Conduct Policy

The Jean and Alexander Heard Library seeks to create a welcoming, comfortable, and safe environment for our users. The library is a place for learning and reflection, and our staff supports these activities by providing helpful, responsive, and knowledgeable service. Mutual courtesy and respect among users and staff are essential to promoting the educational mission of the library.
One of our highest goals is to create a setting where our users feel free to pursue research and study without compromising their privacy or safety. Equally important is protecting the physical integrity of our books, journals, and other resources. These materials form the intellectual core of the library, and we endeavor to assure that users have access to sources of information that are in serviceable condition. Computing equipment is another vital resource that we must protect.

For these reasons, we prohibit the following behaviors because they are destructive to a productive and helpful library environment.

Abuse of property:

• Mutilating library materials, including marking, highlighting, or underlining text, writing upon or folding pages, removing pages, portions of pages, or bindings, and removing electronic theft detection devices.
  
• Removing materials from the library without checking them out.
  
• Concealing library materials for the exclusive use of an individual or group.
  
• Failing to pay fees charged by the library to replace items borrowed and not returned.
  
• Failing to return recalled items.
  
• Stealing library property or the personal property of users or staff.
  
• Tampering with computer software. This includes altering, deleting, damaging, or destroying any computer system, computer program, or data, or installing software not approved by library staff.
  
• Vandalizing or defacing the library building, furniture, or equipment.
  
  

Personal behavior:

• Carrying weapons in the library.
  
• Causing a disturbance or engaging in other behavior that impedes others' safe and comfortable use of the library. Proscribed behavior includes (but is not limited to) verbal abuse, threats of violence, sexual harassment, or stalking another person (following them around the library building). Also prohibited is harassment on account of race, religion, ethnic background, gender, or sexual orientation.
  
• Making excessive noise. Normal conversational levels are necessary and appropriate for personal interaction with library staff or other library users, but conversations should not be loud enough to disturb those engaged in reading, research, and study. Sound from headphones should not be audible to others. We request that cell phones, pagers, and similar electronic devices be set to no-ring (vibrate) mode upon entering the library.
  
• Consuming alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs in the library.
  
• Eating or drinking, except in designated areas or in accordance with library policy. We permit nonalcoholic drinks in closed containers.
  
• Smoking or using smokeless tobacco in the library
  
• Entering unauthorized areas of the library or remaining in the library after closing or when requested to leave during emergency situations or drills.
  
• Opening emergency exits except in emergency situations.
  
• Misusing university identification cards. ID cards are not transferable, and it is a violation of university policy to give them to others for entrance to the library or other uses.
  
• Bringing animals into the library (except those required for personal assistance).
• Soliciting for business, political, religious, or social organizations, either in person or through the distribution of promotional materials. University-affiliated organizations may post flyers on library bulletin boards upon consultation with our administration office.
  
  

Misuse of computers:

• Downloading, printing, transmitting, or disseminating sexually explicit images of children. This activity is not protected by the First Amendment and is a violation of federal law.
  
• Systematically downloading, printing, or disseminating content from our licensed electronic resources. Usage of most of the databases and e-journals on the library homepage is governed by licenses that prohibit these behaviors. These activities also violate copyright law and could result in revocation of our ability to provide electronic resources. Both copyright law and our licenses permit users to download, email, or print small portions of databases or occasional articles in e-journals.
  
• Using sounds or visuals that are disruptive to others. Patrons should abide by Vanderbilt University’s Computer Privileges and Responsibilities policy, available at URL: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/aup.html.
  

Children:

• Allowing children under the age of 14 to enter the library unaccompanied by an adult. As an academic library the Heard Library is not organized, like public libraries, to provide services for children. We do not censor print resources, and our computers provide unfiltered access to the Internet. We welcome children accompanied by a responsible adult, but we are not equipped to care for unsupervised children. Exceptions may be made for children participating in university-sponsored activities scheduled to occur in the libraries

The library reserves the right to sanction those engaging in any of the above behaviors. Among the sanctions are: asking the offending person(s) to leave the library; suspension and/or cessation of library access or borrowing privileges; referring them (if they are Vanderbilt students) to Student Conduct and Academic Integrity for disciplinary action; reporting them to University or Nashville-Davidson County Police; or pursuing legal prosecution. We welcome comments on this policy from our users. Please send your comments to our Tell Us service.