Red Book by Hamilton Public Library Inclusion Policy and Terms of Use

POLICY PURPOSE

To clearly illustrate the scope and breadth of records kept in the Red Book of Community Information (referenced as Red Book for the remainder of the policy), the intentions of this resource, and to set out terms for how this information is owned by HPL, used and shared by others.

KEY POINTS SUMMARY

• Red Book by HPL provides equitable access and support for knowledge of programs, organizations and resources in the community.
• HPL determines which records are contained in the Red Book based on our Inclusion and Exclusion criteria.
• HPL accepts no liability for accuracy of information in the Red Book and does not endorse any organization or program by its inclusion.
• HPL adheres to professional Information and Referral standards.
• HPL welcomes suggestions and feedback to redbook@hpl.ca, however we reserve the right to determine and edit records at our discretion.

DEFINITIONS

Attribution—Provide appropriate credit to the original creator or disseminator.
I&R (Information and Referral) - the practice of providing people with information about services.
Accreditation – a third party evaluation assessed against recognized standards.

POLICY DETAILS

Hamilton Public Library produces and manages the Red Book, an online resource database of community services. Red Book by Hamilton Public Library makes this information readily available to the community, enabling community members to make informed choices to improve their quality of life.
Listing Inclusion:
Red Book by Hamilton Public Library includes services located in the City of Hamilton or serving the people of Hamilton that are:

• non-profit, community-based services
• government services
• elected representatives (in a non-partisan manner)
• grassroots organizations

Commercial organizations are generally excluded, except in cases where:

• They provide a service not offered by the non-profit sector.
• They meet the specific needs of an underrepresented group or group that faces systemic barriers to service.

Red Book by Hamilton Public Library includes, but is not limited to, services related to:

• Aging
• Basic needs
• Cultural groups
• Education
• Employment and training
• Environment
• Faith groups and places of worship
• Health
• Legal and criminal system
• Recreation
• Settlement and integration
• Youth services

Inclusion in the Red Book is free and subject to the discretion of Hamilton Public Library.

Listing Exclusion:
Red Book by Hamilton Public Library, generally, does not include records for private professionals, organizations or agencies offering services for profit. Hamilton Public Library reserves the right to exclude from the database any organization that it has, in its own discretion, adequate reason to believe may spread hatred or have a philosophy that could be hurtful to the well-being of individuals, groups or the community. Potential grounds for exclusion or removal from the database may include, but are not limited to, service non-delivery, fraud, misrepresentation, discrimination based on grounds named in the Ontario Human Rights Code and/or the Canadian Charter of Human Rights, criminal activities, or operating outside licensing mandates.

No Endorsement:
Hamilton Public Library may exclude or remove organizations from its resource database for any reason. The presence of a record in the collection does not indicate an endorsement of its contents by the Hamilton Public Library, nor does a record’s omission indicate disapproval.

Responsibility and Data Limitations:
Information provided in Red Book is not intended to provide medical, legal or professional advice and should not be relied upon in that respect.
While Hamilton Public Library makes every effort to validate information contained in the Red Book records on a timely basis, HPL does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of information contained in its resource database. Hamilton Public Library disclaims all responsibility and liability that may be asserted or claimed resulting from, or arising out of, reliance upon the information and procedures presented in the database.
Hamilton Public Library reserves the right to edit information to meet format, guideline, and space requirements. Hamilton Public Library recognizes the right of individuals to provide feedback or suggestions regarding records in the Red Book by Hamilton Public Library. We welcome suggestions for updates, additions or removals directed to redbook@hpl.ca.

Ownership and Creative Commons Licensing:
Hamilton Public Library collects, disseminates and maintains information in the Red Book for the purpose of making community resource information readily available to the community. The information exists for community individuals, organizations, and service providers to equitably use as a tool for accessing services and resources in the community.
All records and information in the Red Book by Hamilton Public Library is licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license. Other uses may be permitted when explicit exceptions are agreed to by Hamilton Public Library.

Standards and Data Sharing:
Red Book adheres to AIRS (Alliance of Information and Referral Systems) data and taxonomy standards and maintains professional requirements necessary for accreditation. Data from Red Book is shared with Ontario 211.

Individuals and organizations are free to:
Share—copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
Adapt—remix, transform and build upon the material.

Under the following terms:
Attribution—Provide appropriate credit to Red Book by Hamilton Public Library, link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
Noncommercial—The material is not used for commercial purposes.
Share Alike—If you remix, transform or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
HPL cannot revoke these freedoms as long as the license terms are followed.
 

Exceptions:
CC license terms and conditions are not triggered by uses permitted under any applicable exceptions.
 

PUBLISH DATE

May 2023