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Library Regulations
The Library Regulations
below are extracted from the University's
Ordinances & Regulations.
REGULATION 11 - Library
1. This Regulation is made in pursuance of clause (i) of paragraph 4 of Statute XlIl.
2. For the purposes of this Regulation, the term ‘’Library” is deemed to include all parts of the University Library wherever situated. The term “book” is deemed to include all types of material, including material held by others which the University has a licence to use.
3. The Librarian shall prescribe the opening hours of the Library in consultation with the Library Committee.
4. Consultation
4.1 The Library shall be open for consultation to members and any other person who has reasonable cause to use the Library.
4.2 The use of the Library by any other person shall be at the discretion of the Librarian
4.3 Access to and use of electronic sources of information may be subject to specific contractual restrictions, which may limit their use to particular groups of users.
5. Members
5.1 There shall be two categories of members:
5.1.1 internal members
5.1.2 external members
6. Internal Members
6.1 The following categories of persons shall be internal members:
6.1.1 members of the Court; members of the staff of the University; research fellows; visiting, honorary & retired members of staff
6.1.2 Approved Teachers, Approved Tutors and Approved Supervisors on production of a Personal Identification Card obtained from the Registration Office
6.1.3 matriculated students
6.1.4 postgraduate students who are completing their theses, on production of a Personal Identification Card obtained from the Registration Office
6.1.5 visiting scholars, on production of a Personal Identification Card obtained from the Registration Office
7. External Members
7.1 The following categories of persons shall be external members:
7.1.1 graduates of the University, Fellows and Associates of Heriot-Watt College, and diplomates of the Scottish College of Textiles
7.1.2 employees of companies or other institutions who have registered as corporate members of the Library as defined in paragraph 8. The number of employees allowed by each corporate member shall be determined by the Librarian.
7.1.3 employees of companies and other institutions on the University Research Park
7.1.4 members of such institutions with which an agreement on reciprocal rights has been concluded
7.1.5 such other persons whom the Librarian may permit to borrow books from the Library. Such persons shall make application in writing to the Librarian for admission as a member.
8. Corporate Membership
8.1 Companies or other institutions may be permitted to register as corporate members.
9. Books
9.1 The Librarian shall assign every book to a category which shall determine:
9.1.1 the persons by whom and the length of period for which it may be borrowed or
9.1.2 that it may not be borrowed.
10. Loan Periods
10.1 The Librarian in consultation with the Library Committee shall determine the loan periods for each category of book and where appropriate shall determine return dates for books in particular categories.
10.2 Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 10.1 the Librarian may:
10.2.1 vary the length of the period for which a book may be borrowed or
10.2.2 require the early return of a book by a notice given or sent to the member.
11. Borrowing
11.1 The Librarian shall determine the number of books in each category which may be borrowed by each category of member.
11.2 Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 11.1 the Librarian may vary the number of books in any category which may be borrowed by a member.
11.3 Each person who is permitted to borrow from the Library shall register with the Library and be issued with a bar-code, and shall be assigned to one of the categories of member before he or she will be permitted to borrow a book.
A bar-code shall be used only by the person to whom it has been issued.
11.4 A member shall not borrow a book from the Library unless he or she has registered the loan by the presentation of his or her bar-code and the book to a member of staff of the Library.
11.5 A member shall report the loss or theft of his/her barcode to the Library
11.6 A member will be held responsible for the loss of or damage to any books borrowed using his/her barcode.
12. Borrowing Entitlements—Internal Members
12.1 Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 9 and 10 internal members shall be entitled to borrow all books which may be borrowed.
13. Borrowing Entitlements—External Members
13.1 An external member shall be entitled to borrow only those books determined by the Librarian.
14. Return of Books
14.1 At the time of registering the loan of a book, a member shall be notified of the date and where appropriate the time of its return.
14.2 A member shall return a book on loan from the Library not later than the prescribed date or the prescribed time.
14.3 A member of the Library staff shall register the return of a book by reading off the bar code on the book or by the cancellation of a voucher recording the loan of the book.
14.4 A member who fails to return a book by the prescribed date or the prescribed time, or who retains the book for more than five days after a dated notice requiring early return has been given or sent to him or her in terms of paragraph 10.2.2, may be liable to a fine.
14.5 The level of fines chargeable for the late return of particular categories of books shall be determined by the Librarian in consultation with the Library Committee.
15. Charges for Services
15.1 The Librarian with the approval of the Library Committee shall determine which services shall be provided free of charge to all users, which services shall be provided free of charge to internal users but not to external users and which services shall be charged to all users.
15.2 The Librarian with the approval of the Library Committee shall determine the level of charge to be made for each charged service.
16. Conduct and Discipline
16.1 A user shall observe a good standard of behaviour in the Library, shall obey all reasonable instructions from members of the staff of the Library and shall not cause unreasonable disturbance or inconvenience to other users of the Library.
16.2 A user may be required to give evidence of his or her identity to a member of the staff of the Library.
16.3 A user who is considered by a member of staff of the Library to cause unreasonable disturbance or inconvenience to other users of the Library or to be in breach of this regulation may be dismissed from the Library immediately.
16.4 Smoking is not permitted in any part of the Library open to users.
16.5 The reservation of a seat in the Library is not permitted.
16.6 Members of the Library staff shall have authority to remove books and other property which are left in the Library.
16.7 The University shall not accept responsibility for property left in the Library.
16.8 A user shall take reasonable steps to protect Library books and shall not mark or otherwise deface them.
16.9 A user shall be held responsible for any damage or defacement which he or she causes to a Library book or other Library property.
16.10 A user shall be held responsible for the loss of or any damage to a book which has been borrowed on the presentation of his/her bar code.
16.11 A user may be required to make good to the satisfaction of the Librarian any loss or damage for which he or she is held responsible.
16.12 A user who removes a book from the Library without having first registered the loan shall be liable to disciplinary action which may include the imposition of a fine.
16.13 The Librarian shall have the authority to exclude from the Library for a period not exceeding three months any person who is in serious breach of this Regulation. The Librarian may require any such person to return immediately any Library book in his or her possession.
16.14 A student subject to disciplinary action by the Librarian shall have the right to appeal to the Discipline Committee of the Senate. Procedures relating to Student Discipline are detailed in Ordinance 9. Any other person subject to disciplinary action by the Librarian in terms of this Regulation shall have the right of appeal to the Library Committee of the Senate.
16.15 All Library material is lent or provided subject to the relevant copyright legislation. Registering as a member of the Library shall be deemed to constitute an undertaking to indemnify the University against all claims which may be made against it on this account in respect of any use of Library material.
16.16 Access to and use of electronic sources of information may be subject to specific contractual restrictions, which may limit their use to particular groups of users.