Mardigian Library

The library is a learning and research environment. Library staff may ask patrons who are disruptive to leave the library.

Occasionally, the library may operate with restricted access. During periods of restricted access, users may be required to show a valid MCard. Please be prepared to show your MCard to library employees or Public Safety officers upon request. Digital copies of ID are NOT accepted.

Approved by: Library Leadership 2/24/2025

The Mardigian Library has established this policy to provide for cell phone use while also supporting an environment that promotes study and research. Your cooperation is essential in helping us make everyone’s experience at the Mardigian Library a positive one.

A. Cell Phone Use:

You may be asked to leave the building if you use a cell phone in a "No Phone Zone", or if you carry on a conversation on your cell phone in a loud and/or disruptive manner.

B. How you can help:

• Turn your cell phone off, or, set to “silent” before entering the Library.
• Cell phone conversations should be kept to a minimum, conducted only in "Phone Friendly Zones", and conducted quietly
• If you are using your cell phone in a public stairwell, please do not block stairway traffic.
• To minimize noise, consider the option of using text messaging while in the library, instead of conducting phone conversations.
• If you receive a call when you are in a "No Phone Zone," move immediately to the stairwell, or the nearest "Phone Friendly Zone," talking in low volume as you do so.
• Report any inappropriate, disruptive behavior by contacting library staff at the Library Info Desk.

Approved: Library Leadership 7/1/2024

The Mardigian Library follows all campus policies regarding Filming and Photography in university buildings. Approval for filming and photography in the library must be obtained from the Library Director (the Associate Director may also provide approval if the Director is unavailable) at least seven days in advance. This includes projects for academic, university, and/or professional needs or anything beyond casual use.

Library visitors are permitted to take photos or make video or other recordings in public areas of the library for personal use. Personal recording in the library will be allowed so long as it does not interfere with the library’s mission to support instructional, research, and service activities of faculty, students, and staff. The library may limit recording activities in order to preserve the intended use of library spaces.

Recordings or photos are not allowed in nonpublic areas of the library without authorization from library staff. Recordings or photos are prohibited in bathrooms, lactation rooms, and any areas where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Photos or video recordings of minors are strictly prohibited without the explicit permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian. Any persons filming or photographing in the library are solely responsible for obtaining permission from the individual(s) being photographed or filmed.

When making recordings, you must adhere to the library’s building access policies. In addition:

• Do not disrupt regular operations of the library
• Do not disturb or violate the rights of library users
• No requests for filming will be approved for the two weeks up to and including exam days

Library staff may ask any individual or group to cease making recordings if the activity appears to compromise safety or interfere with library operations or intended use of a library space by patrons.

Approved: Library Leadership 12/15/25

The staff of the Mardigian Library will assist persons with disabilities to gain access to library resources and services.

• Staff will assist library users who need physical assistance retrieving library materials (for example, reaching a book or journal on a high shelf).
• Staff may make other accommodations, such as extending loan periods.
• The library supports the availability of the most up-to-date assistive technology.

Approved: Library A-Team, February 12, 2015

The Mardigian Library is not responsible for lost personal items. As a courtesy, the library will retain lost and found items for two (2) weeks. After that time lost items that remain unclaimed will be safely and appropriately disposed of, donated, or reused at the discretion of library staff.

The library will make a reasonable effort to determine the owner of lost items and contact them when possible. Patrons looking for a lost item may leave their name, contact information, and description of the item at the library Info Desk. The library cannot guarantee that lost items will be found.

Perishable items or those that pose a health concern such as food, cups or water bottles, will be disposed of at the end of each day.

Valuable items such as wallets, purses, laptops, tablets, or phones will be given to the UM-Dearborn Department of Public Safety at the end of each day.

Library Leadership approved 6/4/2024

Guiding Principles

The Mardigian Library follows the intellectual freedom guidelines as articulated by the American Library Association. We subscribe to the Library Bill of Rights, the Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries and the Freedom to Read Statement.

The Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association states "Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation"; and "Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.”

In accordance with these documents, the library promotes intellectual freedom, — the right of the people to access and use information — cultural diversity, and avoids censorship. A material’s inclusion in the collection does not constitute an endorsement of its content. The Mardigian Library will seek to develop and provide access to a collection of materials — both print and electronic — representing a diversity of views, according to the guidelines of our collection development policy.

General Guidelines

• Materials reconsideration requests must come from current students, staff, and faculty members.
• The materials reconsideration request form will only be available on request from challengers who wish to initiate a formal complaint after discussion with the Library Director.
• Materials under reconsideration will continue to circulate as part of the Library’s collections.
• Materials will be reviewed in their entirety.

Statement of Policy

Materials in the library are selected to support the instructional and research needs of the university community. A person who wishes to request the reconsideration of library material must file a formal written request for reconsideration using the library-provided form. The request will be reviewed by the Library Leadership Team and may include consultation with the Selectors Group. Together, these librarians will develop a recommendation that will be submitted to the library director. The library director is responsible for making the final decision.

