ZB MED Medicine. Health. | Cologne site

General Points

§1 Collaboration with the Department of Medicine of Cologne University and City Library

The German National Library of Medicine is linked to the Department of Medicine of Cologne University and City Library in both organizational and spatial terms. In the following sections, the two linked libraries are referred to under the designation of the German National Library of Medicine.

§ 2 Tasks and Responsibilities

1. The German National Library of Medicine is a public research library. It serves the purposes of those engaged in research and teaching, study and work experience, as well as providing general information on the subject areas that fall within its sphere of responsibility. It fulfils these functions by making books available for use in the library, lending books through the post or through the library's loan service, acquiring books through the interlibrary loan system, providing help in using its catalogues and information and reference materials, providing written information based on its catalogues and information and reference materials, locating information in databases, and, on request, making and sending copies of its own books or books from other libraries. 
2. Within the meaning of these Library Regulations, books refer to all stocks allotted for use.

§ 3 Entitlement to Use the Library

Anyone engaged in one of the purposes cited in the second sentence of § 2 (1) is entitled to use the library.

§ 4 Relationship of Use

1. Use of the library is conducted within the scope of a relationship of use governed by public law. This is based on the assumption that the members of the University of Cologne establish a legal relationship with the Department of Medicine of the Cologne University and City Library, while all other users establish a legal relationship with the German National Library of Medicine. 
2. The legal basis for use is comprised of these Library Regulations and the instructions issued to implement these regulations by library management.

§ 5 Data Protection

The processing of personal data shall be subject to the data protection laws of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

§ 6 Fees, Charges and Reimbursement of Expenses

1. Use of the library is, on principle, free of charge. Fees, charges, and the reimbursement of expenses shall be settled in accordance with the Academic Library Charges Act (Hochschulbibliotheksgebührengesetz) and the regulations and ordinances based thereupon.
2. According to the fourth sentence of § 2 (2) of the Charter, the expenses to be reimbursed for usage in accordance with the second sentence of § 2 (2) shall be Euro 7,67 per article.

§ 7 Opening Hours

1. After consultation with the library's advisory committee, the opening hours are set by the library management. Notice of these opening times shall be posted.
2. On occasions, the library may be closed for urgent reasons. Notice of the closure shall be posted.

§ 8 General Conditions of Use

1. Anyone who uses the library has a right to use the library's services in accordance with the Library Regulations and the instructions issued to implement these regulations.
2. When using the library, users shall conduct themselves in a manner that ensures safety and order in the library at all times.
3. Instructions issued by library staff must be obeyed. Presentation of an identification card or passport, respectively, is mandatory, should this be requested by a member of the library's staff.
4. The library is entitled to make arrangements for inspection (policing measures), which are necessary to secure their stocks. It is not permitted to enter library areas that are monitored by supervisory staff with items of outdoor clothing, hats, umbrellas, briefcases or attaché cases, items of luggage or similar objects. Upon leaving a supervised area, any books carried by the user must be produced at the user's own accord; users shall allow inspection of any receptacles they may be carrying.
5. All books, furniture, fixtures and equipment must be handled with care.
6. It is not permitted to make photocopies from books that are more than 100 years old or that cannot be copied for other reasons. It is not permitted to photocopy newspapers and newspaper extracts.
7. Animals are not allowed in the library. 

§ 9 Cloakroom

Within the limits of its capacities, the library shall provide the opportunity to put items of outdoor clothing, hats, umbrellas, briefcases and attaché cases into safekeeping. Any items deposited in the cloakroom must be retrieved the same day.

§ 10 Liability of the Library

1. The library shall not be liable for damages arising as a result of incorrect, incomplete, omitted or delayed services.
2. The library shall only be liable for the loss, destruction or damage of items properly deposited into its safekeeping in the event of wilful intent or gross negligence, and this liability shall be limited to a maximum of Euro  1,00.

§ 11 Liability of Use and Disqualification from Use

1. Anyone who uses the library is liable for all damages caused by his or her failure to observe the Library Regulations or the instructions issued to implement these regulations.
2. In the event of serious or repeated breaches of the Library Regulations or the instructions issued to implement said regulations, the library management shall be entitled to impose a temporary, or permanent, and limited, or full, disqualification from using the library. Disqualification from use may be linked with an order barring the user from entering the premises. Any legal remedy against such a disqualification from use and an order barring the user from the premises shall conform to the code of administrative procedure. Any obligations resulting from the relationship of use shall remain in force even if such a disqualification is effected.

II. Usage on Library Premises

§ 12 Using the Reference (Non-Circulating) Collection

1. The books from the reference (non-circulating) collection may only be used in the reading room area and in the other areas provided for this purpose.
2. Books that are shelved at the reading room issue desk for security reasons shall be issued upon surrender of an official means of identification.
3. Before leaving the library, the books must be replaced in their original location, or deposited in the alternative places provided for this purpose, or handed into the reading room issue desk.
4. In exceptional cases, books from the reference (non-circulating) collection may be taken out on loan for a short period, though only in conformance with the borrowing privileges (§ 17) (e.g. weekend loans).

