University of California, San Diego Libraries

The UCSD Libraries' Use and Conduct Policy

 

Welcome to the Libraries of the University of California, San Diego. These outstanding collections and services have been designed for UCSD faculty, students and staff. The libraries collect, organize, preserve and provide access to a diverse array of information resources in support of the University's goals of excellence in research and teaching.

The UCSD Libraries Use and Conduct Policy is published for the benefit of all users of the UCSD libraries and is applicable to all. This Policy is enforceable by all members of the library staff and violations will be reported and pursued to the full extent of the law.

The UCSD Libraries seek to provide all users with:

Ensuring a pleasant and productive environment for study and research for all users requires that each user of the libraries follows the UCSD Libraries' Use and Conduct Policy and refrains from specific abuses/offenses. Use of the UCSD Libraries is a privilege not a right.

Rules of Use:

1. Users must maintain quiet and not engage in any behavior that interferes with the normal use of the libraries.

2. Users must not interfere with an employee's performance of his/her duties. Such behavior includes but is not limited to verbal abuse, intimidation, sexual harassment or harassment on account of race, religion, ethnic background, gender or sexual orientation

3. Library materials, equipment, or property must not be taken from the library buildings without proper checkout or authorization. Library materials must be returned following the expiration of the loan period or on request by the libraries. Library materials must not be concealed in the libraries for the exclusive use of individuals or groups. (Calif. Penal Code ? 490.5).

4. All users must handle library materials such that they are not defaced or damaged in any way. This includes marking, underlining, removing pages or portions of pages, removing binding, removing electronic theft devices, using post-its and paper clips.

5. Users must not vandalize, alter or damage library buildings, furniture or equipment, including computer systems, networks, programs or data.

6. Licensed databases and on-line services are for the use of faculty, staff, students and library users employed by, or enrolled at, or physically present in the UCSD Libraries. In many cases the information contained therein may not be duplicated, transferred, sold, or in any manner commercially exploited.

7. Users must observe applicable intellectual property laws, including the United States Copyright Laws.

8. Users must follow posted guidelines on the use of equipment and electronic resources. These guidelines include but are not limited to the use of library facilities for word processing, email, and other non-library related applications.

9. Open food or beverage containers are not permitted in public areas of the UCSD Libraries. Smoking is not permitted in the libraries or within 50 feet of their entrances.

10. Users are responsible for their personal property.

11. Users must not enter unauthorized areas of the libraries.

12. Users are required to leave the libraries at closing and when requested during emergency situations and drills or following a violation of this Use and Conduct Policy.

13. Bicycles are not permitted in library buildings. Rollerblading, skateboarding or skating are not permitted in or on library buildings. Wheeled vehicles must be parked in authorized areas and not at library entrances.

14. Vending, peddling and/or solicitation of merchandise or services are prohibited within library buildings.

15. Only animals trained to assist persons with disabilities are allowed in library buildings.

16. Unauthorized firearms or other deadly weapons, fireworks, explosives and/or explosive devices, or other dangerous devices, are not permitted in the library.

Misuse of the libraries shows disrespect for the institution and disregard for the rights of members of the University and surrounding community. Any person who violates these rules of use, whether a member of the University Community or not, may be asked to leave the library facility in which the conduct occurred, and may be refused future access to any UCSD library facility. Such persons may be subject to the sanctions of suspension, prosecution, forfeiture, warning, and restitution, as well as criminal penalties and civil fines, and may be accountable to civil authorities (city, state, or federal) and the University. The UCSD Libraries' Use and Conduct Policy supplements the UCSD Student Conduct Code and other University policies.

  Special Note on Children's Use of the Library and Electronic Resources

The UCSD Libraries are open to the public more than 5,000 hours per year and are visited by over 2.5 million people every year. Since the UCSD Libraries' collections are developed for the support of UCSD faculty, students, and staff, few juvenile materials will be found here. Children should be accompanied at all times for their safety and well being by a parent or adult. Children should never be left unsupervised. Parents, not the Library, are responsible for children's use of the Library including access to electronic resources. The UCSD Libraries support open access to the Internet. Materials that may not be appropriate for young children will be found on the Internet.

POLICY ON SERVICES FOR VISITORS

While the UCSD libraries are staffed and funded to serve the scholarly needs of the University of California faculty, students and staff, we welcome visitors to the libraries. We are proud to be able to provide the San Diego community with access to a major academic research library. Since priority is given to UCSD's faculty, students and staff, services for our visitors are provided subject to availability of staff and resources. Visitors are subject to additional restrictions on their use of the Libraries in addition to observing the UCSD Libraries Use and Conduct Policies.

Collections are selected to support the instructional and research needs of the UCSD academic community. Visitors may not find the same kinds of information or resources that they encounter in a neighborhood library. While it is the policy of the UCSD libraries to provide reasonable access to the collections for all categories of users, the UCSD libraries make a distinction between access (library use) and borrowing (home use) privileges. In general, visitors may use the collections within the libraries but cannot borrow materials for use at home without a library privilege card. Borrowing privileges are accorded to visitors only by policy or by specific arrangement. Residents of California, 18 years of age or older, may apply for a library privilege card.

UCSD has entered into license agreements with the producers of various copyrighted databases, many of which agreements limit use of their services to University faculty, staff, and students. Visitor use is either prohibited or limited to incidental use for non-commercial purposes. Brief use restrictions are posted on opening screens for all databases. Please ask at one of the library's reference desks if you require additional information about license restrictions.

Services Available to Visitors

For Additional Services

For more extensive service than UCSD library staff can provide, visitors should consult their own institutions' libraries or their public libraries. As another option, the UCSD libraries have established a fee-based service for community users, Corporate Associates/PLUS. This service offers specialized reference assistance, interlibrary loan and other services on a cost-recovery basis. Please ask at one of the library's service desks for more details on our fee-based services.