Accessing and Acceptable Use of Library Electronic Resources

The University of Oregon Libraries provides access to many electronic resources for university-affiliated persons. The Library negotiates licenses with providers of e-resources to deliver access. These licenses control what users can and cannot do with the content. 

Licenses for e-resources also define the user community--who is allowed to use the resources. The license may also establish how many users can have access to a resource at a given time and may specify whether or not our user community can have off campus access to resources. Specific terms and conditions can vary between licenses, but the Library works to provide the broadest possible access to its user community.

User Community

The Library provides access to almost all electronic resources within the Library's locations to all users, including walk-in community members. UO faculty, staff, students, and on campus users of the Library's computer networks can usually be defined as the Library's user community. There are exceptions. Some e-resource providers only grant use to current UO faculty and currently enrolled UO students. In other cases, the user community may encompass an even narrower group of campus users (e.g. current School of Law or Lundquist College of Business faculty, staff and students).

Remote Access

Whenever possible, the Library seeks to provide off campus or remote access to the electronic resources we acquire. Occasionally e-resource providers only permit access within a specific library location, for example, the Knight Library or the Law Library.

Learn about remote access to electronic resources which is available for use ONLY by current UO faculty and staff, and by currently enrolled students. Remote access requires users to identify or authenticate themselves, typically using their name and university ID. Use of the campus virtual private network (VPN) is also encouraged. Sharing this required information (e.g., your university ID number) with unauthorized persons, including proxy card holders, in order for them to obtain access to the Library's electronic resources is not allowed.

Proxy card holders are welcome to use most of the library's licensed resources while on campus. Proxy card holders are not eligible for remote access. A person acting as a proxy may also not use a faculty member’s identification numbers to obtain access to the Library's licensed electronic resources.

Learn about the proxy program. 

Terms of use

Most agreements provide access to e-resources for the educational, research, and personal needs of the Library's user community. Commercial use is not allowed under the terms of our licensing agreements. Specifically, UO community members who also have commercial employment are not permitted to use our e-resources to benefit that business; This would also be a violation of the UO Code of Ethics.

Below is a list of typical DOs and DON'Ts when it comes to using electronic resources:

DO

  • Use them to fulfill educational, research, and personal needs
  • Save, download, and/or print portions or single copies
  • Use in class
  • Share with UO classmates and colleagues (UO authorized users)
  • Link to specific resources if possible (i.e., course reserves)
  • Give proper acknowledgements to your source material


DON'T

  • Share material with unauthorized users
  • Post material via the Internet or on listservs
  • Use them to support the activities of a business or a non-UO organization, whether profit or non-profit
  • Engage in automatic downloading of large amounts of content without receiving prior permission (data or text mining)
  • Use robots, spiders, or similar automated tools to search for or download materials
  • Use material for any artificial intelligence program not specifically permitted by our licenses
  • Share your user IDs and passwords with anyone
  • Remove any copyright or intellectual property notices from the materials

Consequence of Unauthorized Use

There may be serious consequences to unauthorized use. These consequences include temporary or permanent loss of e-resource access for individuals or for the entire campus. See also Acceptable Use of Computing Resources.

Unsure about your user status? Uncertain about what use is permitted? Unable to get access? We can help! For assistance, contact Dave Fowler, Licensing and Collection Analysis Librarian, at dcfowler@uoregon.edu).