Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

You are required to enter your UTORid and password in order to use our workstations. The UTORid account that you use for signing in to your UTORmail account is the same for logging in to the desktop computers.

To activate your account UTORid, proceed to one of the workstations in the Information Commons. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete on the keyboard and a new window will appear on the desktop. Click on “UTORid Activation and Help...” button. This will direct you to the UTORid Management, where you will need to follow further instructions.

Please go to UTORid Management and follow the instructions.

If you are unable to sign in to one of the workstations, please select one of the workstations and press Ctrl + Alt + Delete on the keyboard and a new window will appear on the desktop. Click on “UTORid Activation and Help...” button. This will direct you to the UTORid Management, where you will need to follow further instructions.

To reset your UTORid, you will have to visit the Information Commons Help Desk, which is located on the main floor of John P. Robarts Research Library. You can reset your forgotten password at UTORid Management.

If you are currently taking courses at U of T, it is possible to create an account once you are registered and have received a library card. To do this visit the UTORid creation page. If you encounter any problems, visit the Help Desk.

You need to use the TCard machine, which is located in the South Information Commons, across from the IT Support Desk. Instructions are posted on the machine.

Library visitor cards can be purchased at the Inquiry Desk on the main floor at a cost of $5 each.

The majority of our computer workstations are located on the main floor in the North and South Information Commons. There is also a limited number of computers on the second floor.

In November and March, additional workstations are available in the EClassroom on the third floor.

All workstations are able to access the catalogue. In addition, catalogues used only for title lookups are located on every floor and you are not required to login with your UTORid in order to use them.

You are required to enter your UTORid and password in order to use the workstations. The UTORid account that you use for signing in to your UTORmail account is the same for logining in to the desktop computers.

To activate your account UTORid, proceed to one of the workstations in the Information Commons. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete on the keyboard and a new window will appear on the desktop. Click on “UTORid Activation and Help...” button. This will direct you to the UTORid Management, where you will need to follow further instructions.

It is located on the main floor, next to the IT Support Desk.

You are not required to sign in with your UTORid to use the workstation, but there is a ten-minute limit for use. If you need to edit your document before printing, please use one of the full service workstations.

The use of our workstations is limited to U of T students, staff, faculty, ICICLE guest account holders, and UTL direct borrowers.

University of Toronto Libraries offer a limited number of public workstations (referred to as Library and Internet Resource Account) in several libraries on campus.

For a list of locations of Library and Internet Resource Account workstations, please consult Information Commons Help Desk: Locations of Library Computers Available for Visitors.

All of our workstations use Microsoft Windows XP. In addition, following software is available on all computers:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.0
• Mozilla Firefox 3.6.0
• Microsoft Office Professional XP SP3 (with full multi-language support), including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Microsoft Office 2007 SP2 Compatibility Pack
• Windows Media Player 11.0.5721.5146
• Windows Media Player Classic 6.4.9.1

For the complete list, visit U of T Scotiabank Information Commons

In addition to the above programs, the five scanning workstations in the South Information Commons are equipped with the following:

• OmniPage Pro 15.00.0003
• Microtek ScanWizard 6.32.0
• Adobe Photoshop Extended CS5 Web Premium
• Adobe Illustrator CS5 Web Premium
• Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 Web Premium
• Adobe Fireworks CS5 Web Premium
• Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Professional CS5 Web Premium
• Adobe Bridge CS5 Web Premium
• Adobe Contribute CS5 Web Premium
• Adobe Device Central CS5 Web Premium
• Adobe Flash Catalyst CS5 Web Premium
• Adobe Flash Professional CS5 Web Premium
• Gimp 2.4.5
• KompoZer 0.7.10

If you wish to use it, please ask at the Inquiry Desk, located on the main floor. When you enter the building, please proceed straight and then to the left through security gates to reach our staff for assistance. Please do not hesitate to ask staff for directions.

The most commonly used programs can be started by pressing the Windows key followed by the first letter of the program’s name. For example Windows + J will start Jaws. There are two Windows keys: they are the second key to the left and right of the spacebar. You can start Word, Excel, Internet Explorer, Jaws, Kurzweil 1000, and ZoomText this way.

Other programs are available through the programs menu. To access them, press the Windows key followed by the letter p on the keyboard. You can then use the arrow keys to navigate to the submenus and shortcuts to programs.

The following programs are available on this workstation:

• Jaws
• Kurzweil 1000
• ZoomText
• Microsoft Office XP
• Internet Explorer

The computer has a drive which can read CD-ROMs and audio CDs. A floppy drive module is available on request from the Inquiry Desk.

The laser printer prints in black and white. It is below the desk on the right-hand side. Print jobs come out on top.

There is a scanner to the right of the computer. The lid opens at the left. The top of the page you are scanning should go against the right edge of the glass platen.

