Library regulations
1 Introduction
1.1 The Director of Library Services is responsible to the Court for the management of University Library services, reporting to the Executive through the Vice Principal. Under the overall direction of the Director of Library Services, it is the responsibility of Library staff to provide appropriate services and to safeguard the libraries and their contents.
1.2 The Library User Groups includes representatives of teaching and research staff, students and Library staff. Their function is to represent users' views and to offer help and advice to senior Library staff on all matters affecting library and related information services within the University.
1.3 Any member of the University may call upon the resources and services of any of its libraries.
2 Membership
2.1 The following are entitled to membership of the Library and may borrow books up to the number shown:
a) Members of the Court and staff of this University (50 vols);
b) Postgraduate students (40 vols);
c) Undergraduate students (25 vols);
d) Retired staff and partners of employees (30 vols);
e) Graduates of the University, on payment of a £20 annual subscription (or £80 for life membership) (30 vols).
2.2 At the discretion of the Director of Library Services(usually exercised by the Reader Services Co-ordinator), the following may be granted membership and the right to borrow books up to the number shown:
e) Staff and students of the University of Dundee and the University of Abertay Dundee (15 vols), also SRX and UK Libraries plus schemes;
f) Academic, academic-related and research staff of all other Scottish universities (15 vols);
g) Individuals wishing to make use of the Library for their private research or recreational interests, on payment of a £30 annual subscription (or £120 for life membership) (30 vols);
h) Individuals who are not matriculated students, but who are currently following a course of study organised by any Department of this University, on payment of a returnable deposit of £20 (15 vols);
i) Students of other universities resident in Fife or Tayside, on payment of returnable deposit of £20 (15 vols).
Members in these categories may be charged an additional fee for any service provided other than the issue of books. At the Director of Library Services' discretion, all or part of the membership fee may be waived for borrowers who are not in paid employment.
2.3 Temporary membership without the right to borrow may be granted to members of the public at no charge. Temporary members may, however, be charged a separate fee for special services provided for them.
3 Registration
3.1 All members will be provided with either a Borrower ID Card or Membership Card. This card must be carried on each visit to the Library and produced on request. Borrowers must bring their Borrower ID Card to the Service Desk each time they wish to borrow or use one of the Library's self-service machines.
3.2 All changes of address must be reported as soon as possible to the Service Desk.
4 Hours of opening
Current opening times for all of the University's library sites are advertised on the Library's website.
4.1 In the Main Library, an announcement will be made by tannoy 30 minutes before the building closes. On Levels 3 & 4 (where the tannoy system will be installed in Summer 2012), lights will be flashed 10 minutes before the building is due to close. At that time all users in the building must prepare to leave immediately.
All borrowing must be completed by 15 minutes before closing time, at which point self-service issue machines will be closed down.
No users will be admitted to the building in the final 15 minutes of opening.
5 Borrowing
In this regulation "book" includes all material, in whatever format, which is owned by, or in the custody of, the Library.
5.1 No book may be removed from the Library until its loan has been properly recorded at the appropriate Service Desk or Self-Issue machine.
5.2 Every book lent out is the responsibility of the borrower until it has been duly returned to the appropriate Service Desk. Books which have been borrowed must not be lent to anyone else.
5.3 Under the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984, the University is a Registered Data User. All information which relates to an identifiable living individual and is held in machine-readable form by, or on behalf of, the Library, is registered as being held for the purpose of Library Administration. Such information, unless it is held for the specific purpose of public access (e.g. in a catalogue of Library stock), is normally private to that individual and may not be divulged by Library staff to any third party.
5.4 Notwithstanding the provisions of 5.3 above, Library staff may, in cases of special urgency, disclose the name of the current borrower of a specific book to any member of the academic staff of the University so that the latter may be enabled to consult it. In such cases, however, the original borrower is entitled to refuse to allow access to the book, and in all circumstances remains responsible for returning it to the Library at the proper time.
