Technology and School Libraries
Acceptable Use Policies
As more and more students access the Internet in k-12 media centers,
classrooms and computer labs, school districts are increasingly concerned
about student access to inappropriate and unhealthy ideas and material.
One way to deal with this concern is to develop an Acceptable Use Policy
or AUP which outlines how the Internet will be accessed and what it will
be used for. The AUP can also address ethical concerns about plagiarism,
rights to privacy of electronic material, and electronic vandalism.
AUP's are generally drawn up by individual schools, as they may differ
by grade level, and then are approved by each district's school committee.
Students then indicate their willingness to abide by the terms of agreement
by signing the policy with the permission and approval of their parents.
A model Acceptable Use Policy
is available for download here.
