The University of Toledo

Policies

Beverages Cell Phones Children Closings (unscheduled) Concerns/ComplimentsConfidentiality/PrivacyCopyright Disruptive Behavior Donation of Books Journals

Flyers/Advertisements Food Harassment House Phones Laptops Library Computers Lost & Found Newspapers Noise

Pagers Paging Library Users Personal BelongingsResponsible Use of Computers Sales Study Spaces Suggestions

Beverages
Drinks are permitted in the Mulford Library as long as they are in a container with a lid (an open pop can is considered to have a lid). Please keep beverages away from computer workstations.

Cell Phones
The Mulford Library, especially on the fifth floor, is used by many students as a quiet study area. Please set all cell phones on silent or vibrate mode if possible.  If the phone does not have a silent/vibrate mode, turn the ringtone down as low as possible. When making or receiving calls, please do so in the cell phone zone (on the fifth floor), in a stairwell or restroom, or outside of the Library. We reserve the right to ask anyone whose phone conversations are disturbing other users to leave the Library.

Children
Children under the age of 16 must be supervised and accompanied by an adult at all times while in the Mulford Library. The Library is open to the public, and as is true of any public facility, we cannot guarantee and individual's personal safety. If staff members notice children who are left unattended, University Police will be notified.

Closings that are Unscheduled
In support of the University's commitment to serve the community by providing uninterrupted service during emergencies, the Mulford Library will continue to provide service in all but the most serious weather or security situations. Class cancellation does not necessarily mean that the Library is closed. Markers influencing the decision to close the Library:

• University has announced a campus-wide closure (weather, natural disasters, civil unrest, or other serious situations)
• Lucas County in in a Level-Three Snow Emergency
• University is in Snow Emergency Mode as per University Police
• Traveler's advisory has been issued for Lucas County
• Threat of a tornado is imminent
• Severe flooding in the area
• Electrical outage in the building affecting the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors

When the decision to close the Library is made, library staff will notify users who are currently in the Library at least 30 minutes prior to the closing. Some situations, however, require immediate evaculation. For your safety, please follow directions of staff members.

Look for signs noting a closing on the Library's front doors (fourth floor), inside each Mulford Library elevator, and on the double doors leading to the lobby outside Student Services (first floor). Messages on the Library's Info Line (419.383.4225) and Reference Assistance (419.383.4218) will indicate the closure.

Concerns/Compliments
Concerns or complaints regarding a service received, a bill, or the performance of a library employee should be addressed to the coordinator of the department in which the situation occurred. To assist in our investigation of the incident, please include the date, time, department, and employee's name (if appropriate). All of our staff members wear name badges. We also like to hear positive comments on our services and staff members; they too can be addressed to the department coordinator. Concerns and compliments can also be submitted on a suggestion form, located on the fourth floor, by the back elevators.

Confidentiality and Privacy
In October 2000, the State of Ohio passed a law that explicitly protects the information contained in library patron records. In essence, library personallel are not to give out information to others regarding:

• who has a book checked out currently
• who has checked out a book in the past
• what an individual has checked out over a period of time
• what a person has used in the library, including reserve materials, interlibrary loan requests, database search requests, and web sites

Any request for such information from an individual, law enforcement agency, faculty member, department chair, student, lawyer, member of the news media, administrator, etc., will be referred to the Library Director.

Copyright
Users of copyrighted materials accessible in and through the Library are obligated to adhere to the guidelines regarding fair use for educational institutions. Library users bear personal responsibility for abiding by the copyright laws of the United States when using photocopiers, computers, software applications, reserve material services, or making slides for presentations.

Disruptive Behavior
The Library reserves the right to ask anyone to leave who is disrupting the study atmosphere of the Library or the work of library users. Please report disruptive behavior to the service desk on the fourth floor.

Dontations of Books and Journals
While the Mulford Library appreciates offers of donations to the collection, anyone wishing to donate must first speak with the acquisitions coordinator who will assess the donation against the needs of the collection. Do not leave boxes or bags of materials at the Library. We reserve the right to discard donations that are not needed. Copyright laws do not permit the Library to accept donations of current personal subscriptions as substitutes for library-purchased institutional subscriptions.