Technical help is available from the IT Support Desk. For assistance, please ask library staff at the Inquiry Desk.

Printed guides for Jaws, Kurzweil 1000, and ZoomText are available on the library’s reference collection. Please inform staff if you would like to consult them.

There is also a Braille guide for Jaws. A tape tutorial and other materials for Kurzweil are available at the Inquiry Desk for in-library use.

Laptops are available at the Inquiry Desk on the main floor. A valid TCard is required. They are available for use only within the library and must not be taken out of the library for any reason.

The laptops are configured for both wireless and wired Internet access and are also equipped with office software and wireless printing. Ethernet cables needed to connect to the wired network are located at the Inquiry Desk.

Laptops can be signed out for up to three hours. The overdue fine is $5.00 per hour.

They are UTORwin and UofT.

The password is UToronto1home. In addition, you will be required to enter your UTORid and password once you have connected and opened your browser.

They refer to your UTORid and password.

They are 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11a, and 802.11n.

We have provided a detailed sets of instructions for Windows 7 and Mac users on our Wireless Access page.

Undergraduate students whose laptops use Microsoft Windows as the operating system must run and pass the Endpoint Security Policy Test on their computers before they will be able to connect to the UTORcwn.

This test is used to protect users as well as the wireless network from viruses, hacking and other security issues.

This does not apply to graduate students, staff or faculty or undergraduate students whose laptops use an operating system other than Windows, such as Mac OS X or Linux.

To ensure that you pass the ESP test, please follow the instructions that are available on our Wireless Access page.

To see which buildings at the St. George campus are covered by UTORcwn and U of T, a map detailing campus buildings where the wireless network is available can be found at U of T Map. Click on Wireless once the map is loaded.

The docking ports are located on the ground, first and second floor at all carrels and most study tables.

Yes, they are available at the Inquiry Desk on the main floor. Valid TCard is required.

We have provided a detailed sets of instructions for Windows 7 and Mac users on our Wired Access page.

ResNet provides network connection and technical support to the residents of Victoria University. Please consult Victoria University Residential Networking for details, including office hours, registration guidelines, and updates of your bandwidth usage.

You need to use the TCard machine, which is located in the South Information Commons, across from the IT Support Desk. Instructions are posted on the machine.

By default, all print jobs are printed double-sided and cost 15 cents per page (or 30 cents per single sheet, double-sided).

If you would like to print your document single-sided, please refer to the instructions we have included on Printing section.

On the main floor, the printing station is located next to the IT Support Desk, adjacent to the South Information Commons.

In the EClassroom in the third floor (usually available for use during November and March), the printing station is located right at the entrance as you come in.

No, we do not offer colour printing service at this time. However, it is is offered at John M. Kelly Library at St. Michael’s College. Please consult their web site for details. In addition, colour printing is also available at John P. Robarts Research Library and Gerstein Science Information Centre.

Other libraries may also offer colour printing. Please contact them for details.

Yes, a detailed sets of instructions for Windows 7 and Mac can be found under Printing.

They are located on the main floor, in the South Information Commons. Proceed past the elevator and the Inquiry Desk. The four scanners are located in the last row of the workstations.

Priority in using these workstations is assigned to users who need to scan their files.

Scanning is also available on the photocopiers. This service costs three cents per page and users are required to supply their own USB key to save their files.

Please ask staff at the Inquiry Desk on the main floor if you would like use our microfiche and microfilm scanner.

Please consult our Guide to Scanning (PDF) for basic set of instructions. Technical support for using the scanners, along with printed copies of the brochure, are available at the IT Support Desk.

In order to use the microfiche and microfilm scanner, please refer to Microfiche and Microfilm Reader (PDF).

Software includes image editing programs (such as Adobe Photoshop), web page markup, and optical character recognition (OCR), a function that allows you to turn a printed document into editable text

Specialized software on the workstation with the microfiche and microfilm scanner includes ViewScan (for viewing files, such as microfilm), ImgBurn (for burning scanned files onto a CD) and Core FTP Lite (for sending files over a file transfer protocol connection).

It is on the main floor of the library. As you enter the building, go toward the Inquiry Desk to your left and proceed past the elevator to the South Information Commons. The desk is located between the quick print station and the printing station.

Please refer to IT Support Desk hours.

Our priority is providing assistance with any library software or hardware that appears to be malfunctioning and general technical support in utilizing information technology in the library.

Technical support relating to users’ personal devices, such as smartphones, is limited and will be provided as time permits.

For instructions on connecting to the Internet using mobile devices, please consult Information Commons Help Desk: Wireless Support for Mobile Devices.

Additional workstations in the EClassroom are usually available in November and March. For hours and location, please refer to EClassroom.