Library Policies

General Policy

1. Patrons of the library from LETU (faculty, staff, students) and affiliate members have access to the library during its regularly scheduled hours. Public patrons from the community may access the library from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday.
2. All patrons including visitors must be registered in the circulation system and present a valid identification card to check out materials, access computers, use of printer and copier (with applicable fees), and utilize services from a librarian. Public patrons and affiliate members must have a valid TexShare card from their home library. Visitors (alumni, special presenters, parents of previewers, etc.) may have computer access with a valid photo ID.       
3. Children under the age of 12 must be supervised by an adult 18 years or older while in the library; the university library is not responsible for the safety of unattended children. Children under 10 must be in direct sight of the responsible party at all times.
4. Patrons must abide by all library policies and procedures while in the library. This includes but is not limited to the following:
   1. Patrons who require Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation must notify library personnel of their accommodation needs.
   2. Patrons must abide by all computer policies. 
   3. Patrons are expected to pay all fines and lost book fees promptly.
   4. Patrons must not engage in disruptive behavior that would disturb others. Talking or loud conversation interrupting others should be avoided.
   5. Patrons must silence all personal electronic devices and/or use headphones while in the library.
   6. Patrons may eat and drink in the library; however, drinks should be in an enclosed container with a lid.
   7. Patrons may regroup furniture to enhance learning and studying process. Patrons are requested to return the furniture to its original location when they are through.
   8. When the library is open for extended hours, patrons may not “live” in the library; patrons cannot bring excessive amounts of personal belongings to the library.
   9. Patrons may not bring animals, other than service animals, into the library.
   10. Patrons may not sit on the floor and block exits and lanes of egress.
   11. Patrons may not enter non-public areas unless authorized by library staff.
   12. Patrons may not damage or use library equipment, resources, or furniture inappropriately.
   13. Selling, soliciting, or distributing materials without prior approval and in accordance with LeTourneau University policies is prohibited.
   14. Patrons may not operate business ventures on library computers.
   15. Patrons may not tamper with emergency mechanisms (fire alarms, alarms in elevators, or opening emergency exits in non-emergency situations).
   16. Patrons may not possess or use tobacco products, alcohol, or intoxicants in any form in the library or university property.
   17. Patrons may not carry firearms or illegal weapons of any kind into the library.
   18. Patrons must abide by all federal, state, and local law in addition to the rules and regulations of the university.

Compliance Measures

1. All portable items such as backpacks, bags, or briefcases may be subject to inspection by campus security officers and/or library staff.
2. Proper identification must be presented upon request.
3. Patrons whose conduct or activities violate the above expectations will be asked to modify their behavior or leave the library.

Procedure Violations

Violations of library procedure may result in temporary or permanent suspension of library privileges.  The library staff will notify the university police regarding any criminal or disruptive behavior such as verbal threats (assault), deliberate misuse of library equipment or materials, vandalism, and theft.

LeTourneau Constituents

Students and employees of LeTourneau University are considered to be LeTourneau constituents and may use the Margaret Estes Library during all hours of operation. Presenting a valid LeTourneau identification card allows checkout of Library materials, use of the reserve room, access to the computers, use of the printer and copier (with applicable fees), and services from the reference librarian. Access to online databases is available through the Library website with LetNet credentials. Interlibrary loans and wireless network access are available to constituents. 

Visitors

Members of the community are welcome in the Library during public hours, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. They may request assistance from the reference librarian and use the copier (with applicable fees). If they have a TexShare card, photo ID and are over 18 years of age, they may use a public computer for two hours per day. Visitors must consent to have a personal library account created and present valid identification at the circulation desk to be allowed check-out privileges in the Library.

Registered Public Patrons

Members of the community are welcome in the Library during public hours, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. They may request assistance from the reference librarian and use the printer and copier (with applicable fees).

All minors must be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older at all times in the library.

To access a public computer and/or check out library materials, all visiting patrons must present a valid TexShare card and consent to have a personal library account created in the Margaret Estes Library system.

Public computer workstations are available on a first come, first serve basis with priority given to LETU students, faculty, and staff. During times of high student traffic public computers may be inaccessible to community members. Public patrons may access one of 4 designated computers for two hours per day and must follow LETU’s computer policies.

Library accounts allow materials to be checked out of the Margaret Estes Library following the established circulation policy for public patrons. 

