Frequently asked questions

The Library licenses our online content from a variety of vendors and the license terms telling us how we can use these resources vary.

License terms in LibrarySearch

To find out how you are allowed to use a resource in LibrarySearch click on License (found in the Access Options area of the record). The definitions below may help you to understand how you can use the resource.

License information on the Database AtoZ list

 If you are going directly to a Library database you can see the License terms (called Permitted Uses for this Database) under many databases.

Definition of license terms

• Authorized Users: This is the group of users allowed to use the electronic resource. Retiree and Alumni access may be noted in a separate field.
• Fair Dealing Usage: License term that indicates a user's right, as outlined in Canadian copyright law, to use a copyright protected work without further permission or payment of copyright royalties. The fair dealing exception of the Copyright Act gives permission to use copyright protected material for the purpose of research, private study, education, satire, parody, criticism, review or news reporting, as long as what you do with the work is ‘fair’. Find out more about the MRU fair dealing guidelines.
• Class Handouts: The permission to distribute or incorporate parts of the resource in classroom handouts to students in an MRU course.
• Course Pack Print: Refers to bound print copies of materials assembled by instructors for student use, usually instead of or in addition to a text book. Course pack materials often are protected by copyright.
• Scholarly Sharing: The permission to share, either in hard copy or electronically, portions of licensed materials to unauthorized users for personal use or scholarly, educational, or professional use.
• Secure Learning Management System: The permission to upload electronic copies of resources to a secure learning management systems (for example such as D2L, Blackboard or Google Classroom) for an MRU course or research. System should be password protected and only accessible to authorized MRU users.
• Data Mining: The process of applying automated tools and processes to systematically download or harvest articles, citations or metadata for the purposes of textual analysis and visual mapping of textual relationships.
• Electronic Link: The permission to post a persistent URL (electronic link) to the materials.
• Concurrent User Limit: The number of users that can simultaneously access an electronic resource.
• Interlibrary Loan Secure Electronic Transmission: Loaning materials owned or licensed by one library to another library or its users via secured electronic transmission.
• Artificial Intelligence: Use of content from library-licensed resources (like journal articles or ebooks) in AI tools for education or research. Uploading articles or even short excerpts (like abstracts) into AI tools that are not part of MRU systems, for example, ChatGPT, Grammarly, or Google Translate, is generally not permitted. These tools are run by outside companies (“third-party tools”) and often store or reuse what you enter. Not sure what’s okay? Ask us: mrulibcs@mtroyal.ca
  • You can use citation tools like ZoteroBib to create your bibliography.
  • You might be able to use AI tools that support accessibility (like screen readers or summarizers), but please check with us first.

No license terms listed or have questions? Let us know via the Library's public service desk or via Library chat on our homepage.