§ 13 Using the Closed Stack

1. Books shelved in the closed stack may be ordered for use in the reading room. They shall be collected from the reading room issue desk upon surrender of an official means of identification and returned to this issue desk each day.
2. As a rule, the books are kept available for four weeks. This period may be extended.
3. The use of books that require special protection (e.g. manuscripts and incunabula) may be limited for reasons of preservation. Where applicable, users may be referred to the use of a copy; originals may only be used under supervision.

§ 14 Conduct in the Reading Room

Silence is to be maintained at all times in the reading room and in the other rooms set aside for use of the reference (non-circulating) collection. Smoking, eating and drinking are prohibited.

§ 15 Access to the Closed Stack

The closed stack may only be entered with special permission.

III. Usage outside Library Premises

§ 16 General Points

1. The library's books may only be loaned out in accordance with borrowing privileges (§ 17).
2. The number of borrowable books may be limited.
3. The following items cannot be taken out on loan:

•   books required for official use,
•   books from the reference (non-circulating) collection, including journals,
•   manuscripts and autographs,
•   works of particular value or age, or those in a poor state of preservation,
•   special formats,
•   typewritten theses,
•   loose-leaf editions, panel works and maps,
•   unbound works issued in instalments, unbound booklets, newspapers, and
•   other information materials, which are not suitable for borrowing.

In exceptional cases, the library may permit an item to be taken out on loan, if use of the item outside the library is required for the purposes of research.

§ 17 Borrowing Privileges

The following groups may obtain authorisation to borrow items from the library:

1. Members of the University of Cologne
2. Residents of the city of Cologne
3. Those persons, whose place of work or education/training is situated in the city of Cologne
4. Legal entities, for their establishments situated in the city of Cologne.

Additionally, the following groups may obtain authorisation:

1. Residents of municipalities adjacent to the city of Cologne
2. Those persons, whose place of work or education/training is situated in municipalities adjacent to the city of Cologne
3. Legal entities, for their establishments situated in municipalities adjacent to the city of Cologne
4. Other persons, where authorisation is necessary to further their research purposes.

Authorisation shall be applied for in writing.

The application shall include the applicant's:

1. name
2. place of residence
3. date of birth
4. place of birth, and
5. nationality.

Furthermore, the following information shall be supplied:

1. Employees of the University of Cologne shall give their department, the address of their department and their faculty;
2. Students of the University of Cologne shall give their faculty and their matriculation number;
3. Students of other universities shall give their matriculation number;
4. Legal entities shall provide: the name and headquarters of the legal entity, the name and headquarters of the establishment, for whose use books are to be borrowed, the names of the persons signing the application, and the names and dates of birth of the persons charged with performing the borrowing function.

Applications are to be submitted in person.

Official documents shall be provided as evidence of the information presented in the application form and of the eligibility requirements. Should this not be possible, then other certificates or attestations must be provided. Anyone applying for authorisation on behalf of a legal entity shall be required to provide proof of his/her authority to sign. Minors must include the written consent of their legal representative (guardian) with their application.

In exceptional cases, the library may choose to omit certain individual requirements of the application process.

For students, authorisation is granted until the end of the current term; for all other users, it terminates after one year. Upon expiry of the borrowing privileges, a new application must be submitted.

Upon authorisation being granted, a library membership card is handed over to the authorised party. The membership card remains the property of the library. It is non-transferable. It must be handled with care and kept in a safe place. Loss of the membership card must be communicated to the library without delay. The holder of the membership card shall be liable for misuse of the membership card, even if no fault or negligence has occurred.

Users are required to inform the library, without delay, of any changes or inaccuracies in the information provided on the application for authorisation, or of any changes affecting the eligibility requirements.

§ 18 Book Ordering and Issuing

1. Anyone who wishes to borrow books from the closed stack should order these with the help of the shelf marks, which they will find by using the catalogues. Telephone orders cannot be accepted.
2. Ordered books can only be picked up in person by presenting your library membership card. Should you wish an authorised person to pick up the books you have ordered, then this person must be provided with written authorisation. The library is entitled, though not obliged, to hand out ordered books to any person, who can present the membership card of the person who ordered the books.
3. Sending of the books by post can only be conducted within the framework of the direct loan service (§ 29).

§ 19 Reservations

1. Books from the closed stack that are currently out on loan may be reserved for borrowing. On request, notification can be provided as soon as the reserved book is ready for collection. The item will be held ready for collection for a maximum of 10 days.
2. Limits may be set on the number of reservations that can be accepted for each book.
3. The library shall not provide any information on who has a particular book out on loan.

§ 20 General Loan Period

1. The loan period is set for each particular book. As a rule, the period shall be four weeks.
2. The loan period may be shortened for official reasons or due to a reservation.
3. Borrowed books must be returned to the place designated for collection no later than the last day of the loan period.
4. Borrowed books may be returned through the post. The borrower is liable for the associated costs and risks. The books must be received by the library no later than the final day of the loan period.

