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Computer Use Policy for the Library

Computer Use Policy for the Library

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  • Academic and intellectual freedom
  • Offensive and objectionable material
  • Copyright
  • Purpose and Use
  • Statement of Liability
  • Illegal or unacceptable use
  • Guidelines and Rules for Use of Library Computers
  • Sanctions
  • Legal limitations

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Overview

University of West Alabama (UWA) provides and maintains information technology resources to support its academic programs and administrative operations. These resources are provided to all UWA employees, students, and authorized guests. UWA seeks to ensure the integrity of information technology resources made available to the community to prevent disruption to academic and administrative needs.

University of West Alabama must establish rules and operating parameters for use of the Julia Tutwiler Library and Curriculum lab.

Effective Date: 4/30/2024

Review/Revised Date: 4/30/2024

Category: Information Technology

Policy Owner: Director, Office of Information Technology

 

 

Academic and intellectual freedom:

 

The Julia Tutwiler Library (Library) and Curriculum Lab strive to ensure that students, faculty, and staff at The University of West Alabama (UWA) have the right and means to free and open access to ideas and information fundamental to and constitutionally protected in our democratic society. The Library will protect intellectual freedom, promote literacy, encourage lifelong learning, and provide Library materials and information services supporting open access to information.

 

 

Offensive and objectionable material:

 

It is not possible for the Library to review and protect users from all such information. It is suggested that Internet users respect the privacy of others and make no attempt to notice what someone else is viewing. This may sometimes be difficult, because computer workstations are located in close proximity to each other, and they are not designed to insure privacy of use.

 

Alabama law prohibits the display of obscenity in any area where the general public is invited. (see "Legal Limitations" below) Because the Julia Tutwiler Library is open to all persons, the public computer area in the lobby may not be used to access sites which carry content intended for mature audiences. If UWA faculty, staff, or students have a need to research sites of this nature, they should reserve time in the Library computer lab or inquire about borrowing a laptop for use in one of the conference rooms.

 

 

Copyright

 

U.S. copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) prohibits the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of copyrighted materials, except as permitted by the principle of fair use. Users may not copy or distribute electronic materials (including electronic mail, text, images, programs or data) without the explicit permission of the copyright holder, except as permitted by the principle of fair use.

 

It is against the law to copy copyright protected software. Any responsibility for the consequences of copyright infringement lies with the user. The library expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility resulting from such use.

 

Fair use guidelines may be reviewed at: http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

 

 

Purpose and Use

 

The Julia Tutwiler Library has limited computer resources; therefore, the library computer workstations are to be used primarily for research purposes, with UWA students, faculty, and staff having priority over other users. The Library reserves the right to terminate an Internet session if its use is not research oriented. Moreover, the staff in charge reserves the right to ask users outside the university community to end a session and relinquish the computer to a UWA student, faculty, or staff member.

 

The computer labs are intended primarily for instructional purposes, please see Computer Use Policy for Lab Computers. The library will have priority for scheduling bibliographic instruction in labs. Faculty and staff may also schedule the labs for instructional purposes. If no formal instruction is scheduled, the labs may be used by UWA faculty, staff, and students. The lab is not open for use by the general public.

 

Every effort will be made to inform facility users ahead of time of such reservations. However, the University reserves the right to close a facility to users at short notice to accommodate instructional needs.

 

The University reserves the right to monitor computer usage in the open access areas in order to ensure compliance with University policy.

 

 

Statement of Liability

 

All users of the University's Internet connection agree not to hold the Julia Tutwiler Library responsible for any and all claims, losses, damages, obligations, or liabilities directly or indirectly relating to the use of the Internet or caused thereby or arising there from.

 

Users assume liability for any misuse of hardware, software, or equipment residing in computer work areas.

 

 

Illegal or unacceptable use

 

Examples of unacceptable or illegal use of the library Internet computer workstations include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Libeling, harassment, or slandering of others.
  2. Violations of the rights of any person or company protected by copyright, trade secret, patent or other intellectual property, or similar laws or regulations, including, but not limited to, the installation or distribution of “pirated” or other software products that are not appropriately licensed for use by UWA.
  3. Illegally exporting software, technical information, encryption software or technology in violation of international or regional export control laws.
  4. Destruction of or damage to equipment, software, or data belonging to the library, including the creation or dissemination of viruses, worms or any other potentially destructive programs.
  5. Disruption or unauthorized monitoring of electronic communications.
  6. Effecting security breaches or disruptions of network communication. Security breaches include, but are not limited to, the following: Accessing data of which the user is not an intended recipient or logging into a server or account that the user is not expressly authorized to access, unless these duties are within the scope of regular duties. For purposes of this section, “disruption” includes, but is not limited to, network sniffing, pinged floods, packet spoofing, denial of service, and forged routing information.
  7. Port scanning or security scanning is expressly prohibited unless prior notification is given to UWA and/or these processes are within the scope of regular duties.
  8. Unauthorized copying of copyright protected materials including, but not limited to, digitization and distribution of photographs from magazines, books or other copyrighted sources, copyrighted music, copyrighted movies and the installation of any copyrighted software for which UWA or the end user does not have an active license is strictly prohibited.
  9. Hacking or uninvited entry into files belonging to other individuals, businesses, organizations, or groups.
  10. Making fraudulent offers of products, items, or services originating from any UWA account.
  11. Web-based or other electronic gambling.
  12. Using a UWA computing asset to actively engage in procuring or transmitting material in violation of sexual harassment or hostile workplace laws in the user’s local jurisdiction.
  13. Collection, storage or distribution of pornography or material considered to be obscene in violation of this policy.
  14. Access of pornographic web sites or other web sites which carry adult content.
  15. Commercial gain or private profit.