5.5 Information on current borrowing regulations including fine rates can be found at Loan periods, recalls and fines.
5.6 Any book may be recalled 7 days after the date of issue if it is required by another reader; in urgent cases a book may be recalled at any time.
5.7 Any book, group or class of books may be confined to the Library, or made subject to a shorter period of loan, at the discretion of the Director of Library Services.
5.8 From time to time the Director of Library Services may declare a General Inspection: on such occasions all books on loan must be returned by the date specified.
5.9 Any reader who fails to return a book by the due date, or within four working days of the dispatch of a recall notice, or (in the case of the Short loan Collection) by the hour at which it is due, will be liable to a fine at rates which are fixed from time to time and publicly announced.
5.10 Failure to return books and the non-payment of fines may result in the suspension of borrowing privileges. For students of this University, it may also lead to a block on matriculation at the start of the following academic year, and to the withholding of the award of a degree by the University.
6 Behaviour
6.1 All readers must obey instructions given by the members of Library staff on duty who are deemed to be acting with the authority of the Director of Library Services.
6.2 It is an offence for anyone to behave in a manner likely to affect other users adversely (e.g. by disorderly behaviour, by making unnecessary
noise, by writing in books, or by persistently failing to return books on time). Smoking and the consumption of alcohol are not permitted in any part
of the Library. Animals, other than guide dogs, may not be brought in to the Library.
Main Library users are permitted to talk, eat and drink, use mobile phones and personal music players in designated zones only and with the following
restrictions:
- Level 2 (General Zone) - talking and group study permitted at levels deemed reasonable by members of Library staff. Non-alcoholic lidded drinks permitted. Cold snacks (fruit, sandwiches, confectionary etc.) can be eaten on this floor but no hot food. Hot food may only be consumed in the Library cafe. Food and drink should be consumed at study desks only and not at bookshelves. Mobile phones to be set to silent but can be used to make and receive calls.
- Levels 3 & 4 (Silent Zones) - no discussion allowed. Non-alcoholic lidded drinks permitted (at study desks) but no food may be consumed. All food must be kept out of view and off study desks. Mobile phones should be set to silent and can be used for non-call functions only.
- Personal music and video players can be used in all areas providing that headphones are used. Users are required to ensure that noise does not filter from headphones in a way that could disturb other people.
- Stairwells should be kept as clear as possible due to their use as a fire escape. Users should not loiter, have conversations or make/receive phone calls on the stairwells as noise filters very easily on to the upper floors.
Library users are required to clear any waste by using the recycling and other bins provided throughout the building. Any spills or other damage
should be reported to a member of Library staff immediately.
Policies related to behaviour in the St Mary's College, King James and JF Allen site libraries are currently under review (as of December 2010).
6.3 If the Director of Library Services or the authorised deputy believes that a user has committed such an offence (in terms of 6.2 above), immediate action may be taken by excluding the offender from the library building and by withdrawing the right to borrow. The suspension of borrowing privileges may either be until the books have been returned and the associated fines paid, or, in the case of persistent offenders, be for a fixed period not exceeding seven days.
6.4 In the case of a serious offence (e.g. the unauthorised removal of, or damage to, Library books or property; or gross disorderly behaviour), the Director of Library Services or the authorised deputy may, in addition to imposing the penalties listed in 6.3 above: - require payment to make good any damage or loss - (for students) impose a fine not exceeding £50 - (for students) consult the Director of Student Services about an extended suspension of borrowing privileges and/or initiating the summary procedures described in the Code of Student Discipline.
6.5 Students of this University have the right of appeal under the Code of Student Discipline to the Director of Student Services; other members of this University may appeal to the Master.
6.6 The act of registering as a member of the Library (whether in the course of matriculation or otherwise) carries with it a legal obligation to observe the provisions of the Copyright Designs & Patents Act, 1988. In particular, members thus formally undertake that they will not knowingly make, or ask Library staff to provide, copies which infringe the Act; and acknowledge that neither the University nor the Library can indemnify them against any legal action, whether civil or criminal, which may arise from the making of such infringing copies. The act of registering also implies acceptance of these Library Regulations.
