Policy - Visitors - Computer Use Policy & Procedures

University Library
GSU I-71
Organizational Memorandum No. 71
11/08

Visitors - Computer Use Policy & Procedures

The University Library currently provides a significant portion of campus computing capacity, serves thousands of GSU students and hundreds of GSU faculty and staff members, and funds a significant portion of equipment and resource from the Student Technology Fee. In this context, use of technology in the University Library has outstripped available resources. As a result, library employees must strive to ensure that the library’s primary users (currently enrolled GSU students and active faculty and staff) are provided with access to online databases and resources.

At the same time, the GSU Library is committed to serving the research needs of the general public and affiliated GSU community users who cannot be served by area public libraries. The following procedures govern the use of community access workstations in the University Library by visitors.

Note: Use of the GIL online library catalog look-up workstations is not restricted. Visitors may determine Georgia State University Library holdings without using the reservation system described below.

Visitors – Computer Use Procedures

Community access workstations that are configured to allow use by any visitor to the GSU Library are located on Library North 1 and Library North 2. No other computers in the library allow visitor access.
Use of community access workstations is subject to availability. The time limit on use of community access workstations is one hour per day. Wait time for a computer will vary, depending on the number of visitors in line to use the community access workstations. Wait times in excess of an hour are not unusual.
Visitors must present a photo ID in order to create a personal ID within the Library’s PC Reservation System to reserve time at a community access workstation. Instructions on reservations are available from Circulation and Learning Commons staff.
Visitors who need to do research in print (non-electronic) resources are advised to do so before their reserved computer time.
Visitors who plan to print from a computer should purchase a guest print card before logging in to a community access workstations, in order to maximize online research time. Instructions on printing are available from Circulation and Learning Commons staff.
In keeping with University computer network policy, “attempts to gain access to Georgia State University computers and networks to which you are not authorized are prohibited” (IS&T Computer Ethics Policy 5.2.3) and will result in termination of future computer access privileges. In addition, using another person’s ID for any purpose is prohibited and will result in the termination of library and computer access privileges.
All computers in the library are intended for research purposes. “Authorized use is that which is consistent with the academic, research, and service goals of this institution and falls within the guidelines of this policy and the policy of the Board of Regents which states that property owned by the institution shall be used only for institutional purposes.” (IS&T Computer Ethics Policy 3.0). Excessive noise, loud conversations, and viewing pornography are not appropriate behaviors around these workstations. Such abuse will result in the termination of library and computer access privileges.

Submitted by Task Force 4/11/00. Approved by the Library Administrative Council 4/25/00. Revisions discussed by LibAdmin 1/20/04; Note change in title, “Non-GSU Clients” changed to “Visitors.” Approved by the Library Administrative Council 2/17/04. Revised by Learning Commons Coordinator. Approved by Library Administrative Council 12/14/06. Revised by Ad-Hoc Committee 5/21/08. Reviewed by Library Administrative Council 9/9/08 & 10/21/08. Approved by Library Administrative Council 11/7/08;Note change in title, “Use Of Library Computer Workstations By Visitors to “Visitors – Computer Use Policy & Procedures.”

Page updated on: May 11, 2009