Policies and reports

The uOttawa Library advances research and supports learning by connecting the uOttawa community to expertise, services, collections, and technology in a welcoming and supportive environment. The purpose of the collection is to create a strong scholarly foundation for advancing research, teaching, and learning at uOttawa. Visit the Collection development policy page.

Administration and governance

Preamble

The University of Ottawa Library’s online (or “electronic”) resources are acquired primarily through the purchase of subscriptions from publishers and vendors. The Library signs license agreements with these third parties to provide access to end users. These are binding legal documents that govern appropriate use and the Library's responsibilities for ensuring access by only authorized users as defined by the license. With very few exceptions, these licenses stipulate that the resources are for the exclusive use of current uOttawa faculty, students, and staff.

Purpose

This policy describes: 
 
1.    Authorized Users: The groups which are authorized to access the Library’s online resources. 
2.    Appropriate Use: The appropriate use of the Library’s online resources by authorized users.

Guiding Principles

•    The Library’s collection serves the teaching and research mission of the University of Ottawa. The individuals who are granted access to Library online resources must legitimately contribute to this mission. 
•    License agreements signed with content providers must be respected. The Library must apply due diligence to comply with the spirit and intent of these legal contracts. 
•    The online resources to which the Library subscribes are a communal resource that benefit the entire uOttawa community.

Authorized Users

Although the Library would like to be able to offer access to everyone, it has a legal responsibility to limit access to authorized users. In addition to license restrictions, the Library reserves the right to limit access based on internal capacity constraints and fee management. 
 
Authorized users fall into two broad categories: 

1. Current uOttawa faculty, students, and staff
   The usual processes of human resources and student registration provide the necessary information to enable access to the Library’s online resources automatically for all current uOttawa faculty, students, and staff. These groups therefore have access to online resources via their university account. The Library rarely intervenes in these processes and will typically refer access issues to the University’s Central IT Team and those responsible for identity and access management.
2. Individuals performing active and current work relating to uOttawa teaching or research activities
   Upon request, the Library creates accounts for individuals who do not have uOttawa credentials but nevertheless have a bona fide relationship with the University in regard to teaching and research activities for current students and faculty.  Examples include, but are not limited to, an individual that:
   • Supervises graduate student(s) from the Faculty of Social Science;
   • Conducts a systematic review for a uOttawa project led by a member of the Faculty of Medicine;
   • Co-teaches (50%) a course with a professor from the Faculty of Arts (not a guest lecturer).

In order to assess the nature of each individual’s relationship with the University, the Library requires that such requests come from an internal uOttawa sponsor, typically someone at the Department Chair level or above – not directly from the requestor. A sponsor initiates the request through the Central IT process for the creation of external accounts which the Library then reviews to decide whether to grant or deny the sponsored account. 

Sponsors and the individuals they sponsor share joint responsibility for the use of the sponsored account. Inappropriate use will result in suspension of the sponsored account and possible loss of access privileges for the sponsor's entire organization.

Individuals employed by recognized uOttawa partners, such as affiliated research institutes, are sponsored via a designated liaison person within that partner organization rather than a uOttawa sponsor. Otherwise, the same rules apply as those for account requests from uOttawa sponsors.

All other members of the community

All other members of the community, including alumni, retirees, and external researchers may use the Library’s online resources on-site at a uOttawa Library location by registering for a guest account.

Appropriate Use

Library online resources are an important entitlement of uOttawa students, staff, and faculty for their teaching, learning, and research purposes. These resources should only be used for their intended purpose and in a manner that respects the Library’s license agreements. Examples of inappropriate use include, but are not limited to:

• Account sharing
• Commercial applications
• Copyright violations
• Distributing content to unauthorized users
• Excessive downloading
• Sponsorship of unauthorized users 

 
When in doubt, individuals should submit a Library Technical Support ticket to determine whether an activity constitutes appropriate use.  
 
