Library Rules

LIBRARY RULES

1. Membership
The Library is accessible to the following categories of users: registered students, members of the full-time and part-time academic staff, administrative staff, service staff of the University, the Chancellor and members of the University Council.

Registered students and/or staff of other Universities who wish to make use of the Library may apply to become external users. Such membership is subject to specific regulations.

2. Opening Hours
The Library is open during the following hours:

Mondays – Thursdays : 08:30 – 24:00
Fridays : 08:30 – 24:00
Saturdays : 08:30 – 17:00
Sundays : 09:00 – 17:00 (Examination period only)
During Vacations : 08:00 – 16:45 (Mondays to Fridays)

Changes in the opening hours will be indicated by notices issued by the Library from time to time.

The Library is closed during the end-of-year closure period of the University.

3. Library Registration: External Members
Registration must be done at the Inter-Library Loans Section.

4. Library Orientation
4.1. It is compulsory for all new students to attend a Library orientation session on the day set aside for their School’s Library Orientation.
4.2. Further orientation will be arranged with lecturers during the course of the year.

5. Loan of Library Materials
The following regulations apply to the loan of materials:

5.1. Undergraduates
5.1.1. Undergraduates may borrow 3 books at a time, each for a period of 7 days, and 1 item from the Reserve Collection for 2 hours at a time.

5.2. Postgraduates
5.2.1. Postgraduates may borrow 6 books at a time, each for a period of 30 days, and 1 item from the Reserve Collection for 2 hours at a time.

5.3. Academic Staff
Academic staff may borrow 20 books at a time for 90 days.

5.3.1. Books are loaned during vacations on the same terms as set out above.
5.3.2. All books must be returned on or before the last date stamped on the date slip.
5.3.3. The Director: Library Services reserves the right to recall any loan.
5.3.4. Material issued to borrowers may not be transferred to other people.
5.3.5. The replacement value plus a processing charge per item will be levied in the event of non-return/loss of Library material.

5.4. Administrative and Service Staff
Admin and Service staff may borrow 12 books at a time for 30 days.

5.4.1. Books are loaned during vacations on the same terms as set out above.
5.4.2. All books must be returned on or before the last date stamped on the date slip.
5.4.3. The Director: Library Services reserves the right to recall any loan.
5.4.4. Material issued to borrowers may not be transferred to other people.
5.4.5. The replacement value plus a processing charge per item will be levied in the event of non-return/loss of Library material.

5.5. Return of material
5.5.1. Material must be returned directly to the staff at the Issue Desk or Study Collection
5.5.2. On no account must they be placed on the shelves by borrowers.

5.6. Non-Return of Library Material

5.6.1. Examination results will be withheld in the event of Library material not being returned.
5.6.2. The replacement value plus a processing charge per item will be levied in the event of non-return of Library material on time.

6. Study Collection/ Reserve/ Short-Loan
The collection is composed of books in high demand, thesis and dissertations, audio-visuals and pamphlets. Publications that are in heavy demand may be put on reserve by lecturers. The following regulations apply to the loan of material from the Study Collection:

6.1. The material may not be taken out of the Library during the day.
6.2. The loan period is 2 hours at a time.
6.3. The loan period may be extended for a further 2 hours if no other user has requested the item.
6.4. The material may be used outside the Library overnight or over weekends.
6.5. Study material issued for overnight or over weekend use must be returned no later than 09:30 of the following working day.
6.6. Photocopies and theses on reserve are for use inside the Library only.

7. Periodicals
Periodicals may be consulted in the Periodicals Section only and they may not be taken out of the Library.

8. Reference Material
Reference material may be used in the Library only.

9. Special Collections
9.1. The Library has a number of special collections of which the Es’kia Mphahlele Collection is the most noteworthy. Other components under this heading are: Rare Books collection and Government Publications.
9.2. Items from these collections may only be used within the Special Collections section. The section is not open on Saturdays.

10. Inter-Library Loan
10.1. Inter-lending services may be used when the material required is not available from our Library. The service is for academic staff, postgraduates and administrative staff members.

11. Mutilation, damage and loss of Library material
This includes underlining, through-lining, writing comments, removing pages or disfiguring books in any other way.

As patrons of the Library, users are fully responsible for material they have damaged, mutilated or lost. The following charges will be levied in case of damage, mutilation or loss of Library material:

11.1. An amount to be determined by Council upon the recommendation of the Director:
Library Services.

11.2. Damaged materials, even if paid for, remain the property of the Library and are not returned to the person responsible for the damage.

12. Overdue material
Material becomes overdue after the loan period has expired, and borrowers will be subjected to the following fine rates:

12.1 Material from the open shelves: R6, 00 per day.
12.2 Material from the Short Loans: R10.00 per hour or part thereof.
12.3 Staff member’ fine is R5.00 after grace period.

13. Unauthorised Removal of Library Material
13.1. No material may be removed from the Library without being properly issued to the user.
13.2. Borrowers apprehended attempting to remove library material illegally may be subject to punishment as determined by the Director: Library Services. The punishment may include:
13.2.1. being blacklisted;
13.2.2. appearing before the Disciplinary Committee of the University;
13.2.3. being suspended from the Library for a period determined by the Director: Library Services;
13.2.4. A fine to be determined by the Director: Library Services may be imposed.

14. Payment of monies due
All payments for Library fines should be made at the Finance Department. Receipts should be taken to the Library for updating of Library records.

15. Photocopying

15.1. For students

The following regulation apply for photocopying services:

15.1.1. Photocopying services are available at 60c per page.

15.2. For staff

Photocopying service for staff is available free of charge in the Law Library.
The following regulations apply:

15.2.1. No multiple copies are allowed.
15.2.2. Only reference books, materials from the Special Collections Section, periodicals and law
material, i.e material that is for use inside the Library only, may be photocopied in the Library.

16. Ordering of Library material

16.1. All academic staff members (including part-time lecturers) and heads of sections are encouraged to recommend titles for purchase by the Library.
16.2. Purchase recommendation forms are available from Information Librarians at the Reference section and should be returned there after completion. Please note that these forms should be approved by the HOD.
16.3. Publishers’ catalogues are sent to departmental heads on a regular basis. Lecturers will be forwarded same from the office of their departmental heads.
16.4. Multidisciplinary publishers’ catalogues are kept in the Reference Librarian’s Section for lecturers to consult at any time.
16.5. Staff members will be advised when the material they have ordered has been ordered or received. Upon receiving notification of receipt of ordered material, staff may request the cataloguing staff to process them urgently.
16.6. To avoid frustration, it is imperative that orders be placed long before the material is needed for lectures: ± 3 months in advance for South African published material and ± 6 months for overseas material.

17. Study Cubicles

17.1. Cubicles are allocated to bona fide Masters and Doctoral students registered at the University or supported by the Research and Publications Committee for postgraduate studies at other universities.
17.2. Staff members are not eligible for cubicles, unless they are also registered as above
17.3. A cubicle is only allocated on the recommendation of the HOD or the Dean of the School.
17.4. Prospective cubicle users must complete an application form, which may be collected from the Short Loan Desk in the Library.
17.5. A cubicle may be shared with one other user at any one time. The number of users allocated one cubicle may not exceed four.
17.6. No unauthorised persons may use the cubicles.
17.7. Study materials are left in cubicles at the owner’s risk: The Library does not accept liability for loss or damage.
17.8. Users are required to draw up a roster which may be placed, facing outward, on the inside of the window on the door.
17.9. Cubicle keys must be signed in and out in a book kept for this purpose at the Short Loan desk, each time the user wishes to use his cubicle. Users may NOT retain cubicle keys.
17.10. Cubicle users are subject to ALL existing Library rules and decisions.
17.11. Cubicles are normally allocated for a period of one year.

18. Use of Library Venues

18.1. Library Hall is available for use by academic staff for the following purposes:

18.1.1. Seminars
18.1.2. Group/Class discussion
18.1.3. Lectures by visiting lectures
18.1.4. Meetings of learned/professional societies
18.1.5. Displays/Exhibitions

18.2. Library venues may not be used for time-tabled lectures, i.e. they should not substitute ordinary lecture venues.
18.3. Booking for the venues must be made well in advance at the Executive Secretary of the Director: Library Services.

19. Group Work Rooms
Group Work Rooms are available for group discussions.
19.1. Users are required to book a day in advance.
19.2. Group work rooms can only be used by students

20. Special Needs Readers Room
20.1. It is available for all library users with disabilities.

21. Lesser-Used Material (Mobile Shelves)

21.1. All material not in demand is stored in mobile shelves in the lesser used material section.

22. Visits by Schools and Colleges

22.1. Visits by these institutions may be allowed by prior arrangement of at least 2 weeks.
22.2. Groups must be no larger than 100 at a time and they must be accompanied by a responsible teacher.

23. General
23.1. The Library does not encourage departmental loans. Request for such loans should be addressed to the Director: Library Services.
23.2. No eating, drinking or smoking is allowed in the Library.
23.3. Silence must be observed at all times.
23.4. Any dissatisfaction with the Library Service may be discussed with Senior Library staff.
23.5. Always produce/display your staff/ student ID card.
23.6. The Library is being monitored by surveillance cameras.