Questions, concerns, and challenges to materials or resources should be sent through Ask-the-Mardigian.

The library has designated the bulletin board in the vestibule for materials stamped for approval by the Office of Student Life (OSL) Campus Involvement Hub, located at 1290 University Center. As well, library policy must be in line with the UM-Dearborn Posting Policy. Failure to follow library guidelines will result in an individual or organization losing posting privileges in the library.

Reviewed and approved 4/16/2024

Approaching patrons or other active solicitation including but not limited to passing out flyers, brochures, or other materials is strictly forbidden in the library building. As well, library policy must be in line with the UM-Dearborn Sales, Solicitation, and Promotions Policy. Failure to follow library guidelines may result in an individual or organization losing privileges in the library.

Reviewed and approved: 4/16/2024

In accordance with the university-wide Tobacco-Free initiative and regulations (SPG 601.04), the Mardigian Library and the surrounding campus areas are tobacco-free.

Use of tobacco, including cigarettes, cigars, electronic cigarettes, vaporizers, vape pens, chewing tobacco, or other tobacco products is not permitted in the library.

Failure to comply with this policy may result in limitation of access to the library.

Approved: Library Leadership, February 12, 2024

The licensed electronic resources made available by the Mardigian Library are for research, instruction, and related activities of current University of Michigan-Dearborn faculty, staff, students and other authorized users. U.S. Copyright Law (including the protections of “fair use”) and contractual license agreements govern the access, use, and reproduction of these resources. In general, authorized users may access such resources for noncommercial, educational, scholarly and research purposes. Prohibited actions generally include:

• Sharing of passwords or authorized access codes
• Large-scale systematic downloading of articles or other information
• Use of robots, spiders or intelligent agents to access, search and/or systematically download content
• Posting copyrighted materials on a publicly accessible web site
• Resale or commercial exploitation of licensed information

Please Be Aware:

1. Sharing an access password with unauthorized users— including family, friends, or co-workers— may result in suspension or revocation of library privileges. Non-affiliated users may, however, access most electronic library resources from computer terminals in a campus library.
2. Downloading entire issues of electronic journals, or attempting to create large databases from bibliographic files, is generally prohibited by publisher license agreements. Systematic downloading of content— manually or with specialized software— is detectable by publishers and traceable to specific computer addresses. While such actions are detectable and traceable to specific computers, the Library is very careful to adhere to the tenets of the Mardigian Library Privacy Policy.
3. Engaging in actions intended to circumvent or defeat access control mechanisms of the Library or information provider may result in revocation of library privileges and other campus or civil disciplinary measures.
4. Sharing proprietary or client software connected to information resources, such as that used to analyze spatial data or search and retrieve texts, is also prohibited under the terms of academic licenses.

These policies and guidelines are in conformance with ITCS policies for responsible IT use and other University policies governing use of computing networks. Questions about the appropriate use of licensed information resources may be directed to ML-Selectors-Group@umich.edu.

Approved by Leadership Group, May 18, 2020

Policy
The University of Michigan-Dearborn's Mardigian Library may collect some data about your library use in order to improve services and to integrate with broader University teaching and learning initiatives.

See the User Privacy Policy - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

Commitment to Privacy and Confidentiality
We are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all patron data in compliance with federal and state laws, University policy, and professional standards (e.g. American Library Association).

Library data is considered an institutional asset and may be accessed and used only by authorized university entities according to procedures identified by the University. No person or entity may access library data, except through strict policy and processes established by the University and in compliance with Michigan law.

Data Collection

Library Systems
When you use library applications, systems, and websites, you generate data. We use and store these data to provide and improve services and resources.

Third Party Vendors
The Library does license services and/or content from third party vendors who have their own privacy policies and confidentiality practices. When you leave the library website, your interaction with these systems will be governed by their individual privacy policies. Check the privacy statements for specific vendors to learn how your data is stored and used by them.

Google and Your Privacy
The UM-Dearborn Library also uses Google Analytics (including the use of demographics and interest reports), a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google") to help understand how U-M Library websites are being used and to improve our interface and services. Google Analytics operates through the use of a cookie, which is a text file placed on your computer that contains information about your use of U-M Library websites. The information stored in the cookie (including your IP address) is transmitted to and stored by Google.

The UM-Dearborn Library uses this information for analytical and feature-improvement related purposes only. We do not transmit any information to other third parties. More information about Google Analytics and Google's privacy policy is available.

If you choose, you can opt out of Google tracking by using one of the following methods:

• Use the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on; Check Google's privacy policy
• Use the NAI consumer opt-out tools
• User/browser-based tracking plug-ins to block tracking code

Approved June 15, 2020 by Leadership Team