Policies

The A. C. Buehler Library supports the vision and mission of Elmhurst College. In addition, the library has its own Mission Statement and works toward achieving that mission through the Library Action Plan.

The A.C. Buehler Library is a private library with public access whose primary mission is to serve the Elmhurst College community: current students, faculty, staff, and emeriti professors. Visitors to the library who are not current members of the Elmhurst College community are asked to follow the policies for visitors listed at the bottom of this page.

Consideration

Library users are asked to practice consideration of other users as well as library staff. Elmhurst College, including the library, attempts to establish a climate which encourages the assumption of responsibility by students and others for their individual and collective actions with a minimum of rules and regulations. The library, like the College, asks that students and others conduct themselves in a way that is appropriate for members of an educational institution. Examples of unacceptable behavior include but are not limited to:

• Loud or repeated cell phone conversations or cell phone ringing
• Damage or destruction of library property
• Abusive language or name-calling
• Failure to comply with directions from library staff

The library therefore upholds the Code of Conduct of Elmhurst College as outlined in the E-Book (2002-2003, p. 36-37).

**When the behavior of a user constitutes a disruption which interferes with the use of the library by others, interferes with a staff member’s completion of his/her duties or violates the policies of the A.C. Buehler Library, the following progressive steps should be taken:

1. The staff member will issue a verbal warning, with the statement that the user(s) will be told to leave if the behavior in question does not cease.
2. If the disruptive behavior continues after the verbal warning, the staff member will tell the user(s) to leave the building.
3. If there is difficulty in getting the user(s) to leave the building, the staff member will call Protection Services at x3000.

Library Computer Usage Guidelines

Library computers, including those in the library classroom, are available to the Elmhurst College community and are provided for scholarly and educational research. Library users should display their Jaypass (their Elmhurst College identification card) at their computer workstation.

Computers in the library classroom may be used by members of the Elmhurst College community when class is not session. Class times will be posted each day outside of the library classroom. Library staff reserve the right to ask users to leave the library classroom in advance of a class. Food and drinks are prohibited in the library classroom.

Library users are asked to follow the Technology Usage Agreement developed by Academic Computing Services.

**Jaypasses must be displayed by users from the Elmhurst College community. Driver’s licenses or other forms of identification will not be accepted.

**The primary duty of library staff is to assist users from the Elmhurst College community with their research and educational needs by showing them the electronic and print library resources. Assistance with software, computer programs or troubleshooting should be limited to directing users to program help screens, online tutorials and computer software manuals.

**The Elmhurst College community will be allowed to use the computers in the library classroom only when class is not in session. Classes in the library classroom are to be scheduled by librarians. Only classes that rely on librarian collaboration may be scheduled in the library classroom.

Quiet Areas

The lower level and the second floor of the library are quiet study areas. The main floor is designed to facilitate collaborative work and a more social atmosphere and therefore will be noisier than the other floors. The library staff asks that users be considerate of other library users throughout the library. Quiet study rooms for groups or individuals are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Food and Beverages

Library users are allowed to eat snacks or drink beverages that are in containers with lids in any part of the library with the exceptions of the computer workstations and the library classroom. Please be respectful of others by cleaning up after yourself and reporting any spills to library staff.

A.C. Buehler Library Usage Guidelines for Visitors

The A. C. Buehler Library welcomes visitors including Elmhurst College alumni, students and faculty from LIBRAS and ILCSO member institutions and the general public. Visitors served by other libraries are nonetheless expected to use their home library for in-depth instruction or detailed help with research topics.

• Visitors are welcome to study, read, and perform research activities in the library, though priority access to resources and assistance will be granted to members of the Elmhurst College community.
• For computer access, visitors may use one of the Visitors Computers located just west of the staircase on the main floor. All other computers in the library are reserved for current Elmhurst College students, faculty, staff and emeriti professors. When other visitors are waiting for a computer, users are asked to limit their computer time to fifteen minutes.
• Printing is available for the convenience of visitors. The charge to visitors for printing is 10 cents per page which is payable to the circulation desk assistant.
• Visitors under the age of 18 who wish to use the Internet must be accompanied by an adult, 21 years of age or older. In addition, parents are responsible for the behavior of their children.
• Visitors are expected to practice the same consideration toward other library users and library staff that is asked of members of the Elmhurst College community.

**Visitors are expected to follow the Code of Conduct of Elmhurst College as outlined in the E-Book (2002-2003, p. 36-37) and all other policies regarding consideration. The same actions regarding users’ disruptive behavior apply to visitors.

**If the Visitor Computers are all in use, visitors will have to wait until one becomes available. Visitors will be restricted to Visitor Computers. The fifteen minute rule will be enforced especially when visitors are waiting for a Visitor Computer.

**Areas with an asterisk indicate more detailed directives aimed at library staff and will not be included in the Library Usage Guidelines and Policies for the Public.