The danger of inappropriate use lies in the possibility that a violation of our license agreement could jeopardize access not only for the offending individual but for the entire university community (1 individual could impact access for 50,000 authorized users). These actions could potentially lead to the cancellation of an agreement and permanent loss of access to a specific resource.

About

Application of this policy falls under the responsibility of the Head, Library Systems and Discovery (responsible for approving access requests), in consultation with the Head, Collections Strategy as required (responsible for content licenses). 
 
Policy created: December 2022 
Last updated: March 2023
 

The University of Ottawa Library has suspended acceptance of donated materials to our collections until further notice. This will allow library staff to assess and process the significant volume of donations previously received that have yet to be added to the collection. For any questions, please contact [email protected].

The library recognizes and appreciates that members of the University, and the community, are interested in donating publications to the library collection. The analysis of prospective Gifts-In-Kind and processing those that are accepted involves a substantial amount of Library resources, thus the library is very selective in what is accepted into the collection via donation, in order to allow us to focus on items that provide the most value to our collection.

After reading the guidelines below, potential donors with materials that meet the criteria are asked to email [email protected] with a list of titles being offered for donation. The library cannot accept any unsolicited Gifts-in-Kind donations at any University location.

Types of materials

The types of material that may be considered for acceptance are:

• rare books, rare prints, and rare archival materials
• unique items (ie. materials that are otherwise difficult for us to acquire through regular acquisitions channels) that support teaching and research and that add significant value to the collection

We do not accept:

• materials that can easily be obtained through typical acquisitions processes
• journals
• textbooks
• newspapers
• trade paperbacks
• print/analogue data resources
• popular magazines such as Maclean's, Time, or National Geographic

Acceptance guidelines

The University of Ottawa Library will consider accepting donations of gifts in kind according to the following criteria:

• that the items are of unique and significant value to the collection and cannot be easily obtained through typical acquisitions processes; in light of the university’s strategic priority of maintaining and enhancing la Francophonie, special attention will be given to French language materials;
• that the prospective donation falls within the scope of the library's collection and aligns with the University's mandate regarding learning, teaching and research;
• that the University of Ottawa Library is in a position to process and maintain the gift;
• that the materials are in good physical condition * (see details below);
• that no restrictions be placed by the prospective donor on the disposition and use of the material offered.

Terms

Upon acceptance, gifts in kind are irrevocable and become the property of the University of Ottawa. Donors are required to sign a release form at the time of the donation. The library reserves the right to dispose of non-retained items in a manner that it deems appropriate.

Tax receipts, for the fair market value of items retained, will only be issued for gifts that have a minimum value of $500 (per item) and will not necessarily be produced in the same year as the donation is made. The donor agrees to accept the evaluation done by the University. If the value of a single item in a donation exceeds $1,000, the donor agrees to pay the cost of an external evaluation. Donations of research materials purchased through a research grant do not qualify for a tax receipt.

Collections from University departments and faculties are not automatically accepted, but need to meet the above selection criteria. For substantial collections, the department or faculty may be asked to bear cost of cataloguing and processing any material added to the collection. This would be discussed and negotiated before the gift is accepted for the collection.

The donor assumes the costs of transporting to the University any accepted gifts.

Definition of good physical condition

To ensure a shared understanding of “good physical condition”, this addendum provides additional guidance.

The primary goal is to ensure that the library accepts items in good physical condition that will not jeopardize the health and safety of staff and users, and does not open the possibility of contamination of the existing collection.

The secondary goal is to provide guidelines to processing and cataloguing staff so that they know when to question the addition of items to the collection, and not process items for health and safety reasons.

Good physical condition = items that do not have any of the following attributes:

• signs of mould, including relevant precursors of water damage (visual, physical, odour, etc.)
• smell of mould even if there is no visible sign of mould
• other odd smells, i.e., smells not normally associated with items in good physical condition
• signs of dampness
• signs that the paper is very acidic and disintegrating
• signs of insect infestation
• accumulation of excessive surface dirt or dust

Fragile physical items may still be accepted, such as items with detached pages, loose boards, broken spines, signs of abrasion, as long as they do not show one of the above signs of damage that may lead to health and safety issues.

