Rights

• Users should ask the Library staff for information about resources, services and operation issues.
• Users can use the computers and the technical equipment of the Library for study, research and academic needs.
• Users can use their personal portable computers (e.g. tablets and laptops) for study, research and academic needs.
• Users, who do not have a personal portable computer and wish to use the Library’s reading rooms, can borrow a portable computer (e.g. tablet or laptop) from the Library.
• Users can make photocopies of the material they are interested in (excerpts of books etc) or of non-circulating materials (journal articles, excerpts of items of grey literature etc), abiding by the relevant copyright or other intellectual property terms and conditions.
• Users with special needs are served by order of priority

Obligations

• Acceptance of the Library member card implies compliance with the Library Regulations.
• Users are expected to follow instructions provided by the Library staff, respect library facilities, and treat the Library staff and other users with respect.
• Users must handle books, materials and equipment carefully. Otherwise, should a user damage any item, the user is obliged to replace or repair it.
• Users are not allowed to bring personal items, such as bags or umbrellas, into the reading rooms or other areas of the Library. Users can store their personal items in special lockers that are located at the Library Reception.
• Talking and making noise is not allowed in reading rooms and stacks.
• Mobile phone use is not allowed inside the Library. Eating or drinking (coffees, soft drinks etc) is not allowed inside the Library, either.
• Smoking is forbidden inside the Library.
• Usersare not to enter unauthorized areas of the Library unless they are escorted by a member of the Library staff.
• Users should notify the Library staff about changes in their personal data.
• Users should check their institutional email account for updates about the Library.

About E-Learning
E-learning is the use of electronic educational technology in learning and teaching, using modern tools such as computers. Students can control their own progress through the courseware, while teachers are available to provide support. As a teacher-led training it defers from self-access learning where practice is assisted with resources such as books or educational CD-ROMs.

E-learning is based on interaction between students and teachers and among students, likewise learning in traditional classroom. E-seminars take place in a virtual “classroom” through a computer as the teacher and students are not in the same physical location. It is ideal for asynchronous or synchronous interactions or personalized courses.

Asynchronous learning allows both students and teachers to follow the curriculum anywhere and at any time and be able to engage in the exchange of ideas or information with each other.

Synchronous learning allows students and teachers not sharing the same physical location to interact in a virtual classroom (through the Internet, LAN). Synchronous learning includes online real-time live teacher instruction and feedback, audio and video conferences where everyone is online and working collaboratively at the same time.

Personalized courses combine educational resources like books, CD-ROMs, sound and video applications. Students can use these resources anywhere and at any time. Students with personalized courses are not in direct contact with other students or their teacher.

About the Blackboard Learning System – Vista Enterprise License platform
The Blackboard Learning System – Vista Enterprise License platform ranks first globally for Academic Enterprise Systems (AES). It is an innovative solution that delivers distance learning and offers a full suite of e-learning solutions to academic enterprises and helps them reform traditionally delivered lessons and seminars into new virtual, electronic lessons.

The Blackboard Learning System – Vista Enterprise License platform advances the creation of an e-learning system that adopts and embraces the complete pre-existing structure of the University of the Aegean by providing a multiple prism e-learning platform that combines all the tools that are required for the creation, management and renewal of teaching courses as well as the interconnection with the existing computerization of the University.

Offered services

• Communication: chat, whiteboard, discussion board, course mail, "who's online" instant chat tool
• Learning: οffers tools for the centralized management of exercises for individuals or groups, based on default criteria and the special characteristic of students.
• Monitoring skills and knowledge: the Blackboard Learning System – Vista Enterprise License platform embeds quizzes, self-tests, surveys and questions (multiple choice tests) in an easy-to-use interface which connects to a database. The questions and the answers are automatically added to this distributed database allowing the reuse of the content.
• Dynamic Data Management: the Blackboard Learning System – Vista Enterprise License platform collects learning data at academic enterprise level and gives access to teaching material while supervises its distribution. Teachers have access to an integrated program to inspect on the progress of students, grading and in general manage grades, courses, workshops and students.
• Personalized e-Learning Portal: the Blackboard Learning System – Vista Enterprise License platform has developed myWebCT, a fully personalized web page with links to all the WebCT courses in which students are enrolled. It can be adjusted to the identity of the academic enterprise and position as an operational academic portal.

The main services that the Blackboard Learning System – Vista Enterprise License platform offers for the management of materials are: Drag-and-drop Content Acquisition, Sharable Media Library, Interactive Course Map, HTML Editor with Spell Check, Equation Editor Search Capabilities

Mission and goals
The University of the Aegean utilizes the new e-learning service called 'Plato©' to upgrade the teaching procedure with new technologies, ideas and methods and to expand the offering of technical resources for academic studying. At the same time, it minimizes barriers to communication in geographic distance among the islands hosting the different Units (Schools and Departments) of the University of the Aegean, by replacing or supplementing the physical presence of teachers in flexible ways.

