, where the administration recently purchased several iPads for the library. Students used these tablets to view women in compromising positions and play Fortnite, neither of which advance the library’s mission statement. As a result, the library adopted stricter policies for technology use in the library, including restricting access to certain websites and stricter oversight of students use iPads and computers. This consumes much of the librarian’s day, despite being spread thin by other responsibilities. Sometimes, she has to rely on kids to police their peers. Enforcing acceptable use policies and ensuring students are not exposed to inappropriate content is one of our most important responsibilities as librarians. If a child is exposed to something inappropriate the school and library can be held liable.
School districts have established acceptable use policies. I reviewed the acceptable use policies for three school districts:
Oceanside Unified School District
http://www.gamutonline.net/district/oceanside/DisplayPolicy/683806/
Vista Unified School District
Carlsbad Municipal School District
My goal was to examine how comprehensive they were. Especially with providing a framework for schools to address issues and infractions while keeping kids safe during library time. Palmquist Elementary is in the Oceanside School District, which underscores their application in local libraries.
The Oceanside School District’s Acceptable Use Policies fall short. The main website had a designated section for this topic with the words “Page not available”. This lack of information speaks volumes about the shortcomings in this area of school policy while making it inconvenient for administrators and librarians to access this information. The website is difficult to navigate and not very user-friendly.
Carlsbad Unified Municipal School District’s acceptable use policies are listed on the GAMUT website.
Which is the principal website for the California State Boards Association. They are comprehensive and clearly define acceptable use of technology by students while establishing the roles of library staff and administration and providing a framework for addressing infractions. Instead of leaving things up for interpretation, the information available is clearly focused on the goal of acceptable use policies: keeping kids safe.
The Vista Unified School District has several sub-pages on GAMUT ranging from weapons on campus to assault.
http://www.gamutonline.net/district/vistausd/
Which would lead someone to believe accessing resources on acceptable use is easy. Locating information on acceptable use policies is challenging, however. There is a document detailing the school district’s Acceptable Use Policies, however, it's only two pages.
http://www.gamutonline.net/district/vistausd/displayPolicy/906269/4
The school district doesn’t provide any guiding framework or documents to address infractions. This is detrimental to librarian’s and school administration who won’t be aware of the procedures for redressing issues. This raises the potential for errors or potential liabilities that could have a serious impact on the school. It's important that policies provide the means to address infractions (stemming from those) and give schools the power to adjudicate issues respectively. They seem more like “guidelines” than actual rules.
I looked at the years these policies were written. Technology is always changing along with the challenges it presents. The Carlsbad Municipal School District’ policies are the most recent, having been implemented in July 2018. The Oceanside Unified School District’s were written in January 2016, over 3 years ago. VUSD guidelines were proposed in June 2011 and adopted in November 2015. The 4-year gap between their implementation is concerning as it leaves libraries in the difficult position of addressing issues without any framework.
OUSD provides links to the guiding principles of their policies. Including a link to the text of the Children’s Internet Protection Act.
Part 1
http://www.gamutonline.net/district/oceanside/displayPolicy/437670/
Part 2
http://www.gamutonline.net/district/oceanside/displayPolicy/437671/
Unfortunately, the information is split between two pages. “No later than April 21, 2005, the Commission shall initiate a rulemaking review proceeding to evaluate the implementation of this part, including the effect of the implementation of this part on practices relating to the collection and disclosure of information relating to children, children's ability to obtain access to information of their choice online, and on the availability of websites directed to children; and report to Congress on the results of this review.” Splitting it into two pages is not convenient for librarians and administration. The website takes the language of the law verbatim from the legislation, without providing the context required to understand the law. There is a fair amount of jargon included, which mentions librarians and school administrators. The information is not accessible or easily understood by the people it's intended for. This represents a serious disconnect between policy and resolving these issues, or a “digital discipline divide” so to speak. By not providing information on how this applies to address infractions, it makes it difficult to understand for people without a law background.
VUSD provides a link to the Acceptable Use Agreement for employees.
http://www.gamutonline.net/district/vistausd/displayPolicy/906269/4
Which includes the following text; “By reading the Vista Unified School District Board Policy 6163.4 BP and 6163.4 AR Student Use of Technology, I agree to abide by the following”. While the numbers of the bills are helpful, there isn’t any background on either piece of legislation. I googled each one and ended up at a master list of every policy by the Vista Unified School District. The list includes every school policy implemented, but it is difficult to find information on acceptable use policies. Those sections are buried in the middle of the page, with no means to search for a specific bill, which underscores the issue of accessibility to these policies by librarians and administration.
I reviewed the procedures for applying Acceptable Use Policies for each school district. Guidelines for implementation are essential for a successful law or policy. OUSD includes the procedures for expulsion. Unfortunately, it's for all infractions, from the possession of firearms and knives to viewing inappropriate material. Two separate offenses. This “one size fits all policy” makes it difficult for librarians to address infractions while placing an unfair burden on school administrations.
CMSD has even fewer resources and information available save for defining infractions.
Under the“Corrective Action” section of the website.
https://www.carlsbadschools.net/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=2527155
there is the following text, “Corrective action shall be determined by the number of previous acts, the nature of the act, and the context in which the alleged act occurred. Consequences may range from positive behavioral interventions to suspension and expulsion for repeated and/or severity of the violations.” I did not find any system for resolving and adjudicating violations of what is defined as acceptable use by the Vista Unified School District.
A lack of clarity appears to be a recurring issue in these acceptable use policies. Earlier in the document under District Rights and Responsibilities, it says, “The school shall develop internal procedures to include, but are not limited to, expectations that the staff will immediately secure the device and turn the device into the school designated location, develop a process for parents/legal guardians to retrieve devices.”
Based on my review of these policies there are a number of issues hindering the laws currently in place. There doesn’t seem to be an overarching policy or system of governance for adjudicating these issues. It seems to be on a case by case basis. Which places an unfair burden on librarians of administration and librarians. Leaving the schools on their own increases the likelihood of error and not resolving the issue or liability in more severe cases, resulting in acceptable use becoming an ongoing issue with librarians trying to develop solutions.
The current policies are hindered in numerous ways. None of them can be feasibly understood by their target audience: librarians and administration. The wording requires the reader to process a law degree, a trait not common among librarians. Which underscores a gap between the policies and successful implementation. I feel the Carlsbad Municipal School District’s policies were the best out of the local school districts. They were the most comprehensive and provided important details. Including a strong definition of acceptable use of technology by children.
I believe a number of changes should be implemented by school districts. The laws need to be succinct, which includes successful implementation. The districts should consider a handbook detailing these procedures. Librarians are spread thin by their daily responsibilities, it's unfair to expect them to do this alone. This issue will become more relevant to advances in technology. Along with student’s advancing knowledge of these devices. Which means acceptable use policies will be utilized by schools in a larger capacity. This will be an emerging area in school discipline. It's time we provide schools and libraries the resources to keep kids safe.
Works Cited
Acceptable Use of Technology. Carlsbad Municipal Schools, retrieved from
www.carlsbadschools.net/departments/information_technology/i_j_n_d_b-_r__acceptable_use_of_technology.
Employee Acceptable Use Of Technology Agreement. Vista USD, retrieved from
www.gamutonline.net/district/vistausd/displayPolicy/906269/4.
Shaw, M. K. (2016). Library Technology and Digital Resources : An Introduction for Support Staff. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.palomar.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1079655&site=ehost-live
United States Code, Title 20: Part D - Enhancing Education Through Technology. Oceanside Unified School District. Retrieved from
www.gamutonline.net/district/oceanside/displayPolicy/30275
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse