Library Management Rules
Aberdeen City Council (“the Council”) by virtue of the powers conferred upon them by Section 112 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (“the Act”) or otherwise, hereby make the following Management Rules to regulate the use of, and the conduct of persons while in, the Central, Branch and
Mobile Libraries in the City of Aberdeen (the Libraries”).
1 THE DIRECTOR
The Director of Arts & Recreation or other such officers as the Council may appoint for the purpose (“the Director”) will have general charge of the Libraries and in particular will be responsible for the stock and collection therein.
2 OPENING HOURS
The hours of opening of the Libraries shall be such as may, from time to time, be determined by the Council or by a Committee of the Council having responsibility for the Libraries (“the committee”).
3 CONDUCT
The normal standards for good conduct in public places will apply in the Libraries. Without prejudice to that generality, whilst in the Libraries it is prohibited to:
- a) make excessive noise;
- b) bring in animals, except guide dogs;
- c) smoke cigarettes, cigars or pipes;
- d) consume food and/or drink, except in areas where food and drink are provided by or on behalf of the Council for consumption on the premises;
- e) use a mobile telephone having been requested by a member of staff not to do so;
- f) use the power supply in the Libraries to power personal electric/electronic equipment (which in itself may only be used at the owner’s risk);
- g) interfere with the arrangements for conducting the work of the Libraries;
- h) obstruct or annoy any person in the proper use of the facilities;
- i) use the facilities (including, but not restricted to, computers and any Internet access provided) for any illegal purpose or any other purpose for which they are not intended;
- j) undertake sound recording, photography or filming except with the consent of the Director who shall have absolute discretion in the matter.
4 CHILDREN
Whilst in the said premises and land, children under the age of eight must be accompanied by a parent, carer or suitable person at all times. Children aged between eight and twelve years must not be left unaccompanied in any Library for long periods of time. Parents or carers are responsible for the supervision, welfare and conduct of children whilst in the said premises and land, and must provide such reasonable care and supervision as is appropriate, depending on the age and level of maturity of each child.
5 ADMISSION AS A BORROWER
A Eligibility
Subject to such age limit or limits as the Council may from time to time prescribe, the following persons may make application for admission as a borrower of the Libraries:
- a) Persons residing within Aberdeen City boundaries;
- b) Persons residing outwith the City boundaries, on payment to the Libraries of the non-residents administrative fee as determined by the Committee from time to time;
- c) Such other persons as the Committee may approve.
B Application
All persons eligible in terms of A above wishing to become borrowers, shall complete an application form prescribed by the Director. Proof of residency at the given address is required and proof of age may be requested. Students are required to give their home address if different from their Aberdeen address. The granting of borrowing rights may be delayed until details given on the application form have been confirmed. The form shall make reference to these Management Rules and any other such regulations.
C Age
A borrower from Adult Departments of the Libraries shall be at least 12 years old. The Director may, at his discretion, admit a person younger than 12 as a borrower from Adult Departments. There shall be no lower age limit to admission as a borrower from Children’s Departments of the Libraries.
D Guarantors
A child below the age of 16 shall not be entitled to borrow unless one of their parents or a suitable adult guarantor has agreed, by subscribing a form prescribed by the Director for the purpose, to accept responsibility for the child as a borrower.
E Admission
The Director may, on reasonable grounds, refuse to admit a person as a borrower and in that event the person concerned may apply in writing to be heard by the Committee who, at their discretion, may hear them and whose decision shall be final.
Once admitted, a borrower may be requested to confirm the details provided with their application from time to time as is reasonably required for conducting the Library services. Further, a borrower may be requested to provide additional information as appropriate to enhance the quality of the service.
6 CARDS
Cards issued for borrowing items from the Libraries shall not be transferable. Borrowers shall be personally responsible for the safe keeping of Cards and for items borrowed on their Card, whether on their authority or not. Borrowers shall immediately notify any change of address or the loss of a Card. A charge will be made for the replacement of lost Cards, at a rate approved by the Committee.
7 LOANS
A Issue of Items
No items shall be removed form the Libraries unless a valid Card is tendered by the borrower and the item is thereafter issued on loan by a member of Library staff in the manner approved by the Director. The requirement to tender a valid Card may be waived at the discretion of the Director.
B Number of Items
The Director shall determine the maximum number of books, talking books, compact discs, audio cassettes, video cassettes, and other such items as may become available for borrowing from the Libraries which a borrower may have on loan at any one time, and shall have the power to vary these maximum numbers at his discretion.
C Periods
The Committee shall have the power (a) to determine the maximum period for which a borrower may have a particular item on loan; and (b) to vary all or any of such maximum loan periods at their discretion.
The Director may, at his discretion, reduce the maximum loan period for any particular item if it is in heavy demand or for any other appropriate reason.
D Extensions
On receipt of a request from that borrower in person, or by post or telephone, the loan period may be extended for any item on loan, other than when the item concerned has been requested by another borrower. No loan shall be extended more than twice.
E Reservations
Lending material may be reserved at a charge determined from time to time by the Committee.
8 REFERENCE SERVICES
The facilities of the Reference Departments are available to all persons to such an extent and on such conditions as the Director deems appropriate. No material or item belonging to the Council shall be removed from the Reference Departments, except with the permission of the Director and subject to such conditions as he may consider appropriate. The Director may, at his discretion, impose a maximum period of time that a user of the reference services may retain or use any material or item and may introduce a reservation system for any material or item if it is in heavy demand or for any other appropriate reason.
Without prejudice to the generality of the above the following material/item shall not be retained or used by a service user longer than the stated time after another user has requested it:
- a) a newspaper - 10 minutes;
- b) a periodical - 30 minutes;
- c) any copying equipment - 10 minutes;
- d) any computer or other information technology equipment - 30 minutes;
- e) any micro-form media - 1 hour
9 AUDIO VISUAL SERVICES
A Subscription
Borrowers shall be required to pay either (a) an annual subscription charge or (b) an individual charge per item for borrowing audio visual materials with the exception of talking books and children‘s audio visual materials. The Director shall have the power to vary these charges at his discretion.
B Damage to Reproducing Equipment
All compact discs, audio cassettes and video cassettes are issued on the express condition that the Council shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any reproducing equipment due to the condition of or any defects in such items.
10 MATERIAL OF VALUE
Material which has a particular value and/or is liable to damage, may only be issued on loan or made available for reference purposes or copied subject to such conditions, including the provision of insurance or surety, as the Director may think necessary to ensure its safety.
11 SERVICE USER’S RESPONSIBILITES
A Defective Items
It shall be the responsibility of a user of the Library services to see that any items or materials used for reference purposes or borrowed are in good physical condition and to report any defects prior to use or borrowing to a member of the Library staff who will record these comments. Failure to do so may result in incurring liability for damage in terms of B below.
B Loss or Damage
Users of the library services shall be responsible for any damage to, or loss of, material which has been borrowed or used in their name, whether such damage or loss is attributible to them or otherwise, and shall be liable to make payment for such damage or loss, together with the administration expenses involved. The amount of such payment shall be determined by the Director and authorised members of Council staff.
C Contravention of Legislation
Nothing in these Management Rules nor in the provision of the Library services shall authorise the contravention of any enactment and in particular it is prohibited to do anything which contravenes the Copyright, Designs and Parents Act 1988 as amended.
12 OVERDUE ITEMS
- (a) Borrowers of 12 years of age or over who retain books, compact discs, audio cassettes, video cassettes, prints or other items beyond the maximum permitted loan period shall be charged for such items at such a rate or rates as shall be determined from time to time by the Committee. Such rate or rates shall be prominently displayed at all, points of issue in the Libraries.
In the event that it proves necessary to employ Council staff to secure the return of overdue items, the borrower concerned shall be liable to pay the appropriate collection charge, in addition to any charge mentioned in the preceding sentence. Borrowers will be notified in writing any material retained beyond the permitted loan period, but failure to give such notification shall not relieve the borrower of the foregoing charges.
- (b) In the case of a borrower under 12 years of age, the parent or guarantor referred to in Rule 4D shall be liable to pay any charges incurred in terms of paragraph (a) of this Rule.
13 SUSPENSION OF ADMISSION
The Director may, at his absolute discretion, suspend from using the facilities of the Libraries, any person who fails to comply with these Rules, subject always to the person so suspended being entitled to request that his/her suspension be reviewed by the Committee. The Director shall endeavour to inform the person concerned in writing of such entitlement.
14 CONTRAVENTION OF THE RULES
(a) The Director and any members of staff authorised by him may:
- (i) if he/she has reasonable grounds for believing that a person has contravened, is contravening or is about to contravene any of these Management Rules, expel that person from the Libraries.
- (ii) If he/she has reasonable grounds for believing that a person is about to contravene any of these Management Rules, exclude that person from the libraries.
(b) The Committee acting with the powers of the Council, after consideration of a report by the Director, may decide that a person who has, in respect of these Libraries, persistently contravened or attempted to contravene any of these Management Rules and is, in their opinion, likely to contravene them again, shall be made subject to an Exclusion Order, all in terms of Section 117 of the Act.
15 Any person who fails to comply with an expulsion, an exclusion or an Exclusion Order as set out at 13 above, shall, be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding Level 2 on the Standard Scale.
16 INTERPRETATION
The Interpretation Act 1978 shall apply to the interpretation of these Management Rules as it applies to the interpretation of an Act of Parliament. For the purposes of these Rules “person” means a living individual.
17 CITATION AND COMMENCEMENT
- (a) These Management Rules shall, be cited as the Aberdeen City Council (Library and Information Services) Management Rules 2001.
- (b) These Management Rules shall come into force on the date of their execution and shall remain in force for a period of ten years thereafter, unless earlier revoked or amended.
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