Revised October 2019

We seek to create and maintain a comfortable and productive learning environment for everyone.

Food and drinks

Please help us keep the library clean by depositing waste in garbage cans and recycling bins.

Allowed  

• Hot and cold drinks in covered containers.
• Cold snacks (finger foods like muffins, cookies, fruits, nuts, cold sandwiches, etc.) .
• Hot food in designated areas: 
  • Morisset Library: on the first floor (except at the computers); in the study rooms on the fourth floor and the sixth floor.
  • Brian Dickson Law Library except at the computers and in the Brian Dickson reading room (FX 419C);
  • Health Sciences Library (except in the areas indicated below).

Food is not permitted in the following areas:

• the computer labs;
• the Anatomy lab (MRT 153);
• the Geographic, Statistical and Government Information Centre (MRT 309);
• the Brian-Dickson reading room (FTX 419C);
• the Health Sciences Library Silent Room (RGN1020A);
• food and drink are not permitted in the Archives and Special Collections (MRT 039).

Food deliveries to the library (e.g., UberEats, Skip-the-Dishes, etc.) are not permitted.

Noise

Feedback has indicated a need for quiet places as well as for space for group learning and collaboration. Each campus library is divided into distinct zones: common, quiet, silent; and has signage indicating designated areas.

When you are in the library, please turn off the ringer on our cell phones, and use audiovisual devices with headphones.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Ontario) and with University Policy 90, your personal information is collected under the authority of the University of Ottawa Act, 1965. The University of Ottawa Library is participating with its partners in the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) to offer Omni, a shared library services platform. The personal information collected and maintained through Omni will be used by the University of Ottawa and its OCUL partners for the purposes of and those consistent with providing library services, including but not limited to tracking library materials and contacting library users who have outstanding materials or fines.

Omni is supported by Ex Libris Alma® and Ex Libris Primo®. The Ex Libris Privacy Policy provides additional information with respect to the collection, use, disclosure of information and the security measures for safeguarding the information it maintains.

If you have questions about the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information in this notice, please contact [email protected].

Fines

There are no overdue fines for most items including books.

*When an item you have borrowed has been recalled and has not been returned:

• a fine of $4.00 per day per item for 120-day and 14-day loans
• a fine of $10.00 per day per item for media and equipment
• Fines can only be paid once the document is returned.
• Fines are non-refundable.

Overdue Fine Calculations

• Fines are calculated from the due date to the date the item is checked back into the system after the library opens.
• The "due date" will always fall on a day the library is open.
• Overdue fines are calculated including only days the library is open.
• It is the responsibility of borrowers to monitor their account.

Lost or damaged items

• Items declared lost or that are damaged beyond repair will normally incur a $125 default replacement charge.
• 30 days after the due date, an item will be declared lost. If your checked-out item is coming due, you can renew it through your Omni account if no one else has requested it.
• Replacement cost for lost or damaged beyond repair multimedia equipment can vary depending upon the item but may be as high as $500.

Theft and vandalism

Anyone who damages documents or tries to remove documents from the library without authorization is subject to penalties including suspension or withdrawal of borrowing privileges and replacement or repair costs.

Appeal procedure

If you disagree with a penalty, you may appeal in writing to:

Annie N'Tula Mankeni, User Engagement Coordinator
[email protected]
65 University
Ottawa ON K1N 6N5 Canada

Open access policy for the University of Ottawa Library

Recognizing that:

• open access accelerates knowledge creation by increasing the visibility of research results,
• publicly funded research should be available freely and openly,
• awareness and advocacy in the university community are best achieved through example,

and in keeping with the broader open access movement, the University of Ottawa Library adopts this policy to ensure that our scholarship is widely disseminated, openly available, and accessible.

Policy statement

Staff at the University of Ottawa Library will make the best possible effort to publish in open access venues that provide unrestricted public access to our works. At a minimum, we will secure the right to self-archive our published materials, and will deposit these works in  an open access repository, with a preference for uO Research.

