Introduction

University Libraries (UL) strives to provide an accessible, responsive, reliable, and respectful research and study environment for its users: the faculty, staff, and students of Kent State University and members of the local community.

Facilities

All users of UL facilities have a responsibility to help maintain an environment conducive to research and study. Users are asked to avoid conduct that would be harmful to this environment, including unacceptable uses of facilities, violations of the Kent State Policy Register, and illegal activities as specified in local, state, and federal laws. UL personnel reserve the right to remove users who violate this policy. Consequences may include temporary or permanent removal from UL facilities and/or criminal charges. Security cameras, which may be reviewed for documentation purposes, are located in several areas of the building.

Unacceptable uses of facilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Creating disturbances that cause others to feel uncomfortable or threatened, including physical assault or use of abusive, threatening, or intimidating language;
• Exhibiting personal behavior that interferes with the effective delivery of library services or use of facilities by others;
• Mutilating, defacing, or damaging materials, equipment, or furnishings;
• Removing or attempting to remove materials, equipment, or furnishings without authorization;
• Failing to return, or reconcile for the loss of, borrowed materials or equipment;
• Concealing library materials within the library for exclusive use by an individual or a group;
• Use of cellular phones in a manner that disturbs others;
• All types of roller skating, skateboarding, or bicycling in or around UL facilities.
• Bringing weapons into library building facilities, unless authorized;
• Opening emergency exits, except in the event of an emergency;
• Being in unauthorized areas of the building, or remaining in the building when it is closed or during emergency evacuations.

Workstations

All users of workstations located within UL have a responsibility to use these resources in an ethical and legal manner. The guidelines that govern the use of these workstations are derived from University policies, from other legal considerations, from standards of common sense and decency that apply to the use of any shared resource, and from concerns to maintain these workstations as effective, available resources.

Guidelines for appropriate use:

• Use of UL workstations is limited to educational purposes. These include resource discovery that fulfills class assignments, enhances career development, and promotes general knowledge gathering.
• Users may not load their own software on these workstations nor in any way modify their system hardware configuration.
• UL endorses the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read statement of the American Library Association. It does not censor access to material or protect from offensive and/or inaccurate or incorrect information. However, it fully supports the University's commitment to civility as key to the meaningful exchange of ideas. Therefore, UL workstations are not to be used with the intent to intimidate or harass (e.g., hate literature, pornography). Users are also asked to be sensitive to material that others in a public place might find offensive.
• Users must abide by current copyright law.

Approved by University Libraries Council
September 3, 2008