General use guidelines

The university signs licence agreements with publishers and suppliers whenever the library subscribes to electronic resources (databases, ejournals and ebooks). Each licence agreement stipulates the terms of use of that particular item. It is your responsibility to make sure that you adhere to the terms of each licence when using an electronic resource.

General Rules

In general, you can:

  • Print a copy of an ejournal article for personal use (non-commercial research, teaching, private study)
  • Download a copy of an ejournal article for personal use (non-commercial research, teaching, private study)
  • Send a copy (print or electronic) to another authorised user of Glasgow Caledonian University
  • Print or download part of an ebook (see further information below)

In general, you can't:

  • Systematically download or print articles from ejournals
  • Use articles for any commercial purpose
  • Send a copy (print or electronic) to anyone who is not an authorised user of Glasgow Caledonian University

Most of our ebooks are governed by digital rights management software which works out how much of each title you are allowed to print or download while still keeping within copyright law. The number of pages allowed is usually displayed when you select Print or Copy from the main menu of the ebook. It is linked to your login, so the software knows if you have already used some pages from that book.

These are only general guidelines. If there is any doubt about what is permitted or not permitted then users should check individual licences or contact the library's Electronic Resources Team at ertenq@gcu.ac.uk.