We grant the University of Ottawa the non-exclusive right to make our scholarly publications accessible through uO Research subject to copyright restrictions.

Guidelines

As of the date of its adoption, this policy applies to all academic and scholarly work produced by staff at the University of Ottawa Library such as, but not limited to:

• Scholarly and professional articles
• Books / book chapters
• Presentations and posters given at professional conferences and meetings
• Substantive pedagogical materials such as online tutorials
• Datasets, whenever possible

Retrospective deposit is encouraged.

Co-authored works should be included with the permission of the other author(s).

Works  shall be deposited in  an appropriate open access repository. Recognizing that uO Research provides a venue to highlight the library’s scholarly output, authors will deposit in uO Research, when appropriate.

Recognizing that some publishers may impose an embargo period, permitted versions of the article will be deposited at the time of publication with appropriate embargo period applied to the full text only. Whenever possible, publication venues that have a maximum 12-month embargo period should be sought.

To encourage clarity in conditions of reuse, a Creative Commons license of the author’s choosing should be applied to unpublished works.

This policy is effective as of November 3, 2016 and will be reviewed annually. Amended January 17, 2018.

Have you ever received a notification saying, “Your IP address is blocked” or “This resource is currently unavailable due to suspected systematic downloading” when trying to access electronic resources through the University of Ottawa Library? If so, excessive downloading of licensed content is likely to blame.

Although the definition of excessive downloading varies from publisher to publisher, it generally applies to downloading a large number of articles within a short time period. To learn more about what is considered acceptable use, please consult our Conditions of use for electronic resources.

It is important to know that excessive downloading is an increasing problem for universities around the world. In 2016 and 2017, publishers including Springer, Elsevier, Taylor and Francis and ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) temporarily suspended uOttawa’s off-campus access to licensed resources due to instances of excessive downloading.

Because a single suspected case of excessive downloading can prompt a publisher to temporarily block access for the entire uOttawa community or even cancel our license altogether, your access to electronic resources could be disrupted through no fault of your own.

Still, there are steps we can all take to ensure that uOttawa’s access to licensed electronic resources continues uninterrupted. First and foremost, it is crucially important to avoid sharing your uOttawa Library username and password with others and to be on the lookout for potential phishing attempts. Please visit Information Technology’s IT Security website for more information about cybersecurity.

We also recommend that users avoid downloading more licensed resources at one time than they could reasonably read over the course of several days. If you have questions about the license restrictions of a specific resource, please contact the Electronic Resources team.

Description

As part of its support of teaching, research and information dissemination, the University of Ottawa (“uOttawa”) Library (the “Library”) offers a service hosting the Omeka exhibit-building platform (the “Service”) to members of the uOttawa community.

Eligibility

The Service is available to uOttawa faculty, researchers, administrators, and current students. The Library reserves the right to decline to host any given instance of the software.

Your acceptance

By using the Service, you agree to these Terms of Service. The Library reserves the right to change these Terms of Service at any time and at its sole discretion. Although the Library may attempt to notify you when major changes are made to these Terms of Service, you should periodically review the most up-to-date version.

Primary owner

Each Omeka site provided under the Service is associated with an eligible individual who is granted administrative access to the site (the “Primary Owner”). The Primary Owner is responsible for all content posted on their site through the Service.

Service elements

1. Customization and technical support: The Omeka environment allows for some customization. Primary Owners have administrative access to their accounts, meaning they have the ability to customize select element of themes, use plugins, etc., within the restrictions of the overall environment. Support is available for basic technical issues (e.g. assistance resetting passwords, resolving network outages), via the Library’s Technical Support form. However, the Library does not provide technical support for issues related to customization (e.g., altering the database, fixing coding or scripting problems, modifying themes, etc.).

2. Access: Access is provided to Primary Owners through the Omeka administrator interface. All work and customization performed on the site must be done through this web interface.

