Approved by LEC, 6/26/2019

The Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery supports the principle of intellectual freedom, defined as “the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored. Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas.” (ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom, http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/intellectual)

In support of this principle, the following guidelines apply to the use of public computers in the Library:

• There are no filters on computers in the library. Controversial materials are not screened out.

• Library users have the freedom to search and view content and/or conduct activities on library computers without restriction, with the exception of:

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  • Conduct which violates pertinent State and Federal policies and statutes; and 

  • Conduct which violates the UMBC Policy for Responsible Computing (X-1.00.01, https://www.umbc.edu/policies/pdfs/x-1.00.01%20responsible%20computing%20policy.pdf)

Note that the UMBC Policy for Responsible Computing (X-1.00.01) states that “computer users shall respect the rights of others, and not threaten, harass, [or] intimidate” and must “use computing resources and user accounts only for appropriate University activities.” Users of public computers should be mindful of viewing content or conducting activities which create a harassing, threatening, or intimidating environment for other users. A user who needs to access explicit content for legitimate research purposes may be asked to relocate to a different computer if their activity is impeding the work of other Library users.