The following guidelines apply to all email communications (work-related or personal) which are accessed on or from library premises, accessed using library computer equipment, or via library-paid access methods, and/or used in a manner which identifies the individual with the library.

1. As a public agency, the Oklahoma Attorney General has ruled that library business email is subject to the Open Records Act. In addition, anything sent from a library email account on any computer (library owned or personal) connected to the library’s network may be subject to a legal subpoena under certain conditions. Confidential information should not be sent through email nor should you send email that is inappropriate.
2. Library email accounts are the property of the Metropolitan Library System. All email accounts and all information and messages that are created, sent, received or stored on the Library’s email system are the sole property of the Library and are not the property of the employee or other personnel.
3. Employees have no reasonable expectation of privacy when using the email system. Email accounts will not generally be monitored by the library; however, the library has the right to monitor usage of the email system to the extent necessary to ensure that it is being used in compliance with the law and with library policies.
4. Email communications should be professional, courteous and in compliance with all applicable laws and library policies including policy SH 510 Discrimination & Harassment. Email must not be used for transmitting, retrieving or storing any communications that could be viewed as libelous, harassing, illegal, discriminatory or otherwise offensive or against library policy or contrary to the library’s interest.
5. Email is provided for library business use. However, limited, occasional or incidental use of email for personal, non-business purposes is allowed (as is the case with personal phone calls) provided it (a) is in compliance with these guidelines and (b) is reasonable in amount of time spent and does not interfere with work performance or library business needs. It should normally be limited to break times and lunch times. Employees should not store personal email correspondence or files in library email accounts.
6. Employees need to be aware that any email sent from any computer (library owned or personal) connected to the library’s network can be traced back to the library, even if it is sent from a personal email account. Because of this connection, any statements made in the email could be imputed to the library. All communications sent by employees via a network computer must comply with library policies and these guidelines.
7. Non-exempt employees should not check their MLS / business email outside of working hours as this could be considered “working” and non-exempt employees are not to perform library duties outside their regular work hours.
8. Employees are responsible for their own email password. If you change your “mailbox” password and cannot remember it, your mailbox will be recreated and the previous contents will not be recoverable.
9. Email accounts of persons who leave the library’s employment will not be retained. The accounts of part time employees will be deleted at the time of termination. The accounts of full time employees may have information important for the successor therefore those accounts will be deleted one month after termination unless other arrangements are made.
10. Employees are expected to regularly clean out email of items no longer needed and to reduce the size of mailboxes by saving any attachments they want to keep to the hard drive and then either deleting the email message or the attachment.
11. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.