Google Librarian Central - Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions/Program Guidelines

The following contest is intended for participation in the United States only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to United States law. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. Entry in this contest constitutes your acceptance of these Official Rules.

1. Eligibility: You must be a legal resident of the United States, 18 years old or older. Employees and agents of Google Inc. (“Sponsor”), its affiliates, subsidiaries, any other prize sponsor, and any entity involved in the development, production, implementation, administration or fulfillment of the Tips of the Trade program (all of the foregoing, together with Google Inc., collectively referred to as “Sponsors and Administrators”), and the immediate family members and persons living in the same household as such individuals, are not eligible to participate or win.

2. How to Enter: The Tips of the Trade program (“Contest”) begins at 12:01 AM PT on 5/8/06 and ends at 11:59 PM on 5/22/06 (“Entry Period”). You may enter the Contest by submitting at http://www.google.com/librariancenter/tipsofthetrade/ approximately a five hundred (500) word essay about how you use Google tools or services on the job or in teaching students or library patrons. All entries must be received by 11:59 PM PT on the last day of the Entry Period. For purposes of these Official Rules, "receipt" of an online entry occurs when Google's servers record the receipt of your entry. All entries must include your first and last name, library name, title, address, a contact phone number, and email address.
a. LIMIT ONE ENTRY PER PERSON. Although subsequent attempts to enter may be received, only one entry will count. The submission of an entry is solely the responsibility of the entrant. Automated entries (including but not limited to entries submitted using any bot, script, macro, or contest service), copies, third party entries, facsimiles and/or mechanical reproductions are not permitted and will be disqualified. All entries become the property of Sponsor, and none will be returned.

3. Conduct: By entering the Contest, entrants agree to comply with and be bound by these Official Rules. The Official Rules will be posted at http://www.google.com/librariancenter/tipsofthetrade/ throughout the Contest. Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification from the Contest. Entrants further agree to comply with and be bound by the decisions of the judges, which will be final and binding in all respects. Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be: (a) tampering or attempting to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or any website; (b) violating the Official Rules; (c) violating the terms of service, conditions of use and/or general rules or guidelines of any Google property or service; or (d) acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

4. The Prize: 5 winners will be interviewed by professional videographers and included in a video (the “Video”) to be shown at the Google booth at ALA in June, 2006, as well as on Google’s Librarian Central website and on Google Video. If you are chosen as a winner, you may not transfer or assign the prize to any other person. No substitutions, cash equivalents or redemptions will be made, except that Sponsor reserves the right to substitute the prize with another prize of equal or greater value. Expenses not specifically stated above, together with the reporting and payment of all applicable taxes, fees, and/or surcharges, if any, arising out of, or resulting from, acceptance or use of a prize, are the sole responsibility of the winner of that prize. Sponsor expressly disclaims any responsibility or liability for injury or loss to any person or property relating to the delivery and/or subsequent use of the prizes awarded. Sponsor makes no representations or warranties concerning the appearance, safety, or performance of any prize awarded. Any unclaimed prizes will not be awarded. Restrictions, conditions, and limitations apply. Sponsors and Administrators will not replace any lost or stolen prize items.

5. Winner Selection and Notification: The winners will be selected from among all eligible entries by a judges’ panel chosen by Sponsor. The judges will review all entries and determine the winners in their discretion. The decision of the judges is final. The winners will be announced on or about 5/24/06. Winners will be notified within about seven (7) days after announcement date via phone, email, US mail or overnight courier. The winners may be required to sign, notarize and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity Release (except where prohibited by law) and provide any additional information (such as social security number), that may be required by Sponsors and Administrators. Except where prohibited by law, the Grand Prize winner must return all such required documents within seven (7) days following attempted notification or prize may be forfeited. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable, or inability of Sponsors and Administrators to contact a potential winner may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner by the judges’ panel.

6. General Conditions: This Contest is governed by the laws of the United States. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.

By entering, participants: (a) release and hold harmless Sponsors and Administrators, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, loss or damage of any kind to persons, including death, or property damage resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, misuse or use of any prize, participation in this promotion, or while traveling to, preparing for, or participating in any prize-related activity, and (b) grant to Sponsor the right to use and publish their proper name and entry online and in print, or any other media, for any Contest or other future Google promotions. Participants also agree that you may be contacted in the future by the press and/or a representative from Google.
If you are chosen to be included in the Video, you hereby grant Google the exclusive right to use modify and distribute the Video in any media and for any advertising and promotional purposes without further compensation, consideration, review or consent.

7. Limitations of Liability: Sponsors and Administrators assume no responsibility for lost, late, misdirected, illegible, or mutilated entries or for any computer, online, telephone or technical malfunctions that may occur. Sponsors and Administrators are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users, any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest, or any technical or human error which may occur in the processing of submissions in the Contest. Sponsors and Administrators assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. Sponsors and Administrators are not responsible for any problems, failures or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers, providers, computer equipment, software, email, players or browsers, on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet, at any website, or on account of any combination of the foregoing. Sponsors and Administrators are not responsible for any injury or damage to participants or to any computer related to or resulting from participating or downloading materials in this Contest. If, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsors and Administrators which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Contest, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest and select winners from among all eligible entries received prior to the cancellation.

8. Privacy: By entering the Contest, you agree to Sponsor’s use of your personal information as described in Google's Privacy Policy, except that you agree that Google can use your name, location (city and state only), statements, photograph, voice and/or likeness, and essay for any advertising and promotional purposes without further compensation, consideration, review or consent.

9. Winners List: The name of the winners may be obtained by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Tips of the Trade, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043.

10. Official Rules: For a copy of the Official Rules, print this web page or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Tips of the Trade, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043. Requests received after the close of the Entry Period will not be honored.

11. Sponsor: Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043.