Flyers/Advertisements in the Library
The Library has a kiosk on the fifth floor, near the back elevators. Flyers and advertisements may be posted there. Items may remain on the kiosk until the event has occurred or the flyer has become unsightly. Flyers promoting the services or products of commercial companies will not be posted. We reserve the right to remove any flyer that is not in line with the academic mission of the University.

Food
Food is not permitted in the Library, other than candy provided at the service desk. Please discard wrappers from this candy in the trash.Closest places to eat include the Bryan Lounge on the first floor of the Library and the University Medical Center cafeteria. The closest microwave oven is in the basement of the Library, near the vending machines. Ask a staff member for directions.

Harassment
In accordance with University policies on harassment, the Mulford Library will not tolerate harassment of library users or library employees. If you feel you are being harassed, please report the incident immediately to Library Administration (room 417) or to the service desk.

House Phones
House (red) phones are located on the fourth and fifth floors of the Library, near the elevators. These phones should only be used to make in-house, medically related calls. The closest pay phone is located in the University Medical Center lobby. See information about cell phones.

Laptops
Laptops may be used in the Library; they can be checked out at the fourth floor service desk. WiFi (wireless access) is available. Please do not leave your laptop unattended!

Library Computers
The library computers on the fourth and fifth floor are open to members of the University community as well as the general public. These workstations provide access to the Library's online resources: databases, knowledgebases, online books, online journals, etc. Please abide by the Library's responsible computer use policy. The Computer Learning Resource Center is only open to those people with a valid University of Toledo ID card.

Lost and Found
Items that are left or lost in the Library will be placed in the Online Resources Room (computer lab on the fourth floor) for a couple of days, then items are taken to University Police, located in the basement of the Mulford Library.

Newspapers
The Mulford Library retains only the current day's newspaper. Other local libraries, such as the Carlson Library on Main campus, may retain them longer. For help searching for newspaper articles online, contact Mulford Reference Assistance. We have access to a variety of newspaper databases and resources.

Noise
Libraries are centers for learning, studying, research, collaboration, and scholarly exchange. At the Mulford Library, we encourage and welcome all of these activities, and ask only that you be considerate of your colleagues who may be involved in quiet study. Ask a library staff member to direct you to areas that are better for group disussion.

Pagers
Please set pagers to silent or vibrate mode while in the Library. If the pager does not have a silent/vibrate setting, please set it as low as possible. Red house phones are available on the fourth and fifth floors to answer in-house pages.

Paging Library Users
The Library's public address system is used for emergencies. We do not page individuals using the Library. Due to the size of the Library and the need to staff the service desk, we are not able to personally locate individuals in the Library.

Personal Belongings
Do not leave personal items unattended within the Library. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Responsible Use of the Library Computers
In support of the University's goals of educational excellence and quality patient care, the Mulford Library strives to create and maintain a climate for reflection, research, and study that is benefitting a community of scholarly, healthcare professionals, and patients.

• Library computers are intended to support healthcare research, education, and patient care only. People from the public may use them for similar purposes.
• The use of chat rooms (other than for communicating with a reference librarian) is prohibited.
• Installation of software is prohibited.
• We reserve the right to restrict priority use to University students, faculty, residents, and staff members at any time.

Those who do not comply with these policies will be asked to leave the Library. University policy 01-027, Standards of Conduct, expressly prohibits disorderly or obscene conduct or expression on University-owned or -controlled property.

Sales
In keeping with our academic, research, and patient care support missions, the Library may not be used as a place for sales representatives to meet, confer, or sell products.

Study Spaces
Study space (tables, carrels, study rooms) in the Mulford Library is available on a first-come, first-served basis. They cannot be reserved and are cleared once each day of unattended personal items, which are sent to campus police's lost-and-found. Groups needing a place to meet should consider the Bryan Student Lounge (on the third floor of the Mulford Annex Building, above the bookstore) or the cafeteria in the basement.

Suggestions
Suggestions for improving Library services are encouraged. Please use the suggestion box on the fourth floor by the back elevators or email them to the Library Director.