3. Archives: Prior to leaving the uOttawa community, Primary Owners may export their content or choose to delete it. The Library does not provide content migration from Omeka to any external service.

4. Retention: Sites will be retained unless:

   1. The Primary Owner no longer meets the eligibility criteria (see “Eligibility” above).
      Note: If a site no longer has a Primary Owner, the Library will attempt to identify a new Primary Owner; failing that the site will be removed.

   2. The Primary Owner requests that the site be removed.

   3. The site does not comply with these Terms of Service

   4. The Service is discontinued by the Library.

5. Discontinuation: The Library reserves the right to discontinue the Service at any time and at its sole discretion. 

6. Changes and upgrades: The Library reserves the right to change the provision of the Service at any time and at its sole discretion. The software environment will be maintained for as long as the Library considers it to be a viable platform. Upgrade paths may involve significant changes to look-and-feel and functionality of the software, themes, and plug-ins. The library will provide notice to the Primary Owner prior to any migrations or upgrades that will affect the integrity of their site.

User responsibilities

1. Primary Owners must notify the Library of any contact information changes through the Technical Support form.
2. Account activity will be monitored on a yearly basis. If no activity has been detected, the Library will make an attempt to contact the Primary Owner. In the event that no contact is made after 6 months, the site will be taken offline.
3. As a user of the Service, you must comply with all federal, provincial, and other applicable laws; all uOttawa rules and policies, including the IT Resources and Acceptable Use Policy; and all applicable contracts and licenses. The creation of sites may involve the incorporation of original works of third parties (e.g., literature, photographs, music, software, film, and video works) that are covered by copyright laws. Primary Owners and other users of the Service are responsible for obtaining all permissions that may be necessary to incorporate works of third parties in their site. For more information on copyright and obtaining permissions, see copyright.uottawa.ca. 
4. While only the Primary Owner has administrative access to the account, others (including non-uOttawa users) can be given access to edit the items, collections, exhibits and pages created within the account. The Primary Owner remains responsible for all content posted on their site through the Service.

Service availability

Availability of the Service may be interrupted for maintenance and other upgrades and is provided on an ‘as is’ and ‘as available’ basis only. The timing of this maintenance is at the Library’s discretion, however, Library staff will make a best effort to notify you of any disruptions to the Service.

uOttawa disclaimer

Omeka sites will be available on the internet and, therefore, can be indexed and searched unless the site’s Primary Owner disables this feature. Each site must display a) a method of contacting the Primary Owner; and b) this disclaimer or a link to this disclaimer:

“These pages do not in any way constitute official University of Ottawa content. The views and opinions expressed herein are strictly those of the authors. The contents have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Ottawa. The University of Ottawa makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the site’s operation or the information, content or materials included on this site. Questions or concerns about content should be directed to the site’s Primary Owner.”

Inappropriate content

Although the Library does not routinely pre-screen, monitor, or regularly review content, it reserves the right to remove, at any time, at its sole discretion, any content that it considers to violate these Terms of Service or the terms of any other campus user agreements that may govern use of the campus networks, or that it deems in violation of uOttawa policy or local, provincial, or federal law. Should the Library receive reports regarding perceived inappropriate content, the site’s Primary Owner will be contacted to initially discuss the issue. In exceptional cases, where the content is obviously unacceptable, the Library will immediately remove the content prior to contacting the site’s Primary Owner. Unacceptable content of this sort also may result in account suspension, and in extreme cases, may result in disciplinary proceedings against the Primary Owner and/or other users of the Service as appropriate. Reports regarding inappropriate site content may be sent to [email protected].

Adapted from New York University’s Terms of Web Hosting Pilot Service document, December 2017.

