Social Media Policy

Scope

The Grand Ledge Area District Library (“GLADL”) is committed to using current forms of social media for enhanced accessibility to Library patrons in our service district and to promote Library services, resources, programs, and events with responsiveness and professionalism to maintain a positive image. Social media is defined as a web application, presence, or account created and maintained by GLADL. The role and utility of social media sites will be evaluated periodically by GLADL employees, and may be terminated at any time without notice to subscribers.

General Policy

This policy shall apply to all users of GLADL’s social media pages, including the general public, GLADL patrons, employees and Board Members.

Content

Designated GLADL employees will have access to GLADL’s social media accounts to manage the following types of content and features including but not limited to: 

  • Notice of library events, meetings, and programs; notice of community events or services
  • Photographs and videos from the above
  • Links to articles, videos about libraries, publishing, books, reading, & other literacy related content
  • Information about library-related services such as databases and electronic services
  • Highlights of special collections such as local history or new additions to the collections

Terms

Comments noting the positives about GLADL are always welcome, but so too are constructive criticisms. GLADL monitors its social media pages and takes input seriously; GLADL encourages everyone to be respectful in their comments.

Any person posting to GLADL’s social media accounts is fully responsible for their comments and all comments are posted in the public domain.  GLADL may retain any comments and such comments may be subject to disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.

To participate in GLADL social media services by commenting or posting on the social media accounts belonging to GLADL, persons agree to the following terms:

  • Abide by all GLADL policies, including the Conduct of Library Users Policy, Internet Use Policy, Public Signage Policy, Social Media Policy, and the Terms and Service of each individual third-party provider.
  • Not to post or link to offensive, obscene, pornographic, threatening, violent, illegal, or discriminatory content or links to such content.
  • Not to post any information or links to information that may compromise the safety or security of the public or GLADL’s systems.
  • Not to engage in commercial activity regarding goods/services of any kind.
  • Not to post spam, viruses, malware, or any other destructive program, script, or code.
  • Not to post any content found to be in violation of copyright law.
  • Not to post comments that contain random or unintelligible text.
  • Not to post multiple, off topic posts or repetitive posts that are copied and pasted.
  • No anonymous postings, or multiple postings by the same person using a fictitious or different name.
  • Not to post content that contains personal information of another, including, but not limited to Library Records as defined in the Library Privacy Act, identification numbers, phone numbers, and email addresses.

The Library shall post the list of prohibited content as set forth above in a prominent location on

GLADL’s website and on its social media pages.  Placing a link on a social media page linking to GLADL’s website meets the requirements of this section.

Library Rights

GLADL retains the right to:

  • Delete comments that violate this policy or the applicable social media site’s terms of usage.
  • Reproduce comments for GLADL marketing. Authorship will always be credited if it is known.
  • Block, remove, or otherwise ban any person from posting for behavior the Library Director or his or her designee determines is a violation of this Policy.

Liability

GLADL shall not be held liable for any damages resulting from use of GLADL’s social media pages.  Anyone using GLADL’s social media pages agree to release and hold GLADL harmless from any and all causes of action relating to use of GLADL’s social media pages.

Endorsement

GLADL does not endorse or review content outside the items created by GLADL employees. To that end, GLADL only includes items in our social media accounts when we are a designated partner to the event (i.e. there is an existing formal partnership agreement).

Penalties

Persons violating this policy will be asked to comply by GLADL employees. In response to serious or repeated violations of this policy, GLADL employees are authorized to take appropriate measures. The Library reserves the right to ban or block persons who violate this policy. In addition, all persons are expected to abide by the terms and conditions set by third party social media platforms as well as follow appropriate Federal and State Law.

Privacy

The library may occasionally refer to public comments made on social media. However, it will not collect, sell or knowingly transfer to any third party any personally identifiable information related to social media engagement with the library. Please be advised that any platform has its own privacy policies.

Employee and Board of Trustees Policy

In addition to the guidelines set forth in Terms above, employees and trustees shall follow the guidelines in this Section:

  • Content: GLADL employees and trustees designated by the Library Director shall have the sole authority to administer and moderate the content of GLADL’s social media pages.
  • Confidentiality: No information about a patron’s library account should be openly posted to any social media page.
  • Authority to Post on GLADL’s social media pages as the Official Library Position: For consistent communications practices, all posts as the Official Library Position on its social media pages shall be made by the Library Director or the Library Director’s designee. In the event of an emergency situation, or any situation deemed appropriate by the Library Director, the Library Director or designee may post to GLADL’s social media pages as the Official Library Position.
  • Other employees and trustees posting to GLADL’s social media pages:
    • Other employees and trustees may respond to posts about the library and on the library’s social media pages, but at all times they should remember they are acting as an ambassador for the Library, and if they would not want their post printed on a billboard they should not post it on social media. Employees shall, in no way, attempt to convey their position as the Official Library Position. 
    • Employees and trustees who violate this policy are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.

 

Approved: March 26, 2024

Revised: May 28, 2024