THE SILESIAN LIBRARY REGULATIONS

I. GENERAL REGULATIONS

§1.

The Silesian Library is the provincial public library with a scientific status. It takes into account gathering, safekeeping, conservation, developing and making library materials available for readers, including Polish and foreign academic writings and any materials which are useful for academic studies and general and professional education.

Collections of the Library co-create National Library Resource (Regulation of Minister of Culture of 24th November 1998 on establishing a register of libraries that collections create the national library resource, determining organisation of this collection and rules and range of its specific protection, Dziennik Ustaw 1998, nr 146, 955). This status enforces limitations in making collections available for readers.

§2.

The right to use the Library collections have:

1. persons who are 15 years old or more;
2. institutions, organizations and companies of the silesian province

§3.

1. The right to use the Library collections is obtained when you receive the library card.
2. When you register to the Library you should:
• show your identity document with photo and PESEL number, foreigners – passport;
• fill in the registration form and oblige to abide by the Library Regulations.
3. Under age persons can be registered to the Library on the basis of their identity card or student card
4. Researchers and academic teachers can be registered after producing the identity card which certifies the research status of the worker.

§4.

The library card is valid for a current calendar year only (for students – academic year).

§5.

1. The library card issue is charged its fabrication cost.
   Reissued library card is charged twice a value of the library card.
2. The card is free of charge for:
• pensioners and unemployed
• secondary school students (under age) who receive the library card with the right to use collections in the reading rooms are free of charge.

§6.

1. The owner of library card is responsible for every use of the card
2. The loss of the library card must be reported to the Lending Library immediately.
3. The library is not responsible for using the library card by third persons unless the library has been informed of the loss of the card.
4. The user is obliged to inform the library of any change of his address.

Any user in breach of any Library Regulations may be suspended from use of the library card.

§7.

Collections of the Silesian Library are accessible for readers: in the reading-rooms; through lending library; through inter-library loans; in a paid copy form (copies from xerographic printers, microfilms, reproduction etc) or in a digital version.

§8.

1. The evidence of borrowing library materials from the Silesian Library is receipt.
2. Readers are responsible for the condition of borrowed materials. Any damage to the borrowed material should be reported to the Library Service. By damage it is also understood marking books.
3. Readers are liable for any damage of borrowed materials stated when returning them to the Library and which were not stated when borrowing them.
4. The reader is materially responsible for books since the moment of borrowing.

II. BOOK LENDING CONDITIONS

§9.

1. Use of the Lending Library is entitled by the valid library card.
2. The right to borrow library materials have adult persons who are registered in the silesian province and who have their identity document confirming their place of living; in case of persons who are not registered at any special address they have to declare their place of living or correspondence address; foreigners — passport.
3. Under age students living in the silesian province can borrow materials after producing a written guarantor and their parent’s or carer’s identity card.
4. Research workers of colleges and universities of the silesian province which have signed a contract for co-operation with the Silesian Library, and who live outside the silesian province, can borrow books on the basis of their identity card which certifies the research status of the worker.
5. Students of the Silesian University and other higher education schools which have signed a contract for co-operation with the Silesian Library and who live outside the silesian province can borrow books from the Library on the basis of their identity card and their index book with a stamp of their main library.
6. Foreign candidates for a doctor’s degree and scholarship holders can borrow books on the basis of their index book stamped by the main college, providing the college co-operates with the Silesian Library.

§10.

1. Books to the Lending Library are ordered through terminals placed in the main hall of the Library and in the reading rooms. Instructions how to order a book are at every terminal.
2. Ordered books which you will not take out of the Lending Library are sent back to storage after 4 days.
3. Orders made an hour before closing time are fulfilled the next day.

§11.

1. Readers receive library materials only after showing their valid library card. The reader is responsible for every use of the card and all the borrowings made on the base of the card.
2. Number of borrowed books can not exceed 4 volumes.
3. The right to borrow more than 4 volumes of books have:
• research workers – up to 10 volumes – after producing the document confirming their researcher status;
• students and candidates for a doctor’s degree – up to 6 volumes – after producing their index book with a stamp of the Main Library of their parent college, providing the college has signed the contract for co-operation with the Silesian Library;
4. Ultimately, the manager of Circulation and Information Science Department decides how many books can be borrowed.

§12.

1. Books are borrowed for 4 weeks.
2. Research workers can borrow books for 8 weeks.
3. Borrowed books can be renewed three times, providing there are no orders for these books by other readers. The renewing of the books has to be done before their due date.
4. In the reasoned cases the Library has the right to lend books for a shorter time than in the Regulations or demand returning books before the date they are due.
5. Readers can borrow books after having regulated all their arrears on their loan.

§13.

Failing to return the borrowed books causes:

• overdue notice sent via e-mail or by post
• paying the costs of sending notices
• paying the library fines at a rate prescribed by a separate regulation of the Director of the Library
• suspension of the borrowing facilities
• bringing an action to court

A user is obliged to return the books before their due date, regardless of receiving (or not) the overdue notice sent via e-mail or by post. The admonition is only an additional information for the user that the the Library Regulations had been broken.

§14.

In the case of loss, damage or defacement of the book, the following form of compensation are possible:

• buying the identical work;
• buying a book pointed out by the Library;
• proposing a book (books) which has to (have to) be accepted by the Library after having checked their usefulness in the Library collections;
• if needed, paying for binding the book;
• paying the equivalent of the library material at the rate determined by the Commission on the Book Losses.

In case the book was damaged or recovered (found later after loss) it remains the property of the Library.

§15.

In order to obtain the stamp on the circulating card all books must be returned to the Library and all obligations to the Library must be regulated.

§16.

The Library do not lend for home reading materials published before 1960. Books published in period 1950-1960 can be borrowed in case the library has more than one copy of the edition.

Besides we do not lend:

1. special collections, works which are rare and expensive
2. books from the reference library and reading collections;
3. prints belonging to archival deposit copy;
4. newspapers and periodicals;
5. irregular periodicals;
6. encyclopaedias, dictionaries, bibliographies, guidebooks and other works which belong to the type of “reference books”, in case the Library possesses only one copy of it;
7. independent electronic documents;
8. works which are damaged or that need renovation.

In special cases the Director of the Silesian Library can forbear from above Regulations.

III. INTERLIBRARY LOAN SERVICE

§17.

1. The Silesian Library enables using the collections of other libraries through interlibrary loan services. The service makes it possible to obtain books and other library materials that are not available at libraries in Katowice.
2. Materials not available in Poland can be obtained from abroad.
3. Charges (e.g. shipping costs, costs of correspondence) imposed by a lending library are the responsibility of a user. The materials obtained from abroad are charged a lump sum, according to the valid price-list of the fees charged by Silesian Library in international loan service.
4. Materials obtained through the Interlibrary Loan Service are made available in the reading rooms only.
5. A user can request a renewal of obtained materials by notifying the Interlibrary Loan Service not later than a week before the loan period expiry date.
6. The Silesian Library makes its collections available to other libraries, institutions, organizations and companies of the silesian province for works related to their main activity, including displaying the items.
7. The Library reserves the right to the decision about a kind and number of materials borrowed from its collection.
8. Detailed regulations can be found in the Interlibrary Loan Service Regulations.

§18

Interlibrary Loan Service makes orders for all libraries in Poland. Persons who want to use materials from the library collections through Interlibrary Loan Service can turn to the nearest library to their habitual residence.

IV. COLLECTIONS IN READING-ROOMS

§19.

1. Reading-rooms may be used only after showing the valid library card.
2. Readers are obliged to:
• leave all their outdoor clothes, folders, cases, plastic opaque nets, bags, umbrellas, parcels, notebook cases in the cupboards outside the reading-room;
• sign in the guest’s book;
• inform a duty librarian about books and other materials that are brought with a reader.
3. Silence should be observed in reading-rooms and it is forbidden to:
• take library materials outside the reading-rooms;
• carry in food and drinks
• use mobile phones.
4. Reading places in the reading-rooms are chosen by the duty librarian.
5. Materials registered at the computer catalogue, which have a location and an availability status, are ordered through terminals and computers in the main hall and reading-rooms. Other items are ordered in a traditional way – by the receipts which are to be submitted to the duty librarians.
6. The detailed regulation of conduct can be found in separate regulations of reading-rooms.
7. Orders for reference library materials, which are outside the available branches – in the interior departments of the Library, are made to 3 p.m. Receipts submitted after this term are made the next day.
8. There is no access to original materials if their copies are available in form of: microfilms, microfiches, CDs etc.
9. Used materials are returned to the librarian, providing regulations do not constitute differently.
10. Readers shall be held responsible and charged for any damage of library material.