Submitted to CODI for approval:  March 6, 2018
Submitted by:  Joan Cavanagh
Prepared by:  Cameron Metcalf, Sarah Simpkin

Preamble

This policy outlines the University of Ottawa Library’s strategy for the archiving of selected websites and their content. These archiving activities will be undertaken in collaboration with website owners and the appropriate copyright holders. Preservation of valuable web content, in both English and French, for future generations is integral to the stewardship role of the library. As such, the library manages a service for the preservation of web content of permanent and historical value to the University community. This service is part of the library’s larger mandate to acquire and curate collection resources in support of the University’s scholarship, teaching, innovation, and knowledge-creation activities. This policy will align with a holistic preservation strategy of the library, to be developed when feasible.

The Web Archiving Working Group is responsible for making recommendations to the Head, Collections Strategy. The Working Group also addresses operational issues, such as workflows, quality assurance, and technical oversight.

Selection

Materials approved for web archiving are selected based on the following criteria:

• Website owner has given consent to archiving and written permission has been obtained from the copyright holder, where applicable
• Materials that align with the library’s strategic priorities
• Materials not already archived by another group or organization to ensure a coordinated approach that does not duplicate work already done by others
• Materials that align with the library’s collection development policy
• Materials identified as being relevant and valuable, and at risk of permanent loss
• Materials that meet the evaluation criteria in our evaluation rubric, including budgetary, data storage, and technical issues

Ownership

The library does not assert ownership rights over the intellectual property of archived web content. All rights of ownership remain with the owner(s) identified on the website and are governed by the applicable local, national, and/or international laws and regulations. The library assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or lawfulness of the websites or the contents within.

Authorized use

Web content is archived for the purposes of research and private study, within the context of Canadian copyright law. When reproducing and using content from the archived website, users are encouraged to review the website’s terms of use. The library cannot authorize the use of the material, nor does it act as an intermediary with website owners on behalf of users. University of Ottawa users should refer to the following websites for additional information:

• The University of Ottawa’s Copyright website 
• Copyright Office’s Fair Dealing Guidelines

Notification and opting out

The library will evaluate requests for the removal of archived web content for the full term of copyright, unless a shorter term is agreed upon. University of Ottawa is only able to remove content from its own archived copy; in the instance where an active version of the website still exists, the website owner would need to be contacted directly to address any copyright claims.

Hosting

Archived materials will be hosted in perpetuity using Archive-IT, a service from the Internet Archive that allows libraries and other organizations to harvest, build, and preserve collections of digital content. Content is hosted and stored at the Internet Archive data centers, but the collections themselves are not owned by the Internet Archive.

Liability

The library endeavors to maintain the integrity of archived websites by capturing and presenting the information as it was originally made available to the public. The library will not be held liable for the conduct or actions of site owners or those who access and use the archived web content. The library does not assume responsibility for verifying the accuracy of the archived content nor is it responsible for monitoring the archived websites for copyright compliance. A site owner is responsible for the content they communicate to the public by telecommunication and is solely responsible for securing the necessary permissions and releases when required by law. Those who access and use the library’s archived web content do so at their own risk.

Contact

For any questions or comments, please contact Monica Ward, head, collections strategy, by email.

The weeding policy is under review.

Mission 

The Archives and Special Collections (ARCS) serves all members of the University of Ottawa community as well as the public by effectively acquiring, preserving, and providing access to archival records in all media formats as well as rare books, periodicals, and other collections that support the teaching and research needs of our users. 

You can learn more about us by visiting our research guide and our webpage. 

Acquisitions  

Material at ARCS is acquired through gift, donation, and purchase.   

You can access the ARCS acquisition policy here: https://uottawa.libguides.com/archives-en/policies 

To make a donation of material, please contact [email protected]  

A completed Deed of Gift form is mandatory for all donations.

Consultation  

All material held in the Archives and Special Collections must be consulted on-site and you will need to complete a Request to Consult Documents Form in order to access any items.   

To schedule an appointment, please contact [email protected].  The reading room is open from Monday to Friday from 9:30am until 4:30pm.   

If you have already identified the material you wish to consult, we invite you to send us your completed Consultation Form in advance to [email protected] so that we can prepare the documents for your visit.  

