ICT conditions of use and guidance

• You must be a member of the Library Service
• To book a session on a computer, please either use the self-service booking computer, kiosk, book online, or speak to a member of staff.
• You will need your own library card number and PIN number to book a PC. To obtain the latter please show your library card to a member of library staff.
• You are permitted two hours per day.

Please Note

• If you are late for a booked session, we will hold it for ten minutes only.
• You may use a computer for more than two hours, provided that there are multiple unbooked computers available. In these cases you may extend your session by half an hour each time by booking it with library staff. You can only book a new session once your previous session has ended.
• Booked sessions are available until a quarter of an hour before the Library’s closing time.
• Please note that sessions will end promptly and will be automatically ended by a booking control system. Two timeout messages will appear before the session is automatically terminated.
• A maximum of two people may share a single terminal.

If you wish to save material, you may either:

• Attach it to your email account and recall it next time you need it.
• Save it onto a USB memory stick. Note that any work saved on the S drive will be deleted once your session ends.

There are no charges for the use of the Internet, email, Microsoft Office or scanning. For details of scanning facilities, please ask a member of staff.

Charges for the following are payable in advance

Printing

• 20p per A4 sheet in black and white
• 50p per A4 sheet in colour
• 20p per A3 in black and white
• £1 per A3 in colour.

Please either use the self-service kiosk or speak to a member of staff to make payment and release printouts.

When you send documents to the printer

1. Choose how many copies you would like and whether you would like them in black and white or colour. The printer is automatically set on black and white (colour mono).
2. Click OK.
3. A notice will tell you the number of pages and what the cost will be for the printing, which you should either agree to by clicking OK or NO if you wish to cancel.

Brent Libraries provides free Internet access in all libraries.

If you are under 16, you will need your parent or guardian to sign a membership form for you in the presence of a member of staff.

You are required to be a member of the library.

• Although staff will attempt to advise users about helpful, reputable, informative and current websites, it may not always be possible to give advice on the very latest websites, due to the speed at which the Internet is growing.
• Brent Libraries cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of all information on the Internet, or for the unavailability of Internet websites or URL addresses.
• Brent Libraries has restricted access to certain inappropriate web sites. Websites with the following subjects will be filtered by our web filter: Substance Abuse, Web Chat, Criminal Skills, Hate Speech, Pornography, Gambling, Adware, Phishing - attempts to gain sensitive information, passwords etc by fraudulent methods, Proxy Anonymiser, Weapons, Profanity, Network Timeout, Network Unavailable, New URL
•  Please ensure you log out of any websites you have been using and log off completely when you finish your session. This will help to ensure that the next user does not have access to any work or searches you have done or emails you may have sent.
• If you receive a computer virus or similar warning, inform a member of staff immediately. Library computers are equipped with virus protection software, but Brent Libraries cannot accept responsibility for any computer viruses contracted or for any subsequent damage to the user’s home PCs caused by such viruses.
• Brent Libraries is not responsible for the use of the Internet by children. (Staff are unable to monitor the content of all sites)

You must not:

• Access, download, send or publish material which is obscene, indecent, offensive or menacing
• Attempt to break into any Internet site which you are not authorised to access.
• Tamper with the hardware or alter the software, security systems or set up of the computers.
• Users are to treat the equipment with care and must not intentionally damage any piece of hardware.
• Use another person’s details to log on.

Any such use will result in you being denied access to the computers in Brent Libraries and may result in prosecution.

Please be aware that library staff can end your session immediately if they deem you to have infringed any of these regulations.

Relevant legislation includes but is not limited to:

• Obscene Publications Acts 1959 (and 1964)
• Computer Misuse Act 1990
• Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
• Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
• Data Protection Act 1998
• Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
• Telecommunications Act 1984
• Defamation Act 1996
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995
• Race Relations Act 1976
• Sex Discrimination Act 1975

All users are bound by the Library Service Conditions of Library Use and Byelaws 3.

The Council reserves the right to monitor the use of email and Internet communications and where necessary data may be accessed or intercepted in the following circumstances:

• To ensure that the security of the Council’s computer hardware, software, networks or systems are not compromised;
• To prevent or detect crime or unauthorised use of the Councils computer hardware, software, networks or systems;
• The Council respects the right of individuals to privacy of communications. At the same time it has a duty to protect the interests of itself and others against unlawful use of its computer facilities. To balance these needs, interception of personal and private communications will not normally take place unless grounds exist to show evidence of some crime or other unlawful or unauthorised use.
• Access to personal and private communications will only take place in line with legislation governing interception of electronic communications. Such access will only be authorised following an assessment to determine what, if any, access or interception is justified.

Data Protection Act 1998 - Brent Council works according to the requirements of the Act and the personal details you provide will be held on a computer. Your information will only be used by library staff for the purpose of providing you with access to the People's Network and will not be passed to other organizations unless we are legally required to do so.

The Internet is not a secure medium. We advise you not to send personal, confidential or sensitive information in an email or over the Internet. You can use the computers to order goods and services at your own risk. Brent Council will not be liable in any way for queries, complaints, loss, damage or any claim whatsoever arising from third party transactions.

As you are in a public place other people may be able to see what you are doing and could take note of any information you enter, such as an address or bank details. We advise that you consider the confidentiality of what you wish to do before you make use of the computers. Do not use any ‘remember me’ features on websites but do make use of any ‘enhance security’ features when signing into sites.

In accessing computers and becoming a library member you are providing your information to Brent Council, contact details libraries@brent.gov.uk. The Council’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted via dpo@brent.gov.uk, or 020 937 1402.

Your information is collected for the purpose of ensuring conditions of use as outlined above are met.

The information will be shared with computer booking software to manage fair access to the computers and the Police or similar authorities where a breach of the law is suspected. The information shall be retained up to one month and shall be processed in adherence to your legal rights, including but not limited to the right to withdraw consent, right to copies of your information and right to be forgotten.

If you are dissatisfied with the processing of your information, you can raise your concern with the council’s data protection officer. You have a right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (www.ico.org.uk).

Further information can be found at www.brent.gov.uk/privacy

The Library service assumes no responsibility for the safety of equipment or for laptop configurations, security, or data files resulting from connection to the Wi-Fi network.

It is solely the responsibility of the wireless device owner/user to provide antivirus protection, and to configure their device settings to provide the appropriate security settings to control access from other wireless devices within the Library and the Internet itself.

The Library Service cannot and will not take responsibility for damages incurred for incorrect, insufficient or incomplete security settings; or lack of adequate or up-to-date virus protection. Wireless users assume all risks in this regard.

The Library staff cannot provide technical assistance to patrons using the wireless network or and not configure your laptop, wireless adapter or mobile device. The Library Service reserves the right to refuse access to its wireless network at any time.

Please do not leave your laptop, PDA or other device in the Library unattended at any time.