Click here for a PDF version of the Library Regulations.
1. Definitions
The terms listed below have, within these Regulations, the meanings given for each.
1.1 University
Aston University
1.2 Library
The Library of Aston University
1.3 Director
The Director of Library & Information Services (LIS).
1.4 Designated Staff
Any member of LIS Staff, or any Night Steward, to whom the Director has delegated authority to apply or to enforce these Regulations.
1.5 Staff
Staff, whether academic, administrative, technical, or other, currently employed by Aston University.
1.6 Student
An individual currently enrolled or registered with Aston University or undertaking study of any kind provided by, at, or under the auspices of, Aston University.
1.7 Graduate
An individual who has received an award from Aston University, as specified in The Ordinances of the University, Section VIII: Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates of the University.
1.8 User
Any person using the Library, its facilities, services or stock.
1.9 Use
Use in relation to the Library extends to, but is not limited to, any act performed by any person whilst in the Library Building.
1.10 Borrower
Any person who is registered to borrow items from the Library.
1.11 Item
Any item of Library stock, material or equipment, including, but not limited to, books, periodicals, pamphlets, microforms, and computer media, that may be consulted, borrowed or used.
1.12 Equipment
Any equipment that is the property of the University and normally located in the Library, including equipment that may be loaned to Borrowers.
1.13 Loss
The loss of any Item that has been borrowed by a User. The Item shall be deemed lost if the Borrower has not returned it within a specified time of its due return date. The specified time will be determined by the Designated Staff.
1.14 Damage
Any deliberate or accidental damage to any Library facility, service, stock, or other property.
1.15 Security Barriers
The entrance/exit barriers in the Library Foyer and in the Short Loan Collection.
1.16 Assistance Animals
Assistance animals are animals (usually dogs) that are specially trained to assist individuals with disabilities.
1.17 Night Stewards
Staff from an external security company that are employed during the night, in periods of twenty four hour opening of the Library.
2. Hours of opening
2.1 The Library shall be open at such times as are prescribed by the Director, and the hours of opening shall be displayed at the entrance to the Library and on the LIS website. Due notice shall be given of changes in the hours of opening and closure on Bank Holidays, University Holidays, and other prescribed occasions.
3. General
3.1 Staff and Students are automatically entitled to Use the Library. Visitors from other universities and organisations, and members of the public, are also allowed to Use the Library, provided that they belong to an organisation with which Aston University has an approved co-operation scheme, or can provide proof of identity and address. Persons under 16 years of age may not Use the Library, unless they are accompanied and supervised by someone who is 18 years of age or over. The Director reserves the right to refuse admission to, or to temporarily exclude, members of the public, if the circumstances so warrant. Animals are not allowed in the library, apart from “Assistance Animals”.
3.2 Users must comply with any request made to them by Designated Staff or University Security Staff in connection with the enforcement of these Regulations.
3.3 Designated Staff, or University Security Staff, may require Users to show some form of identification (ID) at any time; anyone without adequate ID, or unwilling to show ID, may be asked to leave the Library immediately.
3.4 Users will be held responsible for any Items in their possession, whether in the Library or on loan.
3.5 Coats, cases and bags may be brought into the Library, on condition that their contents be liable to inspection by Designated Staff, if so required. For reasons of safety and security, Users' personal belongings should not be left unattended in the Library. Belongings may not be left for safe keeping with members of Library Staff or the Night Stewards. Unattended bags may be removed and inspected, if necessary.
3.6 Any Items left for more than 30 minutes at an unoccupied table may be removed by Designated Staff. No responsibility is accepted by the University for Users’ property left in the Library.
3.7 The Designated Staff shall have the power to restrict the Use of certain areas of the Library. Users must not enter the designated administrative areas of the Library, or Library offices, without permission from a member of Designated Staff or University Security Staff.