This new e-service, which is available to the academic community of the University of the Aegean, enables the execution of courses especially adjusted to the study programs of the Units (Schools and Departments), postgraduate programs and the inter-departmental study programs using the Blackboard Learning System – Vista Enterprise License platform. The University of the Aegean Library purchased this e-platform to actualize the e-reserves service in the frameworks of the EPEAEK II (Operational Program "Education and Primary Vocational Training") “Upgrading the Library of the University of the Aegean”, which is co-funded by European Union (75%) and National Funds (25%).

So as to facilitate users who do not have their own personal portable device, the Library provides users tablets and laptops for use on each Branch premises to support their study, research and academic needs. Library tablets and laptops enable wireless access (Wi-Fi) to the internet and to the electronic sources and services of the Library through its Portal. The authorized use of workstations must conform to the Library’s mission and academic role.

Tablet and laptop loans are provided to all the authorized Library users who are members of the academic community of the University of the Aegean (undergraduate and postgraduate students, faculty members, researchers and administrative staff).

Library Terminals (SunRays) are available at all the Library and Information Centre Branches and are primarily intended for information retrieval for study, research and academic needs of Library users. These Sun Rays allow internet access to the electronic resources and services of the Library through its Portal. The authorized use of Sun Rays must respect the Library’s mission and academic role.

Sun Rays are available to Library users for free with no additional login required. The use of Sun Rays has no time limits.

External USB floppy are available for use on Sun Rays.

DC/DVD-Rom drives are not available for use on Sun Rays.

Print stations are not available at Sun Rays.

Computer workstations are set up by the Library in all the Branches and are offered to the users for their study and research activity and academic needs. These workstations have access to the Internet and to the electronic resources and services of the Library through its Portal. The authorized use of workstations must conform to the Library’s mission and academic role.

Access to workstations is offered to:

• members the academic community of the University of the Aegean (undergraduate and postgraduate students, faculty members, researchers and administrative staff), by using their institutional account
• visitors, who can will obtain login credentials (username/password) from the Library staff. These credentials are valid for one day only.

There is no time limit for the use of the workstations.

External USB floppy and CD/DVD-ROM drives are available for use on the Library workstations.

Print stations are not available at workstations.

The Library and Information Centre provides free wireless internet access (Wi-Fi) to its users, both at the Central  Library and at all library Branches.

Wi-Fi access is available to:

• members of the academic community of the University of the Aegean (undergraduate and postgraduate students, faculty members, researchers and administrative staff), by using their institutional account.
• visitors,who can obtain login credentials (username/password) from the Library staff. These credentials are valid for one day only.

Wi-Fi users must comply with the Acceptable Use of Wireless Internet Access Services of the Information & Communication Systems Security of the University of the Aegean.

At the beginning of every new Academic Year, the Library and Information Centre organizes tours to all the facilities for first-year undergraduate and postgraduate students of all University Units (Schools and Departments).

During the tours, the Library staff informs students about:

• the opening hours and operation conduct (loan regulations)
• the collections
• the guidelines for individual search of library materials by accessing the Open Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) and
• the membership possess by issuing a Library member card, which is issued by the Library, and enables users to borrow materials and make use of all the Library services.

The use of Library materials (such as books, journals, dissertations, etc) are subject to the Law 2121/1993 (on Copyright, Related Rights and Cultural Matters). Based on this law, Library materials (such as books, journals, dissertations, etc) are available for personal study.

Storage, exploitation or reproduction of print copies for commercial use is not allowed in order to protect the interests of rightholders.

In particular, photocopy reproduction of books, journals, print items or other materials is not allowed. Only under certain and special circumstances, photocopy reproduction is allowed for the strictly private use of the user (for example excerpts of books) and non-circulating materials (for example journal articles).
In this case:
a) the user alone is responsible for the photocopy reproduction. The Library staff does not assist users in any photocopy reproduction of Library materials.
b) the photocopy reproduction by the user is for personal use only, or for use by narrow audience (close family and friends).

In any case, users must respect the permitted photocopying limits to ensure that such reproduction does not conflict with a normal exploitation of the work and does not unreasonably prejudice the legitimate interests of the author.
Specifically, only the reproduction of a small portion of copyrighted work, such as a small excerpt of a few pages of a book or a journal is allowed. The reproduction of the entire book or an entire journal issue or/and in multiple copies without the permission of the author or the publisher, it is not allowed under the Law 2121/1993 as it violates the rights of creator/holder, no matter if the act is performed by the user alone or for personal use only.

Users are fully responsible for any legal consequences arising from the violation of these restrictions. In such a case, the user must make full compensation to the natural or legal person who suffered property or ethical damage from illegal actions based on the Law 2121/1993. A felony may be punishable with imprisonment for one year and financial fine from 2.900€ to 15.000€, while heavier penalties may be imposed based on the damage and the circumstances indicated of illegal action.

Every Library Branch has a photocopier for library users. Library users can make copies of the material they are interested in (e.g. excerpts of books etc.), including non-circulating materials (journal articles, excerpts of items of gray literature etc.). Copying is subject to copyright or other intellectual property rights.

Every Library Branch has a photocopier for library users. Library users can make copies of the material they are interested in (e.g. excerpts of books etc.), including non-circulating materials (journal articles, excerpts of items of gray literature etc.). Copying is subject to copyright or other intellectual property rights.