Affiliate Members

In addition to the services for visitors, members of the community who are involved in research and have a valid need for extended access to the Library outside of the usual public patron hours may apply to be affiliate members. Affiliate members may include pastors, alumni, counselors, students from other colleges, and spouses and children of current LeTourneau constituents. Affiliate Members must have a research or reference need and be unable to access the Library during public hours, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.

The application is available at the circulation desk. After approval, registered members present a valid photo ID and current TexShare card. Our circulation policy governs the number of items and length of borrowing period.

This page includes information relative to the selection of materials for the Margaret Estes Library.

Faculty, in conjunction with the Library Director, have the primary responsibility of selecting materials. Any person, however, can request the purchase of an item for the Library.

Selection priorities are as follows:

1. Faculty requests for classes
2. Collection development as determined by the Library staff
3. Curriculum-related needs identified both by patrons and Library staff
4. Other needs that are identified

Requests for purchase should be submitted by completing the materials purchase request form or emailing library@letu.edu. The request should include:

• Full name of person making the request, including phone number and email address.
• All available bibliographic information. This can be items from a bibliography, a circled review, circled items from a catalog, a handwritten citation, a print-out from an online reference such as FirstSearch, etc.
• The reason for purchase should also be included.

The copyright law of the United States governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Photocopies or other reproductions can be furnished only under certain conditions if they will be used solely for private study, scholarship or research. Use of these reproductions for other purposes may make the user liable for copyright infringement.

This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a request for documents, copies, or other information if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve or facilitate violation of copyright law.

FAIR USE

There is a lot of misunderstanding about copyright and fair use of materials for classroom instruction. "Fair use" refers to situations in which educators of non-profit educational institutions may use copyrighted works without seeking permission or making payment to the author or publisher.

Following are some guidelines to help you choose what to put in the Course Reserves, and in what form. In the 1976 Copyright Act, Congress provided criteria for use of copyrighted material in a non-profit, educational setting.

• The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for non-profit educational purposes. (This portion is usually not an issue at an academic institution.)
• The nature of the copyrighted work. In other words, was the work created for the purpose of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship or research. Generally, what is used in the classroom easily fits these criteria.
• The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole. This criterion is a bit more complex because it may be fair use to copy all of a short poem, but fair use to copy only a small portion of a larger work. To use (copy) the "heart" or "creative essence" of a work may easily infringe on copyright. A good rule of thumb is "no more than is necessary."
• The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
• Fair Use is almost always a short excerpt and always attributed (that is, the author, title, date of publication, and publisher appear on the copy). If making the copy means that the students no longer need to purchase the work, then it is not Fair Use, and why copying the whole work is generally forbidden.

RESERVE ROOM POLICY

1. Either the instructor, a student worker, or the Library staff may make one legal copy of the copyrighted work to be placed on reserve.
2. Only one legal copy may be placed on reserve in addition to the source material.

MULTIPLE COPIES

• The following "fair use" guidelines must apply for making multiple copies for classroom use:
• For an article, the limit is 2,500 words.
• For a longer work of prose, the limit is 1,000 words, or 10% of the work, whichever is less.
• For a poem, the limit is 250 words.
• For a longer poem, an excerpt of no more than 250 words may be used.
• No more than one chart, diagram, cartoon or picture from a book, periodical, or newspaper.
• The copying must be done at the initiative of the teacher (at the moment of inspiration).
• The copying must be done at a time when it is unreasonable to get permission from the copyright owner.
• Only one copy is made for each student.
• No charge is made to the student except to recover only the cost of copying.
• The copying is done for only one course.
• The same item is not reproduced from term to term.
• No more than...
  • one work is copied from a single author.
  • three authors are copied from a single collective work (such as an anthology).
  • nine instances of multiple copying occur during a single term or semester.
• "Consumable works" shall not be copied, such as: workbooks or standardized tests.
• The same item will not be reproduced from term to term.

POSTING TO CANVAS

Single copies of text meeting the criteria above for length and importance to the work may be posted on a course site for one semester. The guidelines are the same as for the Reserve Room material. The posting may not occur over multiple semesters and still be within the realm of Fair Use unless permission has been granted by the publisher and/or author (whichever is the copyright holder) in writing and is on file in the professor's office.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

What is the public domain?
The term "public domain" describes the state of a work of authorship. When a work is "in the public domain", it belongs to the public as a whole; it is a work that is not protected by the bundle of exclusive rights of authors or owners under copyright law. Thus, the public may copy, distribute, adapt, perform, and display works in the public domain.

