Guidelines for Computer Access in the Children’s Room at the Somerville Central Library
- Computers in the children’s room are reserved for children 12 and/or 6th grade and younger, and for caregivers accompanying children ages 12 and younger.
- Computer use in the children’s room is on a first come, first served basis. Reservations are not taken in advance by telephone, text, or email.
- Before accessing a computer, please sign up at the children’s desk. A librarian will ask for your first name.
- You may use a computer or tablet for up to 60 minutes per day, in two 30 minute blocks of time. During peak hours, it’s possible your 60 minutes will be split to accommodate other users. During quiet times, it’s possible your time can be extended beyond 60 minutes if needed.
- Computers 1 and 2 have access to word processing and the internet. Laptops may be used for gaming.
- Launchpads with preloaded games are available for children 7 and under and their caregivers, for library use only.
- Disc drives are not accessible on any of the public computers, DVDs may not be used.
- You are encouraged to save documents you are working on to a flash drive that you provide. Information saved to a desktop or hard drive is wiped clear from the machines once they are rebooted.
- A computer dedicated to accessing the library catalog and its databases is available in the children’s room. You do not need to sign up to use it. If you are unsure which computer this is, please ask a librarian.
- Printing is available in the children’s room. The printer is located at the children’s desk, and a children’s librarian will retrieve your printouts for you. Printing in the children’s room is available in black and white, and the cost is 15 cents per page.
- At this time, filtering software is not installed on the computers designated for children.We encourage caregivers to talk with their children about setting personal guidelines and limits.
- An Internet Policy is available for viewing, and can be asked for at the children’s and reference desks.
- Children’s librarians reserve the right to make exceptions to guidelines for computer use when necessary.
revised January 17, 2017