Library Policies

Our Library is here to provide information in many forms. In order to provide as much access as possible we have established the following good neighbor policies:

 
Computer Usage

There are two computers available to the public on a first- come first-served basis.
Sessions are limited to 30 minutes if another patron is waiting.
Young people under the age of 18 must have a parent's signature on file before using the internet if the parent is not in the library.
Our library's internet access is filtered to meet the requirements of the Childrens Internet Protection Act (CIPA).
Wireless Internet access is available to patrons wishing to use their personal laptops.
To connect you should have:

A laptop computer or other device equipped with a wireless network Internet card (NIC) that supports the Wi-Fi standard known as IEEE802.11b/g. No special encryption settings, user names or passwords are required.New laptops may find the wireless network automatically. It is also helpful to have a fully charged battery (South Thomaston Public Library has very limited electrical outlets) and headphones if you will be asscessing audio files.

If you need to change settings to use Wi-Fi, set your computer :

• Network Name or SSID : South Thomaston Library
• Wireless mode or network type: Access point or infrastructure (not “ad hoc”)
• Network properties: use DHCP enabled or “obtain an IP address automatically
• WEP or data encryption: disabled or off
• You may need to reboot your computer.

Security Information:

As with most public wireless ‘hotspots’ the South Thomaston Public Library connection is not secure.  Because the service is configured to allow your computer to detect and connect automatically without  entering a password or changing your configuration, your work on the internet is not “encrypted” and could be intercepted by someone using network ‘sniffer’ or similar software.

Avoid entering credit card numbers, passwords or other confidential information until you can verify that the Web site you are interacting with provides its own security mechanism such as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encoding.  An SSL-protected Web page usually displays a small lock icon along the lower edge of your browser window.web page security
We strongly urge you not to use library computers for transfer of any sensitive information.  THE LIBRARY WILL IS NOT RESPONSIBLE for any information (credit card, social security numbers, etc.) that is compromised, nor for any damage caused by viruses, hacking, or library systems.

Use of this wireless system is entirely at the risk of the user.  The library disclaims all liability for loss of confidential information

Circulation

Who Can Get a Card?

Adult Residents of South Thomaston and surrounding towns may sign up for library privileges by completing an application at the library. They can then request an optional wallet card with their personal bar code number. This number is only needed if the patron intends to use the downloadable audio books program from their personal computer.

Temporary residents

Temporary residents may also apply for a card, but will be restricted in the number of items to be checked out.

How long is the loan period?

Books, movies and cassette/CD audio books are checked out for 2 weeks at a time. The loan period may be renewed twice, if no one else is waiting for the item.

Can Children get their own cards?

Children who are at least 6 years old, and have not reached age 18, whose parents are permanent residents of South Thomaston, may sign up for an individual card with the parent's permission. At that time, the parent will also be required to sign whether or not the child is authorized to access the Internet on Library computers without the parent being present.

Temporary residents children

Children whose parents are not permanent residents of the town (summer vacationers, other surrounding towns, etc) will be allowed to check out materials only on the parent's card.