§ 21 Term Loans

1. In the event that professors or lecturers of the University of Cologne borrow books from the closed stack, the loan period shall come to an end at the end of term. For books borrowed less than four weeks prior to the end of term, the loan period shall come to an end as of the following term.
2. The library is entitled to recall books by shortening the loan period, at any time, for official reasons or due to a reservation. In the case of a reservation, the loan period shall be at least four weeks.
3. In exceptional cases, other persons may be accorded the same treatment as those persons mentioned in (1), if this is necessary to further their research purposes.

§ 22 Renewals

1. An application may be made to renew an item, i.e. to extend the loan period. 
2. The application must be made in good time, i.e. prior to expiry of the loan period, though no earlier than five opening days prior to expiry of the loan period. Written applications for renewal shall be considered as applying from the day they are received. We do not accept telephone applications for renewal.  
3. The extension of the loan period commences from the day on which the renewal is approved.  
4. One further extension of the loan period may be applied for in good time prior to expiry of the previously extended loan period. Paragraphs (1) and (2) apply accordingly.  
5. Should the application be made late, then a new loan period can be set. Overdue fines for the time between the end of the old loan period and the start of the new loan period shall be payable in accordance with the Academic Library Charges Act (Hochschulbibliotheksgebührengesetz).

§ 23 Textbook Collection

Anyone with borrowing privileges is entitled to borrow books from the textbook collection.

The following principles apply:

1. The desired books must be brought to the issue counter by the user himself/herself.
2. As a rule, the loan period is four weeks for all borrowers; term loans are not possible.
3. No reservations or renewals can be carried out.
4. The borrower shall only be entitled to re-borrow a returned book after the expiry of a waiting period.

§ 24 Return Receipt

Upon returning borrowed books, the borrower shall be handed a receipt as confirmation. Return of the books is not confirmed until this receipt has been handed over. We recommend that users keep their return receipts in a safe place.

§ 25 Liability for Damages

1. Borrowers shall be liable for loss and destruction of, and damage to, borrowed books, even if no negligence or fault has occurred.
2. The library shall set the borrower a reasonable deadline, by which time the borrower shall be required to have obtained a fully adequate replacement copy. Should the borrower fail to do this, he/she shall be required to pay a cash substitute. The library is entitled to contractually agree an alternative settlement with borrowers. Any agreement must be made in writing.

§ 26 Expiry of Borrowing Privileges

1. Borrowing privileges come to an end upon expiry of the period of authorisation or are cancelled on request. Authorisation expires in cases where the eligibility requirements are no longer fulfilled.
2. The library membership card must be returned upon termination of borrowing privileges.

IV. Editing of Manuscripts

§ 27 Editing of Manuscripts

1. Permission from library management is required to edit a manuscript, parts of a manuscript, or an autograph.
2. Preparation of an edition does not entitle the editor to request that other users be excluded from using the manuscript or autograph.

V. German and International Interlibrary Loans and Direct Loan Service

§ 28 Interlibrary Borrowing

1. Books that are not present on site can be ordered by the library from an alternative library for users with borrowing privileges (§ 17). For this type of use, the provisions of the borrowing regulations and the particular conditions of the lending library shall prevail. 
2. Works that cannot be traced in German libraries can be ordered from a foreign library within the scope of the international interlibrary loan system. The fees and agreements applicable to this service in each case shall apply.

§ 29 Interlibrary Lending

1. Books and copies are dispatched within the scope of the German interlibrary loan system and the international interlibrary loan system. The fees and agreements applicable to this service in each case shall apply.
2. For a fee stipulated in a special scale of charges, books are also sent to libraries, which are not authorised to use the German or international interlibrary loan systems, as part of the direct loan service. This requires special authorisation. § 16 (2) applies accordingly.
3. The borrowing libraries are also liable for any loss, destruction or damage while the items are in transit, for which insurance and the method of return post can be prescribed. For the rest, § 25 applies.
4. The loan periods stipulated in § 20 apply; any exceeding of the loan period within the fee-paying direct loan service is subject to the Academic Library Charges Act (Hochschulbibliotheksgebührengesetz) of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the regulations and ordinances based thereupon.
5. Copies taken from the library's books may be ordered for dispatch to both domestic and foreign addresses. This sending process is subject to a special scale of charges.

VI. Effective Date

§ 30

Folllowing approval from the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Science and Research, the Library Regulations came into effect on August 15, 2000. Executed in accordance with the approval of July 7, 2000.

Cologne, August 15, 2000

Korwitz

Head Librarian of the German National Library of Medicine

Library Regulations of the Cologne University and City Library of 18/5/2009 (extract):

§ 1: Für die Medizinische Abteilung der USB gilt die Benutzungsordnung der Deutschen Zentralbibliothek für Medizin (noch übersetzen!!!)

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ZB MED Nutrition. Environment. Agriculture. | Bonn site

Due to the physical proximity of the ZB MED Nutrition. Environment. Agriculture. to the Departmental Library of Bonn University Library (ULB Bonn), the library regulations of the ULB Bonn also apply to our library. The library regulations are available for inspection on request.