As expressed in the American Library Association Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read Statement, the sole criterion for determining what library materials and services a person will use rests with the individual; except, in the case of a minor child, if the parents feel their child's library use should be monitored or limited, we believe it is the parents' responsibility to guide that use for their child. The standards applied for one child shall not be imposed on anyone else's child. The Board of Trustees of the Oshkosh Public Library affirms these principles of access. Our goal under this policy is to foster the widest possible access to the library's materials and services.

A library card from the Oshkosh Public Library provides access to all library materials and services for all patrons. Each person is encouraged to have their own library card and is responsible for all use made of it. Appropriate identification must be presented when applying for a library card.

If a parent or guardian desires a library imposed restriction on their child's library card use, they may request in writing that their child be limited to checking out materials from the juvenile collections only and the library will honor this request. (The Oshkosh Public Library will not assert the rights of a minor child over the rights of that child's parents.)

A parent or guardian may also request that their child(ren) not have access to public Internet workstations or be restricted to filtered workstations.

Parents or guardians of minors may, if they so elect, indicate specific materials (by title, author, Dewey Decimal classification or format) which their children may not check out of the library.

Library staff will make all reasonable attempts to assure that the parents' or guardians' choice is enforced. They cannot be responsible for materials checked out by another person and shared with the minor, materials borrowed on stolen or misused cards, materials which a parent subsequently finds objectionable but has not specified for limitation, or materials used in the library which are available on open shelves, or any other attempt to willfully mislead staff.

The items restricted must be able to fit within the limitations of the notes field of the patron computer record (presently 60 characters). Library staff will assist parents or guardians, if necessary, in converting their request into the briefest specific language that will fit in the notes field.

Library staff will make reasonable efforts to provide parents or guardians with information on their options for guiding their child's use of the library at the time of registration or immediately thereafter.