Library Visitor Terms & Conditions

As a university library, our primary patrons are the current students, faculty, and staff of Western Oregon University (WOU), and their needs and expectations drive our collections, services, and facilities. As a courtesy, we extend certain privileges to Visitors.

In some cases, staff have developed specific resources and processes to serve Visitors in an approximately similar manner as our primary patrons. Examples include printing and access to electronic collections. When such resources and processes for Visitors fail but do not impact our primary patrons, there may or may not be solutions available. Visitor privileges are on an as-is basis.

The overall Visitor program has three tiers of access:

1. Community Patrons in the Building (free),
2. Community Patrons with Borrowing Privileges (free),
3. Independent Scholars (for a fee)

Acceptable Conduct and Applicable WOU Policies

While all WOU Policies and Library policies apply to Visitors, the Acceptable Use of University Computing Resources is especially relevant.

WOU’s current Code of Student Responsibility outlines the university’s expectations of conduct within its environment. All Visitors are subject to the same policies and behavior standards as students. However, when Visitors transgress, their non-student status limits the range of appropriate consequences, and none of the resolution framework (the Student Conduct Program) is available to them. As necessary, staff members of the Library and of Campus Public Safety determine appropriate consequences. Such consequences will be in line with the university’s commitments to personal dignity and to a community free of harassment and protected-status discrimination, as mentioned in the Code’s Introduction.

Tiers 2 & 3 Requirements

Registration & Social Security Number

Visitor Registration initiates Tier 2 & 3 access. Registrants without prior WOU affiliation are required  to supply their Social Security Number (SSN) per WOU’s Social Security Number Disclosure Consent Statement. The SSN field is encrypted in the registration form, and WOU assigns a unique “Vnumber” campus identifier to the Visitor. At no point do library staff or systems have access to SSNs.

Library Accounts, Cards, and Borrowing

See Visitor Accounts & Borrowing for relevant practical details.

Visitor Access Tiers

Tier 1: Community Patrons in the Building (free)

Community Patrons are Visitors 14 years or older who wish to use library services, facilities, or collections on site–but with no take-home borrowing. Community Patrons are welcome at Hamersly Library Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. After 6 p.m. and on weekends, the library is limited to WOU students, faculty, and staff and to Summit Visiting Patrons. Exceptions to the time restriction for Community Patrons are by appointment or arrangement.

In general, Community Patrons have access to use, within Hamersly Library:

• Most hard-copy materials in the local collection
• General computing, and black and white printing in small quantities*
• Electronic collections (ebooks, journals, research databases) via in-library computers
• Guest Wifi**
• Scanning and photocopy equipment
• Reading areas and small rooms
• Information services and research guidance

*For library computing, Information Desk staff require photo identification.
**For the guest wireless network, the online registration requires an email address and phone number.

Tier 2: Community Patrons with Borrowing Privileges (free)

In order to add borrowing privileges for physical materials to Tier 1, a Community Patron must

• Have a previously-issued V-number (WOU ID#), or
• Be a Summit Visiting Patron, or
• Be 18 years old or older with a Home Library

Tier 3: Independent Scholars ($50 per quarter)

Independent Scholars are Visitors who desire library privileges beyond Tier 2 Access and who pay the $50 Continuing Access Fee. The fee provides three months (roughly equivalent to a WOU academic term) of standard student access to library facilities and collections.

Fall term: October-December
Winter term: January-March
Spring term: April-June
Summer: July-September

The fee provides authorized WOU access to the library's fixed licensing expenses, notably

• full borrowing from the local physical collection and through the Summit borrowing system
• borrowing ebooks
• off-campus use of subscription databases.

Additional charges are variable:

• Per-transaction costs incurred by the library on behalf of the Independent Scholar. These costs include but are not limited to
  • Pay-per-view articles
  • Borrowing fees related to Interlibrary Loan (ILL) requests (beyond the scope of the Summit borrowing system)
  • Shipping costs (to and from residence of Independent Scholar, if requested, and ILL returns to lending library)
  • When pay-per-view costs and borrowing fees apply, we will solicit approval prior to incurring the charge. We will not solicit approval for any shipping cost before incurring the charge, but those charges will be passed on to the Independent Scholars as they accrue.
• Replacement costs
• Computer printing

When any Independent Scholar paid quarter has expired, the account reverts to the Community Patron with Borrowing Privileges tier.