The Mortvedt Library licenses electronic library resources (research databases, journals, e-books, videos, etc.) from scholarly publishers and academic content providers on behalf of current Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) faculty, staff, students, and other authorized users. These resources support research, instruction, and other related activities. Usage is governed by U.S. copyright law and by specific license agreements that dictate how and by whom they may be used.

Mortvedt Library staff encourage responsible use of these resources for research and educational purposes. Certain uses may be considered irresponsible and could violate copyright law or license agreements, risking the loss of access for both individual researchers and the University and incurring legal penalties.

Prohibited Uses of Electronic Resources

  • Sharing usernames and passwords (e.g. ePass) or authorized access codes
  • Sharing electronic resources with people other than current PLU faculty, staff, and students
  • Large-scale systematic downloading of articles or other information
  • Use of automated tools (e.g., robots, spiders, or web crawlers) to access, search and/or download content
  • Modifying or creating derivative work of the licensed (non-Creative Commons) materials
  • Removing, obscuring, or modifying any copyright or other proprietary notices included in the licensed materials
  • Posting copyrighted materials on publicly accessible websites or listservs
  • Resale or commercial exploitation of licensed information. This includes providing licensed content to external employers (i.e., through internships and/or other forms of external student employment)

Consequences of Misuse of Electronic Resources

Within PLU’s license agreements, publishers reserve the right to suspend access to content for individual users and/or the entire campus. Violating the terms of use for an individual electronic resource puts the entire PLU community at risk of losing access temporarily or permanently and incurring legal penalties. Therefore, users are advised to direct questions about appropriate uses of licensed content to the Mortvedt Library (library@plu.edu) before beginning new projects.

 


Policy last updated on: 01/23/2025

This policy was adapted, with permission, from the University of Dayton University Library’s policy on responsible use of electronic resources.