3.8 Certain areas of the Library are designated as Silent Study or Group Study. Users in the Silent Study areas must respect the right of other Users to study in peace and must not work together or talk. Mobile phones must not be used in any Silent Study or Group Study area, except in silent mode. Other portable equipment, such as digital audio players, must not be used in the Silent Study or Group Study areas in such a way as to annoy or distract other Users.
3.9 Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the Library. In accordance with the University’s policy on smoking, no-one must smoke within five metres of the Library building.
3.10 Only non-alcoholic drinks in re-sealable containers are permitted in the Library. Cold snacks only may be consumed on the Ground Floor of the Library. Food may not be consumed elsewhere in the Library.
3.11 Users must comply with the requirements of copyright law and any relevant licences when using Items or the Library’s electronic resources.
3.12 Users must respect published times for access to the Library and they must comply with requests from Designated Staff or University Security Staff to leave the Library, or any part of it, at the published closing time(s) for the Library, or any part of it. They must also leave the Library, or any part of it, when requested to do so by a member of Designated Staff or University Security Staff, e.g. if the area is about to be used for teaching, / in case of a fire alarm, power failure or other emergency, and so on. Visitors may enter the building after Library Attendants have commenced their shift in the mornings and must leave the building when the Night Stewards commence their shift.
4. Borrowing
4.1 Staff and Students of Aston University are entitled to become Borrowers with full borrowing rights. The quantity and type of Items that may be borrowed may be different for Staff and Students.
4.2 Postgraduate Research Students, Research Fellows and Research Assistants of Aston University shall be granted the same borrowing rights as Aston University Staff.
4.3 The following may become external Borrowers with restricted borrowing rights: Retired members of Staff, Graduates, members of the Council of Aston University, staff of the Aston Science Park, members of the Birmingham Law Society, and academic staff and postgraduate research students of institutions with which Aston University has an approved co-operation scheme. Other persons who are not members of Aston University may also be granted external Borrower rights, provided that they can show good cause why they need to borrow Items. Students enrolled at another institution shall not normally be allowed to become Borrowers, except where an appropriate arrangement exists between that institution and Aston University.
Persons who are granted external Borrower rights shall be subject to the following regulations:
• All requests by individuals for external Borrower rights shall be submitted in writing to the Director for approval
• Approved external Borrowers shall be required to pay an annual subscription, at a rate approved by the Director from time to time, with the following exceptions:
a) Retired members of Staff shall be exempt from any annual subscription for external Borrower rights
b) Graduates shall pay a reduced annual subscription
c) Staff and postgraduate research students of institutions with which Aston University has an approved co-operation scheme shall be exempt from any annual subscription
d) Those members of the Birmingham Law Society whose annual subscription is paid by the Birmingham Law Society.
• All categories of approved external Borrowers shall be granted borrowing facilities in respect of the Library's own stock only, as laid down by the Director.
• Certain Library services, including inter-library loans, electronic information services and computing facilities, shall be available for use only by Staff and Students of Aston University, except where licences provide for third-party use.
4.4 All Borrowers must be registered with the Library.
4.5 Borrowers must notify the Library of any change of address at the earliest opportunity.
4.6 Borrowers’ borrowing allowances shall be displayed in the Library and on the Library’s webpages.
4.7 The Director may temporarily restrict the loan of certain categories of materials.
4.8 Items designated as 'Reference' may not be borrowed, except by permission of the Designated Staff. Aston University theses may not be borrowed.
4.9 Borrowers must ensure that all Items are properly issued at the Service Counter, or on one of the Self-Service Issue terminals, before they attempt to take them through the Security Barrier(s). Users must not attempt to leave the Library through the entrance Security Barrier(s). Any User who attempts to pass through a Security Barrier with an Item in his/her possession that has not been properly issued will be deemed to be in breach of this Regulation.
4.10 Users leaving the Library must show to a member of Designated Staff all Items in their possession, if required to do so.
4.11 Any member of Staff wishing to borrow Items through a messenger must send written authorisation specifying the Items to be borrowed.
