Policies

MU Libraries Employee Computer Use Policy

• Scope
  • This policy applies to all non-public units and usage thereof by all employees and student employees of the MU Libraries under the administration of the Director of Libraries. This policy will also apply to Library branches, and is not meant to supersede but complement those policies imposed on branches by IT personnel in the various colleges in which they are housed. It is the Libraries' goal to utilize new or enhanced technologies to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their services, to help UMC Libraries' staff better fulfill their assigned duties, to improve administrative efficiency, and make every effort to reduce costs wherever possible. In the process of doing this, the MU Libraries will support and enforce the campus Acceptable Use Policy and related internally developed policies.
• Purpose
  • This policy establishes guidelines for the use of non-public computers and computer related equipment by library employees as well as identify the final authority for decisions about the acquisition and uses of computer related equipment.
• Specifications
  • Computer Use
    • The University of Missouri prohibits use of its resources, regardless of medium:
      • for any illegal activity
      • for harassment or intimidation
      • for commercial profit
      • for promotion of political or religious agendas except in public debate (such as a public network news or Listserv forum) or with written authorization per Collected Rules and Regulations of the University of Missouri, Section 110.010 (additional conflict of interest laws and policies, and requirements may apply)
      • for publishing obscene, pornographic, or indecent materials
      • chain letters
      • for unauthorized copying or distribution of text, images, sounds, software or other data including licensed software or copyrighted data otherwise accessible for use
      • for activities that place people or equipment at significant physical risk (including exposed electrical connections, ionizing radiation, heat, food, or drink in a public computing site).
      • The University has official policies regarding acceptable computer use, which can be found at doit.missouri.edu/security/policy/aup.html
    • No computer (desktop, wireless, or handheld device) should be added to the MU Libraries' network or use the networking infrastructure without prior consultation and approval of the LTS staff. A review of a denial can be scheduled with the requestor, appropriate LTS employees and the requestor's supervisor.
    • Installation and configuration of hardware by anyone other than an LTS staff member is strictly prohibited unless approved by the Head of Library Technology Services prior to its installation. A review of a denial can be scheduled with the requestor, appropriate LTS employees and the requestor's supervisor.
    • The Libraries and its employees are expected to adhere to University policies regarding University-owned or controlled property. In general, this means that employees may not take home University-owned or controlled hardware or software. This policy, however, shall not apply to short-term use of portable equipment intended for that purpose. Any exception to this policy requires written approval of the Director of Libraries, Associate Director of Libraries, Division Head, or Head of the LTS department and should be forwarded to the LTS department for filing.
    • The LTS staff shall maintain a list of supported hardware and software products based upon compatibility with existing functions, reliability and available expertise. While non-supported products may be used provided they do not have a negative effect on the network or other users, there is no obligation on the part of the LTS staff to provide any type of support for those products.
    • LTS staff shall have access to employees' offices for the purpose of solving hardware and software problems. Such access shall be unlimited when a problem in an employee's office affects network-wide performance. For the convenience of scheduling more routine maintenance, office access shall be unlimited in the absence of a specific request from an employee for accompanied access. Employees making requests for accompanied access do so with the understanding that this may cause significant delays in dealing with problems. Such requests should be directed to the Head of the LTS department.
    • Installation of PIRATED software is prohibited. This is software that is installed in violation of the license agreement, i.e. installed on more computers that licenses were purchased for, or shareware used beyond the evaluation period without registration. Library employees responsible for installing or knowingly using pirated software may be subject to disciplinary action.
    • The LTS staff reserves the right to remove, without notice, any unauthorized software if it is believed to be the cause of a computer malfunction or is in violation of the Acceptable Use Policy. If the employee reinstalls a previously removed program, the Head of the LTS department will discuss the issue with the employee's supervisor, and any offending software will be removed. If the program is subsequently reinstalled, the employee may be subject to disciplinary action.
    • Employees may use the equipment they are provided to perform their job duties for personal use, as long as it is confined to their personal time, i.e. breaks, or non-work time. Supervisors may establish departmental guidelines governing personal use of equipment. Individuals who use library resources for personal reasons should be mindful of the amount of supplies they consume (including paper, printouts, etc.) since these constitute a real cost to the libraries. The Acceptable Use Policy will continue to apply at all times, including one's personal time. Student employees are not authorized to use library equipment for personal use unless authorized by their supervisor.
    • LTS performs routine backups of the servers. However, it is the employee's responsibility to backup their local files to the server, zip disk, or CD. LTS staff will, at the employee's request, provide instructions on the proper and best methods of backing up files.
  • Acquisition of Hardware and Software
    • All requests for computer hardware and/or software should be made in writing via the Equipment/Computer Technology Request Form with the appropriate signature from the Division Head, and submitted to LTS for timely review and endorsement, then to the Associate Director of Libraries and/or Director of Libraries for final approval. A review of a denial can be scheduled with the requestor, appropriate LTS employees and the requestor's supervisor.
    • Requests for hardware and software purchases, installations, and configuration changes or modifications must be made in a timely manner to allow for adequate planning and scheduling by the LTS staff.
    • No computer hardware or software should be purchased without prior consultation with the LTS staff.
    • All software licenses received by the Library should be forwarded to the LTS department, and will be filed with other licenses the Library already owns.
  • Termination of Employment
    • In the event an employee is terminated, it is the responsibility of the former employee's immediate supervisor to ensure that all documents relevant to that employee's position are retained for future use. It is the responsibility of the former employee to remove all personal files that they wish to preserve from the computer assigned to them, as well as their allotted space on the library servers. The LTS staff will, as time permits, come and remove all personal email, software and documents from the former employee's computer and prepare it for use by another employee.

Sponsor: Michael Bland Jr., Head, Library Technology Services
Computing Committee members: Leo Agnew, John Meyer, Rhonda Whithaus, David Walsh, John Doll, Diane Johnson, Sue Schuermann, Alice Allen, Michael Bland Jr.
Approved by Library Council and Director of Libraries: