General Regulation XIV - Library Regulations
I. The Use of the Library
1. There are two categories of Library user, those who may borrow books (borrowers) and those who may use the Library for reading and reference only.
2. The following persons may borrow books from the Library:
(b) Members of staff of the University;
(c) Members of any Statutory body in the University;
(d) Members of the Cathedral Chapter;
(e) Other employees of the University and its Colleges, at the Librarian's discretion;
(f) Holders of the SCONUL Access card;
(g) In the Education and Queen’s Campus, Stockton libraries only, approved local teachers;
(h) Graduates of the University. (A charge is made for this.);
(i) Persons on whom special borrowing rights have been conferred by the Librarian. (A charge may be made for this);
3. The Librarian may admit other persons to use the Library for the purposes of reading and reference only.
4. The Librarian may refuse other persons admission or readmission to the Library.
5. All users may be required to register on first being admitted to the use of the Library.
6. Campus cards are issued to all regular registered users. The campus card may be used only by the person to whom it is issued and whose name appears on it.
7. Campus cards should be carried on all visits to the Library and must be produced each time books are borrowed.
8. Users must report lost or stolen campus cards to Computing and Information Service staff immediately. Campus cards may be replaced on payment of a fee determined by the Computing and Information Service.
9. Students should notify any change of term-time or vacation address via the online enrolment system. All other users should inform the Library of change of address.
II. Borrowing
1. Certain material such as books and manuscripts from the Special Collections and works of reference may only be borrowed with the permission of the Librarian. Some material is confined to the Library and may not be borrowed.
2. The loan period of certain categories of material may be restricted.
3. A separate loan record must be made for each book borrowed. The borrower remains responsible for each book borrowed until the loan record is discharged.
4. Borrowers may not have on loan at any time more books than the borrowing limit for their category of borrower as determined from time to time by the Library Steering Group and published in the Library. In special cases, permission to borrow additional volumes may be given by the Librarian.
5. All books must be returned or renewed on or before the due return date (or, for Short Loan items, by the due return time), or returned by the revised date as noted in a recall notice.
6. After a book has been in the possession of a borrower for one week, it may be recalled for use by another user. Books are subject to recall in vacation as well as in term.
7. A borrower who fails to return a volume when it is due or when requested to do so by the Library shall be liable to a fine which will increase if the offence is prolonged. The rates of fines shall be determined from time to time by the Library Steering Group and published in the Library.
8. If fines accumulate to a level determined by the Library Steering Group, borrowing privileges will be suspended until payment is made.
9. Any borrower who marks, damages, loses or wilfully refuses to return a book or has the book stolen whilst on loan, will be sent an invoice for the cost of replacement, fines due and a handling charge. The fines and handling charge will be charged whether or not the book is eventually returned.
10. Borrowers must return all books borrowed by them and pay any outstanding fines or charges before finally leaving the University. Students who are not in good standing with the University are not permitted to congregate.
11. The Librarian shall recall for inspection all books borrowed by staff at such times as the Librarian may decide.
III. General
1. Silence must be kept at all times in all the reading areas of the Library except in areas explicitly designated for group study.
2. Copyright material, whether part of the Library's stock or not, may only be copied by or on behalf of Library users in accordance with the law.
3. Material in the Special Collections, and other material liable to strain or damage, may only be copied at the Librarian's discretion, and normally such copying may only be carried out by Library staff.
4. The Library reserves the right to inspect what is brought into the Library by Library users and what is taken out of the Library.
5. Personal belongings may be brought into the Library at the Librarian's discretion, and at the user's own risk. The Library cannot be held responsible for loss of, or damage to, personal property.
6. Electrical sockets in the Library must not be used for personal equipment, other than personal computers, without the express permission of the Librarian.
7. Readers using their own laptop computers for academic purposes in the Library do so at their own risk. Laptop computers must be used at desks immediately adjacent to power sockets, so as to avoid trailing electrical cables. Laptop users may be asked to move to another location in the Library, or to stop using the laptop computer altogether, if other Library users are inconvenienced.
8. Mobile telephones must not be used in the Library except in designated areas and must be switched off so as not to disturb other readers.
9. Smoking and the consumption of food and drink in the Library is prohibited.
10. Illicit removal of Library materials and deliberate damage to or defacing of Library materials are serious disciplinary offences which shall be reported to the Librarian, who may seek compensation for damage incurred and/or initiate disciplinary procedures.
11. Readers may not introduce into the Library articles (such as food, drink, bottles of ink) which are likely to damage books or equipment and shall be liable to pay compensation in respect of any damage caused.
12. Seats may not be reserved for prolonged periods. Library staff may clear away any personal property left on tables in order to make seats available to other readers.
13. Readers must leave the Library before closing time and may be asked to vacate their seats at any time after the final announcement of closing.
14. All members of the Library staff are empowered to enforce discipline in the Library.
IV. Penalties
1. All users who are admitted to the Library undertake to observe Library rules and regulations.
2. The Librarian shall at all times have authority to maintain good order in the Library and may exclude from it or suspend from its use any reader who infringes the regulations or rules.
3. Infringements of the regulations or rules and offences against good behaviour in the Library shall render users liable to fines or other penalties, including exclusion from use of some or all Library services, which may be imposed by the Librarian, or, if appropriate, under the relevant University discipline procedure. A serious breach of library regulations will be treated as a major offence as set out in General Regulations IV 5(a), where it is defined broadly as behaviour that either does or has the potential to cause serious damage to the University, its staff and other students As such, it may include but is not restricted to the following examples of offences:
• serious instances of disorderly conduct
• theft or fraud in connection with library accounts or property.
4. On occasions University students may, by virtue of their status as members of the Durham University, be given privileges to use other libraries, including the British Library and other university libraries. Any alleged offence caused by University students when using such facilities, which is reported by another library to the University Librarian for disciplinary action, shall be referred to the Librarian who may impose a fine or other penalty appropriate to the gravity of the offence on the University student at their discretion, but shall not impose any further penalty in cases where it is believed that the disciplinary action already taken by the library in question is sufficient punishment for the offence.
9 a) ‘Library Regulations’ refer to the conditions under which members of the University and others are allowed to use the Library.
b) Within these regulations the terms "book" and "books" are defined as including both books and all other library materials (eg periodicals, microforms, audio-visual materials etc.).