Library Rules

Library Rules

1. The Social Science Baha is a reference library.
2. All personal belongings, e.g., bags, briefcases, books, notebooks, pens, etc, should be deposited in the Deposit Rack of the Library.
3. All visitors and Library members are expected to sign in during entry.
4. First-time visitors are permitted to take a look at the Library facilities, including the stacks.
5. The Library opens daily from 9 am to 5 pm except on Saturdays and selected government holidays.

Membership

1. Annual membership fee is Rs 600 for a General Member and Rs 300 for a Student Member. Temporary membership fee for a period of one month is Rs 100.
2. If any temporary member wants to become a permanent member before the end of the month, an annual fee of Rs 200 for students and Rs 500 for general members is charged.
3. Provisions for institutional memberships are as follows:
   
   • INGOs and international organisations will receive five (5) membership cards for an annual fee of Rs 5,000. Additional membership cards can be issued for Rs 50 each.
   • GOs, national NGOs and other national organisations will receive five (5) membership cards for an annual fee of Rs 1,000. Additional membership cards can be issued for Rs 50 each.
   • The annual fee for college and university faculties and departments is Rs 500+Rs 50 per student/teacher/staff. Academic institutions are required to have separate memberships for each of the different departments and faculties. One card is provided complimentary to the head of the department.
4. Members of any of these institutions will be able to use the Library upon demonstration of the library card.
5. Membership fees are non refundable.
6. No person may use any part of the Library facilities until he/she has been formally admitted as a member. All members on admission must sign the following pledge, to which they are committed:

   I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, or to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document, or other object belonging to it or in its custody; and promise to obey all the regulations of the Library.

7. New members, including temporary members, will have to produce bona fide IDs and be vouched for by other members of the Library or by their Office-in-Charge or College/Campus/Department Chief. Vouching for a student as well as departmental membership must be done by the head of the concerned department along with proper signature and department seal. In the case of foreign students, their departmental heads can vouch for them by email sent to library@soscbaha.org. Vouching for someone entails standing guarantee to make good any damage(s) caused to Library property as per Library rules.
8. Individuals with expired memberships will not be allowed access to Library services until their membership is renewed.
9. Members are required compulsorily to produce their membership cards at the Circulation Counter in order to use the Library resources and services.
10. The membership card is not transferable
11. No guests are allowed into the library area. Guests will be required to wait outside the reading room.

Terms and Conditions of Library use:

1. The Library operates on a ‘closed-access’ basis. No member may, without permission of a member of the Library staff, enter any part of the Library not normally open to members, or introduce visitors into the reading room.
2. Members are not allowed to enter the Stack Rooms. They can search the computerised databases with the help of the Library staff or ask the staff themselves to do so. They can also search for information on the required books, documents, journals, etc, in the public catalogue cards or in the printed bibliographies and catalogues of the Library.
3. Members can note down the call no(s) of the required book(s), document(s), etc, and give the same to the staff for retrieving the required books, documents, etc, from the stacks.
4. The Library will issue only three (3) books or journals at a time for reading inside the reading room.
5. Members are strictly prohibited from using their own pens and paper while reading the Library books. The Library provides its own paper and pencils to users for writing, if needed.
6. Members can use their own laptops but the Library will not be liable for any damage to the computers due to power fluctuations input or theft. Laptops cannot be left overnight in the Library.
7. Members are allowed to bring their books into the Library for reading, but they are required to show those books to the Library staff first and enter the names of the books in the External Book Register.
8. The Library provides conditional photocopy services at a rate fixed by the Library.
9. The Library’s internet service is meant only for accessing available online journal sites and databases.
10. Articles can be downloaded by members for their personal use and as per the rules of the access site. The Library provides CD-burning service for downloaded articles at the rate of Rs 20 per CD as service charge. Blank CDs are provided by the Library for Rs 20 each. Any member who wants to download articles into their pen/flash/thumb drives may do so without extra charge.
11. The Library provides conditional printing services for downloaded articles at a rate fixed by the Library.
12. Members who damage a borrowed volume or deface it in any way will be required to replace it at their own expense or (if a replacement is not available in the local market) pay 4 times the cost of the item.
13. Any member found stealing or defacing book(s), accessing restricted information in the library computer network or violating other Library Rules will be barred from membership to the Library in addition to being made to replace the book(s). The Library reserves the right to publicise the names of such individuals.
14. No member may enter the reading room before opening time and all members must leave the Library by closing time.
15. No member may engage in conversation or in conduct that causes inconveniences, annoyance or offense to others in the reading room.
16. No food or drink is allowed in the reading room.
17. Smoking is prohibited inside the Library premises.
18. No pets are allowed into the reading room.
19. All members/visitors are requested to switch off their cellphones or put them in silent mode while using the library.