When does copyrightable work enter the public domain?
A work is either in the public domain or it is not. It is, however, sometimes difficult to tell whether or not a work is in the public domain. The rules for determining whether a protected work is in the public domain are set out in chart form by Peter Hirtle. These rules are complex and somewhat hard to describe, partly because they have changed many, many times during the 20th century. The general rules (excluding anonymous works and works for hire) can be summarized as follows:

• Any work published on or before December 31, 1922 is now in the public domain.
• Works published between January 1, 1923 and December 31, 1978, inclusive, are protected for a term of 95 years from the date of publication, with the proper notice. But, if the work was published between 1923 and December 31, 1963, when there used to be a (non-automatic) "renewal term", the copyright owner may not have renewed the work. If he or she did not renew, the original term of protection (28 years) would now be expired, and these works will be in the public domain.
• After 1978, the way we measure the term of protection changes. It is no longer related to a date of publication, but rather runs for 70 years from the date the author dies (called "life of the author" plus 70 years). Further, publication is irrelevant. Works are protected whether they are published or not.
• Finally, those works that were created before December 31, 1978, but never published, are now protected for the life of the author plus 70 years, or until December 31, 2002.

Some works are in the public domain because they were never copyrightable:

• Works that lack originality
  • logical, comprehensive compilations (like the phone book)
  • unoriginal reprints of public domain works
• U.S. Government works
• Facts
• Ideas, processes, methods, and systems described in copyrighted works

Remember that just because a work is in the public domain, does not mean that the public can assert authorship of the work. Although King Lear is in the public domain, William Shakespeare will always be the author of that work.

IN SUMMARY

For research purposes, a teacher may select books, magazine or journal articles, or other documents to be placed in the Library's Reserve Room, which functions as an extension of the classroom. (Felknor, Harper).

Students may borrow these materials and make single copies on machines that are plainly marked with notices citing protection of the works under the Copyright Act. The students, as users of self-service photocopiers, are accountable for any copyright violations. (Syracuse University)

Look at the number of students, the time they have to read the assignment on Reserve, and the number of books that can be placed there. Reserve check-out duration can be as little as 2 hours. For example, for a class of 20 students, reading a chapter or 30 pages out of a book, with a week to fulfill the assignment, one book on 2-hour reserve will make the material accessible and available for all the students in the class.

SOURCES OF COPYRIGHT AND FAIR USE INFORMATION

Association of Research Libraries: http://www.arl.org/

CONTU (National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyright Works) for Interlibrary Loan

Copyright Advisory Network: http://www.librarycopyright.net/

Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), Library of Congress summary on Fair Use

Lehman, Bruce A. (September, 1998). Report to the Commissioner on the Conclusion of the Conference on Fair Use (CONFU).

O'Mahoney, B.(1995-1997). The Copyright Website. https://www.benedict.com

University of Texas Crash Course in Copyright: http://copyright.lib.utexas.edu/

The copyright law of the United States governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Photocopies or other reproductions can be furnished only under certain conditions if they will be used solely for private study, scholarship or research. Use of the reproduction for other purposes may make the user liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a request for copies, documents, or other information if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve or facilitate violation of copyright law.

*All patrons may request one renewal for each item. Exceptions may be allowed if there is not a hold on any item.

Wireless Access

Only current students, faculty, and staff of LeTourneau University are eligible to use the library's wireless network. In special circumstances, wireless access may be granted upon the library director’s discretion.

Library Computer Lab

The library has 16 computer stations for faculty, staff, and students to use. They are available on a first come, first serve basis unless they have been reserved for a class doing library research or literacy training.

Public patrons may request to use one of four designated library computers for a two-hour period Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. Public computer workstations are available on a first come, first serve basis with priority given to LETU constituents.  Public patrons must present a TexShare card to sign up for computer use and receive a guest access card.  Children under the age of 12 must be supervised while using a computer station.  Affiliate members may have access to a computer after normal operating hours for the public.  Public patrons and affiliate members must abide by LETU’s computer policies. 

Library Collaboration Rooms

The library has two collaboration rooms for student, faculty, or staff use.  Each room contains a flat screen TV with an HDMI cord and screencast device for projection with mobile devices.  Reservations may be made for groups of 2 or more at the library service desk for a two hour time limit.