V. REPROGRAPHY

§20.

1. The Silesian Library provides the following reprography services:
• xerox photocopying,
• microfilms,
• digital copies,
• xerox copies from microfilms,
• scans,
  in accordance with copyright.
2. Archival character of library collection and its belonging to National Library Resource limits possibilities of copying.
   
   The Silesian Library does not allow xerography from:
• special collections (manuscripts, old prints, maps, graphics, historical cartography, ephemeral prints, original photography, archival postcards etc.);
• rare and valuable prints;
• books and periodicals published after 1950;
• publications protected by copyright;
• materials, which can not be copied because of technical reasons (e.g. periodicals in a more than A3 format);
• materials in a bad condition of preservation.

In above cases, if a preservation condition permits and there are no other contraindications, instead of xerox copies, users can order other forms of reprography.

Every time a decision about possibility of copying is made up by a librarian in a reading-room.

3. In reading-rooms there are copying machines designed for self-reliant use of Readers, activated by magnetic card or a new magnetic library card. Magnetic cards are available in slot-machines situated in Informatorium and the main hall of Library. The new electronical library card can be used also as a copying card in all library's copying machines and loaded in the same slot-machines, after paying.
4. Larger xerographic and other reprography orders are made on special forms, which are available in reading-rooms. An orderer agrees details of service – copying, deadline and cost.
5. A reader is responsible for costs of reprography according to ruling price list of service.
6. Copies from a reader’s materials are not made.
7. Filming, photographing and scanning of collections is made in appointed places and it requires every time assent of the manager of department or the authorised person.
8. Non-invasive filming and photographing (e.g. with a digital camera in-built in a mobile phone) of extracts from collections for non-profit own use and with own equipment, which does not need power from the Library net, is free of charge.
9. Filming, photographing and scanning of extracts of collections, which have a reprographic character, for non-profit own use and with own equipment, which needs power from the Library, is payable.
10. Any commercial use of copies from the Library’s resources every time needs an assent of the Director of Library.
11. Own equipment means devices (computer, notebook etc.) along with software, which belongs to a reader and enables doing tasks without installation of additional devices and software which are the Library’s possession.
12. A reader’s own equipment can be plugged in only on condition of proper work of this device.
13. The Library does not make the possibility of plugging in a reader’s own equipment to the Library’s internet web.
14. Plugging in, starting up and working on a reader’s own equipment is done only by the readers themselves.
15. Fees for the Library’s services are stated in the scales of charges which are available in reading-rooms.

VI. FINAL REGULATIONS

§21.

Each branch of Library has specified final regulations which are adjusted to the kind of materials they render accessible.

§22.

1. Opening hours are regulated by different regulations of the Director of the Silesian Library.
2. In the reasonable cases the Director can temporarily close the Library or some branches.
3. The users of the Library are warned about temporary suspensions of particular branches by the Director’s separated notice.
4. Additional information is given in announcements in the library branches and on the Internet website of the Silesian Library.

§23.

It is forbidden to smoke in any part of the Library.

§24.

Guided tours in the Library are available after an earlier assignation of the date made in Informatorium.

§25.

1. Failure to obey the Library Regulations or conduct not appropriate with common rules may result in deprivation temporarily or permanently borrowing facilities.
2. Decision of deprivation of borrowing facilities is made by the Commission on Offences of Readers.
3. A reader has the right to appeal from the Commission’s decision to the Director of the Silesian Library. The Director makes the final decision about a reader’s depriving rights to use the Library services.

§26.

1. Any notices about making the Library collections accessible can be reported to a librarian on duty and inscribed into the Book of remarks and conclusions which is available at the Registration Desk.
2. Decisions about particular problems, unsettled by the decisions of the Library Regulations, belong to the Library Director’s jurisdiction.