Limitations 

Although most material held at ARCS is accessible to researchers, some of them may be subject to conditions limiting their consultation. The fragility of some documents may require you to consult them with the help of an archivist. In some cases, the consultation of the original will be limited, and a copy will be offered. 
Some archival records are closed for consultation for a period of time due to restrictions under privacy legislation or at the donor's request.  Restrictions are marked in the finding aid.  
Please contact one of our archivists for information on how to access these documents.  

Reproductions 

Reproductions may be provided for the purposes of research, private study, education, parody or satire in accordance with the Canadian Copyright Act.  The recipient of the reproduction takes on full responsibility for any infringement of copyright or invasion of privacy caused by the use of the reproduction. The University of Ottawa Library Network, including Archives and Special Collections is saved from any infringement action arising in connection with the use of the reproduction in question. For reproductions that are to be used for reasons other than the purposes of research, private study, education, parody or satire, including publication, the Archives and Special Collections may provide access if the copyright owner has provided express written permission.  A request for reproduction may be denied at the discretion of the Archives and Special Collections.  Reasons for denial include restrictions on reproduction requested by the donor, the physical condition of the material, etc. 

Reading room regulations 

1. Users must complete and sign the Request to Consult Documents form , and submit it to ARCS staff.  
2. Coats must be placed in the wardrobe. Briefcases, purses and similar items must be placed in a locker. 
3. Food and drinks are not permitted. 
4. The reading room is a silent area. Talking on cell phones are not permitted. 
5. Only note pads, lead pencils and laptop are permitted at the tables. The use of a camera (without the flash) is permitted under specific conditions - staff can provide more information. 
6. The order of the documents inside a given file must be respected. 
7. It is forbidden to write on documents, to fold or tear off pages, or to lean on documents. Any document that is damaged or in poor condition should be brought to the attention of staff. 
8. It is forbidden to remove documents from the Reading Room. 
9. Access to storage areas is restricted. Staff will bring you the requested documents. 
10. Staff reserves the right to inspect all coats, briefcases and other containers carried by users leaving our premises. 
11. No documents will be delivered within 15 minutes prior to closing. 

This Health Sciences Library policy applies to its seven group study rooms, the study retreat, and the computer lab. The intended purpose of the facilities is to support student study and library related instruction. Only one room (see “exception” below) can be reserved in advance and used by faculty, for a maximum period of 3 hours per day. Requests for the use of our facilities that are exceptions to this policy will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

Group discussion rooms

Group discussion rooms have to be booked online ahead of time here.

Priority: uOttawa students
Capacity: Minimum of 2 people, Maximum of 6 people.
Time limit: 2 hours per day.
Food and beverages: Cold snacks (finger foods like muffins, cookies, fruits, nuts, cold sandwiches) are accepted.  Beverages are permitted in covered containers.
Noise: Loudness is not tolerated.
Exception: One room (1020H) can be reserved in advance for a maximum of 3 hours per day by staff and faculty only. Please contact the circulation desk. When this room is not reserved it can be used by students.

Computer lab

The addition of the computer lab in 2010 significantly increased the number of public computers available to students. The ‘raison d’être’ of the lab is to improve and increase spaces available to our students. The computer lab is open to students when the lab is not otherwise being used for instruction or training.

Regular reservations are exclusively available to librarians for the purposes of work shop sessions of bibliographic instruction and will be handled internally.

Requests for exceptions can be made by members of the faculty. Requests that are outside of the library’s peak hours and/or that are related to bibliographic research are preferred. Requests will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

Please note: No technical support (ie. multi-media technician) is provided.

Requests for use of our computer lab can be sent to [email protected]. 

uOttawa Library recognizes our responsibility to describe our resources and their creators respectfully. We acknowledge that bibliographic descriptions in our discovery platform Omni are not neutral and may contain language that is considered offensive or harmful to different marginalized groups. We are dedicated to finding ways to mitigate the use of harmful and offensive language in Omni.

Read the full Statement on Harmful Language in Omni and visit the project page on Decolonizing Descriptions.