Policies

Internet Access Policy for Patients, Families and Visitors

The George T. Harrell Health Sciences Library serves the faculty, students, and staff of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (PSHMC) and the Penn State College of Medicine, and users from the Central Pennsylvania community. The book and journal collection, as well as the computer stations, with access to the Internet, are provided to support the informational needs of PSHMC users engaged in patient care, research, and education. Reference librarians are available to assist visitors Monday through Friday 8 am to 5pm.

Public Access Computers

Five computer stations are available for the use of the general public (or for PSHMC users without ePass accounts) for health care research. Users must register for Guest Passes at the Circulation Desk. Users with Guest Passes will be charged 10¢ per page for printing. All applicable Penn State "Appropriate Use" policies apply.

Time Limit
Use of Guest Passes on public stations is limited to 1 hour.

Procedure to Obtain A Guest Pass

  1. Guest Passes are available at the library’s Circulation Desk.
  2. Users must provide a valid photo ID. These include:
    • PA state driver’s license
    • Other U.S. state driver’s license
    • PSHMC or PSU photo ID
    • PSHMC patient wristband
    • State issued personal identification card
  3. User must sign into the public station logbook and agree to abide by library and University computing policies.
  4. User will be issued a Guest Pass and given instructions for logging onto and logging off the computer.
  5. Valid photo ID will be returned to the user when the Guest Pass is returned to the Circulation Desk.
  6. User should understand that he/she is responsible for what is accessed from this computer during the time that the Guest Pass is activated.
    PLEASE LOG OUT when you are finished using the public station.

Internet Use by Minors
The Library does not use blocking or  filtering software. In all cases in which minors are using the University Libraries, parents and other adult care-providers are responsible for overseeing and supervising the minor’s use of the Libraries. Parents and other adult care-providers should be aware that allowing minors to have unsupervised access to electronic resources and the Internet could result in their access to information or images that parents may find inappropriate for their children.

Wireless Computing
Wireless computing is available for PSHMC users with ePass accounts. Because of security and HIPPA privacy issues there are no provisions for wireless computing for the general public or patients.

Locations
The George T. Harrell Health Sciences Library is located on the first floor of the Crescent between the Hospital Main Entrance and the College of Medicine entrance.

Policies

The George T. Harrell Health Sciences Library adheres to the following policies:



Policies Summary:

The primary purpose of public computer workstations is to support teaching, learning, and research through access to the library’s collections, databases, and to other online information resources.

"Appropriate use" of the Internet includes a wide range of activities; it does not, however, include significant use of the Internet for personal reasons. PSHMC access to the Internet should never be used for downloading offensive material, conducting commercial activities unrelated to Penn State or The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center or engaging in activities that are illegal or intended to be detrimental to Penn State or the medical center.

The University Libraries abide by federal, state and local laws and ordinances, and the University policies that guide behavior at Penn State. These statutes, laws, and policies also include the regulations and guidelines relating to harassment, respect for copyright and intellectual property, and the Libraries’ Code of Conduct regarding appropriate library behavior and appropriate uses of University Libraries property. The Libraries attempt to maintain a safe and healthy environment in which library users and staff can be free from harassment, intimidation, and threats to their safety and well being.

The Libraries are unable to guarantee the privacy and/or the confidentiality of patrons using the Internet. Nor is it possible to prevent other library patrons from observing online information or images they may find inappropriate. All patrons using online and Internet resources are expected to show common courtesy and respect for both the privacy and the sensibilities of others.