Animals in the Library

The Easton Public Library welcomes service animals and animals invited for special programs to enter the Library building. “Service animal” is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as any service dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability. Service animal is limited to the animals defined under the ADA and does not include any other species of animal, wild or domestic, trained or untrained. Service animal does not include an animal used or relied upon for crime deterrence, emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship.

Library staff has the right to ask the animal’s handler (1) Is this a service animal and (2) what is the animal's function for them. The handler is not required to provide documentation about the service animal or to prove a disability. Service animals are not required to be licensed or certified, or to be identified by a special harness or collar. Service animals must be on a leash or harness at all times, unless the use of a leash or harness interferes with the animal’s effective performance of its task. If the animal cannot be leashed or harnessed, it must be under the handler’s control via voice, signals or other effective means at all times. The animal’s handler is solely responsible for the supervision and care of the service animal and must be in full control of the animal at all times. Therefore, owners must keep the service animal directly with them at all times.

The Library retains discretion to exclude or remove a service animal from Library property if:

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• The service animal is out of control and/or the service animal’s handler does not effectively control the service animal’s behavior

• The service animal is not housebroken

• The service animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others that cannot be eliminated by reasonable modifications

• Permitting the service animal would fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program or activity.

The animal’s handler will be responsible for any damage to Library or personal property and any injuries to individuals caused by the service animal. Anyone using a service animal on Library property will hold the Library and Town of Easton harmless and indemnify the Library and Town of Easton from any such damages.

Unattended Children

Children under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an adult at all times while in the Library.  If a child is unattended, and we are unable to contact the child’s parent/caregiver, we reserve the right to contact the Easton Police Department.

Tutoring

The Easton Public Library recognizes the educational needs of the community. As part of its commitment to the needs of its patrons, the Library permits tutoring on the premises.

The Library does not sponsor, recommend, or assume any liability for the activities of tutors who use available Library space. All arrangements must be made between the tutor, the student and the parents. The Easton Public Library shall only serve as a place for tutoring to occur.

To ensure that the tutoring is conducted in line with the Library’s mission, the following guidelines must be adhered to at all times.

1. Either the Tutor or the Student must be a Resident of Easton.

2. Library space shall be used as a safe and quiet workspace for students to receive instruction and not be used as a classroom or a place of business for tutors.

3. Conversations or instruction during tutoring must not be a distraction to other Library users.

4. Space cannot be reserved, and no Library patron will be asked to change their location to accommodate a tutoring session. Tutor and student personal property must not interfere with patron access to Library resources.

5. The library assumes no responsibility for children left unattended.

6. Tutors and their students must comply with all rules, guidelines and procedures governing behavior in the Library.

7. Tutors must not publish or distribute communications of any kind, advertising the Easton Public Library as their place of activity, nor may they imply Library sponsorship or endorsement of their activities.

8. Tutors must not solicit business at the Library or at any Library sponsored events.

Accepted by the Easton Public Library Board of Trustees, January 7, 2019.

Exam Proctoring

Effective immediately, the Easton Public Library will no longer proctor exams.

Library Computer Use and Internet Procedures/Guidelines

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1. Black and white printouts are $.10 per page. Color printouts are $.50 per page.

2. Downloading to a disk or the hard drive is not permitted in order to avoid possible contamination of the Library’s software. Users may not load their own software onto the Library’s computers.

3. Library use of the Internet is for information retrieval only; functions such as instant messaging, usenets, chat rooms, news groups, games, etc, are for home computers. Internet access cannot be used for commercial purposes or advertising, for sending, receiving or displaying pornographic material, for unlawful or criminal activity including but not limited to: discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, religion, disability, age or sexual preference, sexual harassment, copyright infringement, unauthorized access or invasion of privacy.

4. Patrons may use USB memory keys for data storage and access on the condition that they are scanned at the circulation desk before every use.

5. The Library assumes no responsibility for loss of data or for damaged hardware or media resulting from use with Library computer systems.

6. The Library is unable to monitor, carefully select or control the content and validity of material available electronically, and thus cannot accept responsibility for the quality, accuracy or currency of information accessed via the Internet.

7. The Library does not censor or filter information on the Internet. The Internet may contain material that users find objectionable, offensive or controversial. The Library assumes no responsibility for any damages, direct or indirect arising from its connections to the Internet. Parents/legal guardians must assume responsibility for deciding what library resources are appropriate for their children. Parents/legal guardians are strongly advised to supervise their children’s Internet sessions.

8. Any use of the Easton Public Library’s Internet connection for illegal, inappropriate, or obscene purposes or in support of such activities is prohibited.

9. Misuse or abuse of the Library’s computers will result in suspension of Internet access privileges and may also result in the loss of Library privileges.

10. The Easton Public Library reserves the right to end an Internet session at any time.