 

 

Guidelines and Rules for Use of Library Computers

 

  1. UWA students, faculty, and staff have priority to computer workstations.
  2. Users from outside the University may use public computer workstations located in the lobby of Julia Tutwiler Library for a one-hour period per regular business day, unless special permission is granted by the Director or User Services Librarian.
  3. All non-university users must present a picture I.D. in order to use library computers. Exceptions to this policy require approval of the Library Director.
  4. The computer labs located at the rear of the first floor of Julia Tutwiler Library, Curriculum Lab, Bibb Graves Rm. 123 and Bibb Graves Rm. 129 are intended for use by UWA faculty, students, or staff only.
  5. Persons may not use more than one computer at a time.
  6. Food and drink may not be brought into any computer work area.
  7. Users will be respectful of others and will not make unnecessary noise and distractions. Low conversations that are not disturbing to others are permitted. Loud talking or other disruptive behavior is not permitted. Cell phone conversations are not permitted within the Library, Curriculum Lab or the BG 123 or BG 129 labs.
  8. When leaving work areas, users are expected to clean work areas by removing papers, disks, books, and any other items of personal property.
  9. A parent or responsible adult of those under the age of eighteen (18) must assume responsibility for what Internet resources are appropriate for his/her child, and the parent or other responsible adult must supervise his/her child's Internet sessions.
  10. Users may not intentionally disrupt the campus computing system or obstruct the work of others users, including sending chain letters or blanket e-mails messages, or knowingly consume an inordinate amount of systems resources.
  11. Users may not install or download any software or make any effort to change system performance. This specifically includes the creation or dissemination of viruses, worms, or any other destructive program.
  12. Users are not in any way to attempt to copy any computer software program or data protected by copyright or by special license. Users must not attempt to damage, remove, or otherwise alter any software currently installed on any computer.
  13. Users are not in any way to attempt to change to the physical location or configuration of any computer workstation, its attendant peripherals or cabling.
  14. The Internet is not a secure environment. Therefore, users should take precautionary measures before making personal identification, such as home address, phone numbers, or credit card numbers available over the Internet.
  15. Changes made or files saved to the C: drive will be erased when the computer is shut down. Users are advised to create a backup of any information to storage media such as a floppy disc, CD or portable hard drive. In the event that storage media is not available, users may e-mail files to themselves.

 

 

Sanctions

 

Illegal acts involving Library computers will be dealt with in a serious and appropriate manner. Library computer privileges may be jeopardized, and illegal acts may also be subject to prosecution by local, state, and federal authorities.

 

 

Legal limitations

 

All use of computers must comply with federal and Alabama state laws. This includes but is not limited to:

Sections 13A-12-200.1, 13A-12-200.2, 13A-12-200.3, 13A-12-200.5, and 13A-12-200.9, Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:

 

§13A-12-200.1. "(13) (6) DISSEMINATE PUBLICLY.

To expose, place, perform, exhibit, show or in any fashion display, in any location, public or private, any material in such a manner that the material can either be readily seen and its content or character distinguished by normal unaided vision or be physically examined, by viewing or examining the material from any public place or any place to which members of the general public are invited.

http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/alison/codeofalabama/1975/coatoc.htm

 

Obscene means "that an average person applying contemporary community standards would find the material taken as a whole predominantly, appeals to the prurient interest or a shameful or morbid interest in nudity, sex, or excretion."

 

Roth v. United States, 354 U.S. 476 (1957)

" . . . obscenity is not expression protected by the First Amendment . . ."

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/354/476/case.html

 

USA Freedom Act    Approved June 2, 2015.

 

Public Law 114-23

 

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr2048enr/pdf/BILLS-114hr2048enr.pdf

 

Under the requirements of this law, the library may be required to allow federal law enforcement agents to examine the computer records and drives for suspect activities.

 

 

Effective Date

 

This policy is effective 4/30/2024 and will be reviewed at least annually.

 

UWA reserves the right to change, modify, or otherwise alter this policy at its sole discretion and at any time as it deems circumstances warrant.

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