As an integral support service for the programs and purpose of the Howard County Junior College District, the libraries of the HCJCD are committed:
1. To provide the primary and secondary materials needed to support all aspects of the educational enterprise, including university parallel curricula, occupational education programs, and continuing education/community service programs;
2. To serve as a resource for the cultural, recreational, and intellectual development of their communities;
3. To be responsive to the needs and aspirations of the community they serve.
The libraries shall seek to deliver their services through a variety of delivery systems and shall strive to facilitate maximum access to information as appropriate to user needs.
Library Card
The library does not issue library cards. Your current Howard College student ID works as your library card.
Loan Periods
Renewals
All items can be renewed twice unless a hold has been placed by another patron. Students can renew their checked out materials by logging in to their KOHA account with their Howard College credentials. Renewals can also be made in person, over the phone, or via email.
Not for Loan
Lost and Damaged Materials
Patrons will be charged the cost of the book plus a $5.00 processing fee. Failure to return materials or pay the fee will result in loss of library privileges and the placing of holds on student accounts and services.
Acceptable Use
1. Howard College and the Information Technology Department are finite by nature. All users must recognize that certain uses of college owned information technology resources may be limited or regulated as required to fulfill the college’s primary teaching, research and public service missions.
2. Users must report any weaknesses in computer security, any incidents of possible misuse or violation of this agreement to the ISO.
3. Users must not attempt to access any data or programs contained on college systems for which they do not have authorization or explicit consent to do so.
4. Users must not share their college account(s), passwords, Personal Identification Numbers (PIN), Security Tokens (i.e. Smartcard), or similar information or devices used for identification and authorization purposes.
5. Users are responsible for all actions that take place with their account.
6. Users must distinguish between ideas, comments, and opinions of the individual user versus those that represent the official positions, programs, and activities of the college.
7. The college is not responsible for the content of documents, exchanges or messages, including links to other information locations on the internet or world wide web, that reflect only the personal ideas, comments and opinions of individual members of the college community, even where they are published or otherwise circulated to the public at large by means of college information technology resources.
8. Students, faculty and staff using information technology resources for purposes of exchanging, publishing or circulating official institutional documents must follow Howard College requirements concerning appropriate content, style and use of logos, seals, or other official insignia.
9. Users of Information Technology resources must not use any software not provided by the college without Information Technology Department approval.
10. Users must not purposely engage in activity that may interference with or disrupt computer systems and networks and related services, by means including, but not limited to, the propagation of computer "worms", "viruses" and "Trojan Horses". Users may not harass, threaten or abuse others; degrade the performance of college information technology resources, deprive an authorized Howard College user access to a college resource, obtain extra resources beyond those allocated, or circumvent any computer security measures.
11. Users must not download, install or run security programs or utilities that reveal or exploit weaknesses in the security of a system. For example, users must not run password cracking programs, packet sniffers, or port scanners or any other non-approved programs on college information technology resources.
12. Use of the College's information technology resources is strictly prohibited for unauthorized commercial activities, fraud, personal gain, and private, or otherwise unrelated to the College business or fundraising. This includes soliciting, promoting, selling, marketing or advertising products or services, reselling College resources, or political lobbying or campaigning.
13. Users must not intentionally create, access, store, view or transmit material which the college may deem to be offensive, indecent or obscene (other than in the course of academic research where this aspect of the research has the explicit approval of the college’s official processes for dealing with academic ethical issues).
14. Illegal material may not be used to perform any legitimate job or academic function and therefore may not be created, accessed, stored, viewed, or transmitted on college information technology resources.
15. A Howard College owned, home based, computer must adhere to all the same policies that apply to use from within Howard College -
facilities. Employees must not allow family members or other non-employees access to college computer systems.
16. Users must not otherwise engage in acts against the aims and purposes of Howard College - as specified in its governing documents or in rules, regulations and procedures adopted from time to time.
17. All user activity on Information Technology resources assets is subject to logging, monitoring, and review.
18. Privately owned information resources are subject to the Acceptable Use Policy when used or operated on campus.
19. As a convenience to the Howard College, user community, some incidental use of Information Technology resources is permitted. The following restrictions apply:
a. Incidental personal use of electronic mail, internet access, fax machines, printers, copiers, telephones, and so on, is restricted to college approved users; it does not extend to family members or other acquaintances.
b. Incidental use must not result in direct costs to the college.
c. Incidental use must not interfere with the normal performance of an employee’s work duties.
d. No files or documents may be sent or received that may cause legal action against, or embarrassment to, the college.
e. Storage of personal email messages, voice messages, files and documents within the college’s Information Technology Department must be minimal and anything deemed to be excessive can be deleted at the discretion of the ISO. Further, it is the responsibility of the individual to have personal data backed up on a privately owned storage device and the college is responsible for any lost personal media or data.
f. All messages, files and documents – including personal messages, files and documents – located on college Information Technology Department equipment are owned by the college, may be subject to open records requests, and may be accessed in accordance with this policy.
