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Acceptable Use of Online Resources

The use of Library subscribed online resources is governed by licence agreements. Resources are licensed for use by 'authorised users', employees of the East and South Metropolitan Health Services (EMHS and SMHS).

It's usually OK to:

  • print, save or email a responsible number of articles/information
  • make a link to an article (that can be shared with others across EMHS and SMHS). How to make a link

To share content with colleagues in EMHS and SMHS it is preferable to share a link rather than a PDF as this usage helps reflect true subscription use and value.

Widespread sharing can make if appear that a journal is not well used or valued and this influences renewal decisions.

Licence terms will usually not allow you to:

  • systematically download, save, or print articles from an eJournal (e.g. all articles from one issue of a journal)
  • remove or alter the authors' names, the journal title, the publisher's copyright notices, or other means of identification from an article
  • make multiple print or electronic copies
  • mount articles on an internet server
  • use articles for commercial use
  • send printed or electronic articles to unauthorised users (i.e. anyone who is not an EMHS or SMHS staff member)
  • alter, abridge, adapt or modify articles.

For more information, see also the Australian Copyright Council's fact sheet - Licences for Digital Resources

How can I share it?

Copyright and Creative Commons Licences

The Copyright Act and Regulations govern rights management in Australia .

The Australian Copyright Council has very useful information.

If you are publishing something copyright is automatic though you can choose to release material under a creative commons licence (with a variety of variations on how open you choose for sharing).

Australia. Guidelines for releasing public sector information (2016)

In the UK, public sector information may be released under an Open Government Licence.

Introducing the Copyright Anxiety Scale - Journal of Copyright in Education and Librarianship - 2021

Definition of a library in the Copyright Act 1968 section 49

"library" means a library all or part of whose collection is accessible to members of the public directly or through interlibrary loans.