4.12 Under certain conditions, items may be taken out of the UK. These conditions are published on the LIS webpages. We recommend that Borrowers do not take one week loan items abroad, as they will be responsible for the cost of return postage if the item is required by another User
4.13 Items must be returned by the date and time indicated when issued or renewed, except that they may be required to be returned by an earlier date: if reserved by another reader; if the Borrower is about to leave the University (e.g. in order to provide clearance for graduation); or at the discretion of the Designated Staff.
4.14 Items must be properly returned to the Library by the original Borrower; passing on an Item to another Borrower does not absolve the original Borrower from responsibility for it. Borrowers must not use another Borrower's Library card to borrow Items, or ask to use it, nor should they borrow Items on behalf of other Users, unless written permission has been given by the other User.
4.15 Borrowers are responsible for all Items in their possession until these have been discharged from their record. They should check their record regularly to ensure that it is correct and notify the Library if it is not correct. Failure to do so may result in the Borrower being held responsible for any Items that have not been discharged from the Borrower’s record.
4.16 At the discretion of the Designated Staff, Items may be returned by post, provided they are adequately wrapped and the Borrower pays the return postage. In the case of Items taken out of the UK, an alternative return delivery service to the postal service may be required. Borrowers shall be held responsible for any Loss or Damage sustained to Items in the post or any alternative return delivery service.
4.17 Loans of Items may be renewed at the discretion of the Designated Staff. The maximum number of renewals shall be determined by the Director from time to time and shall be publicised.
4.18 When an Item on loan is requested by another reader a recall notice will be sent specifying a new date for return.
4.19 Fines shall be levied at rates approved by the Director from time to time and will be publicised in the Library and on the Library’s webpages.
4.20 The Designated Staff may suspend borrowing facilities for any Borrower who fails to return an Item after two reminders, or who has unpaid fines.
4.21 Borrowers shall be held responsible for the Loss of any Items that they have borrowed from the Library and shall be required to make good the Loss.
4.22 Users will be charged for the restitution cost, as determined by the Designated Staff, in relation to any damage that they cause to Items. Other sanctions may also be imposed, under the terms of the appropriate institutional disciplinary regulations and/or procedures.
4.23 Users who have been granted access to other libraries, by virtue of collaborative or reciprocal agreements into which LIS has entered, must abide by the regulations of the library being visited. Any breach of those regulations will be deemed to be a breach of these regulations, and appropriate action will be taken. This may include recovery of any debts or charges incurred by the User at the library being visited, which that library has been unable to recover from the User.
5. Aston University Theses
5.1 Aston University theses may not be borrowed.
5.2 Any user wishing to consult an Aston University MSc, MSc by Research, MPhil, PhD or DSc thesis shall sign a declaration that no information derived from the thesis will be published or used without the consent, in writing, of the author.
5.3 A request for the loan of an Aston University thesis shall normally be met by referral to the British Library for the supply of an electronic copy, via the EThOS service. All users shall agree to the Terms and Conditions of use of the EThOS service before ordering and using an electronic copy of an Aston University thesis or one from another university.
6. Breach of Regulations
6.1 In the case of an apparent breach of these Regulations by a Student, the Director, or one of his/her Senior Management Team, may exercise summary jurisdiction, as laid down in the Regulations on Student Discipline and Assessment Offences. In particular, the Student who appears to be in breach of these Regulations may be excluded from entering the Library by the Director, or one of his/her Senior Management Team, until the case has been investigated and resolved. Such action must be reported to the next meeting of Senate.
6.2 In the case of an apparent breach of these Regulations by Staff, the Director, or one of his/her Senior Management Team, shall report the apparent breach to the member of Staff's Executive Dean, or Head of Support Service.
6.3 Any User who breaches, or attempts to breach, the Library Regulations, and who is not a member of Staff or a Student, may be excluded from entering the Library until further notice, by the Director or one of his/her Senior Management Team. Such exclusion may be permanent.
Approved by Senate 9 June 2010
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