Library Policies

Ringing cell phones and telephone conversations are distracting to patrons who use the libraries to study or conduct research. Please be considerate of others.

• Turn off your phone or turn it to vibrate when you enter this facility.
• If you make or receive a call, please move away from others and keep your voice as low as possible.

Failure to observe these courtesies may result in you being asked to leave the library.

The Harrison Libraries are academic libraries whose primary purpose is to serve the University community of adults.

• All children 12 and under (5th grade and below) must be accompanied at all times by a responsible adult.
• Children under 16 may not use the libraries' computers except when closely supervised by a responsible adult.
• If a child is alone in the libraries, Harrison Libraries staff will contact Public Safety, who will remove the child from the building.
• Any child whose behavior disturbs library users will be asked to leave immediately.

Harrison Libraries follows the U.S. copyright law. See below for restrictions.

Food and drinks are allowed in the library.  Where possible, please help the library keep the risk of damage to library property to a minimum, the following policy is in place:

• Please try to keep drinks in a spill-proof container, or
• Lids are kept on containers
• Please clean up after yourself and be considerate of others.
• Some rooms in the Harrison Libraries may have separate rules governing the use of the room. 

The primary purpose of the Reference Department is to help members of the University of Hartford community to identify and use sources of information. Reference Librarians instruct and assist users in the best means of locating information using the growing variety of resources available.

Availability, Hours and Services

• See Reference Services Department.
• An online Research Tutorial provides an introduction to using basic sources in the Libraries.

Librarians will: 

• Assist with simple fact checking (such as directory look-ups) for any users.
• Assist in the use of databases and resources subscribed to or owned by the Harrison Libraries.
• Make suggestions on developing search strategies.
• Recommend books or other materials that may provide information on the research subject.

Limitations:

• Note that librarians cannot conduct the research for patrons.
• While available to help, the amount of assistance time librarians can provide may be limited, particularly during periods of high demand.
• Since librarians cannot learn all of the systems on the open web, assistance in using specific Web information resources (other than those subscribed to by University Libraries) will be limited.
• Anyone using computers on the upper or lower levels will receive assistance when staff are available on those floors.
• Librarians cannot provide computer system or program assistance to users in the ITS Users' Branch.
• Priority is given to University users (who show their University ID).

Alumni and Guest Services:

• Alumni, guests and visitors may receive general reference help.
• Reference librarians must give priority to current University of Hartford students, faculty and staff.
• Alumni and guests may receive only limited assistance.
• Due to licensing restrictions, most electronic databases may be used only within the University Libraries.
• Holders of University Libraries Alumni or Guest Borrower cards are not considered full University users.
• See the alumni and guest services page

The Harrison Libraries comply with all State and Federal laws regarding service dogs.

If a user connects to the Libraries' website from a workstation not maintained by a Libraries facility, then the Libraries solely record (for statistical purposes only) the time of day at which the user gains access to any resource at that website and any IP address or other domain from which the user makes a connection with the Libraries' website. However, the Libraries' website contains links to websites and licensed databases that are not maintained by the Libraries.

The Libraries disclaim responsibility for any external website's privacy practices. One who uses a personal username/password in order to log in to a non-Libraries website should be sure to log off to protect one's privacy from any other individual who gains access to one's workstation.

The Libraries also maintain several web-based management tools including forms for renewing books, asking reference questions, requesting interlibrary loans, etc. In order to protect one's privacy in regard to these web-based management tools, one should always close one's web browser upon completing one's session. 

The Libraries use personally identifiable information collected and stored in the Libraries’ computer system only to maintain a user's library account and communicate with that user. The Libraries do not make this information available to any other entity outside the Libraries, unless required by law.

For more information, view the University of Hartford Web Privacy Policy.

For each valid user's Libraries account, the Libraries under strict confidentiality maintain personally identifiable information as part of the Libraries' circulation records.

For administrative and auditing purposes, the Libraries record a link between any Libraries item that a user has currently charged out and that user's identity. Upon that item's return, the Libraries do not retain any record that the user has borrowed the item unless it was returned overdue, resulting in an overdue fine.

The Libraries similarly retain user-linked records of any non-returned or lost item that is billed to that user for replacement. The Libraries' staff are prohibited from disclosing any user's identity link to a Libraries item, unless required by law.

The Libraries additionally maintain confidential any record of information or material that a user seeks, receives or consults using any Libraries resource including, without limitation: any database search, reference interview, interlibrary loan, or other personally-identifiable use of any material, facility or service.