Using Online Resources

• Check that the online resource that you would like to use is available to you. Unfortunately, some publishers only allow their resources to be used by registered staff and students of University of Surrey.
  • If in doubt, contact library-enquiries@surrey.ac.uk.
  • Descriptions of all of the databases and electronic journal packages to which the Library subscribes are available on our Alphabetical Database Listing . 
  • If you are a student at another university or college, please check your own Library's website to find out whether specific resources are available to you through that means. Most universities allow off-campus access to many of their own online resources.
• Check that you agree with the terms and conditions.
  • You may not use the resources for any purposes that may lead to commercial gain, by yourself or a third party. Also note that you may not redistribute the information to any one else. Publishers will investigate violations of licence conditions and can withdraw their service from the whole University without warning. We would like to avoid this possibility!
• Choose a time to visit the library during serviced hours. Visitors will not be logged on to the service less than one hour before serviced hours end on weekdays, or 30 minutes before serviced hours end at the weekends.
  • Bring appropriate identification with you
  • If you already have a personal University of Surrey campus card (because you are a paying external member, a retired member of staff, or have joined the Library under the SCONUL access scheme) then your campus card is adequate identification.
  • If you do not have a University of Surrey campus card, please bring photo ID (e.g. student card, workplace ID card, driving licence or passport) and proof of address (e.g. utility bill).
• Register at the Ask me Desk
  • The first time you use a computer, you will be asked to complete a registration form. This serves two purposes: it enables us to comply with publishers' licence conditions and the conditions for use of the computer network; it also allows us to see how the scheme is being used and to assess its usefulness to visitors. For subsequent visits you will just need to sign a log sheet.
    Data protection: Your personal details will not be used for any other purposes than those above, and data will be made anonymous for statistical reporting.
• Library staff will then log you on to one of the external visitors' PCs

Limitations of the service

General Internet access and web e-mail access is not available through this service. For open access to websites which do not need subscriptions and web e-mail (such as Hotmail), please use the Surf Centre in the George Edwards Meeting Space on level One.

Access to Office software is not available through this service. Limited access to word processing is available, to assist with formatting and saving output from database searches. However, if access to Office software is your main requirement, the nearest facilities are at Guildford Public Library. 

Printing is not available for technical reasons. We advise that you bring a USB memory stick / Flash drive to save material, or that you use the facility within many of the database packages to e-mail the results of searches to yourself, so that you can access them from your home/work PC. USB memory sticks are also available to purchase from Surrey Design & Print, during office hours.

Terms and conditions

• Unlike printed resources, which the Library owns outright once they have been purchased and can make available to anyone, online resources are made available on a licenced ("rental") basis.
• In return for subscription costs at the "educational" rate, the publishers impose restrictions on who may use their information resources, and for what purpose.
• For this reason, we cannot issue passwords to external visitors, and they must use the PCs reserved for them in the Library building
• Online resources also may not be used by an external visitor for any purpose which may lead to commercial gain (for example market research, or research for a book intended for publication).
• Information is for personal educational use only, and copies should not be passed on to others.
• In addition, for network security purposes, we must ask for personal identification (including address details).
  
  

For more information

Please contact us:

library-enquiries@surrey.ac.uk 

Tel: 01483 683325 (during staffed hours)