Library Byelaws | Library policies | Library services

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Ealing Council library Byelaws

made under Section 19 of the Public Libraries and Museum Act 1964 by the Mayor, Alderman and Burgesses of the London Borough of Ealing acting by the Council.

1. In these Byelaws, unless the context otherwise requires: -

(a) “the Act” means the Public Libraries and Museums Act, 1964;

(b) “the Library Authority” means the Mayor, Alderman and Burgesses of the London Borough of Ealing acting by the Council;

(c) “library” means any library for the time being maintained by the Library Authority for the purposes of its functions under the Act and includes a vehicle when being used for those purposes;

(d) “the Librarian” means the person appointed as such by the Library Authority or, in his absence, any other person authorised by the Library Authority to act on his behalf;

(e) “library officer” means the librarian or any other person employed by the Library Authority for the purposes of its functions under the act;

(f) “book” includes any and every book, journal, pamphlet, music score, manuscript, picture, print, photograph, engraving, etching, deed, map, chart, plan, gramophone record, film and any other article of a like nature forming part of the contents of the Library or lent to any person by or on behalf of the Library Authority.

2. An act necessary for the proper execution of his duty by a library officer shall not be deemed to be a contravention of these Bylaws.

3. A person shall not give a false name or address for the purpose of entering any part of the library or for the purpose of using any facilities provided in connection therewith.

4. A person who is offensively unclean in person or in dress or who is suffering from an offensive disease, shall not enter or use the library.

5. Except with the consent of a library officer, a person shall not

(a) cause or allow any dog (other than a guide-dog accompanying a blind person) or other animal belonging to him or under his control to enter or remain in the library or
(b) bring into any part of the library a wheeled vehicle or conveyance (other than a hand-propelled invalid chair).

6. A person shall not, after proper warning by a library officer, remain in the library after the time fixed for its closing.

7. A person shall not, unless duly authorised, take any book from the library.

8. A person shall not carelessly or negligently soil, tear, cut, deface, damage, injury, or destroy any book or the furniture, fittings or other contents of the library.

9. Except with the consent of a library officer, a person shall not make a tracing of any portion of a book.

10. A person who:

(a) after the end of the period for which it was lent has the charge or possession of a book borrowed from the library or from any body or person acting on behalf of the Library Authority, and

(b) after having been requested in writing by the Library Authority to deliver it up to that Authority, has failed to do so within a period of 14 days after the date of the request, and

shall not, except with the consent of the Librarian, borrow any further book from the library.

11. A person from whom any sum is due to the Library Authority by reason of a charge made under Section 8 (2) of the Act in respect of failure to return a book before the end of the period for which it was lent shall not, except with the consent of the Librarian, borrow any book from the library after having been notified in writing by the Library Authority of the amount due.

12. (i) A person having the charge or possession of any book which the Library Authority is entitled to have returned to it shall deliver it up to the Librarian within 14 days of the service upon him by the Authority of a notice requiring him to do so.

(ii) For the purposes of this Byelaw, a notice may be served upon any person by delivering it to him, or by leaving it at his usual or last known place of residence, or by sending it by registered post or recorded delivery service addressed to him at that place.

13. A person shall not behave in a disorderly manner in the library or use violent, abusive or obscene language therein.

14. A person shall not spit in the library.

15. A person shall not, after a warning by a library officer, persist in sleeping in the library.

16. A person shall not engage in audible conversation in any part of the library set apart as a reference department or for reading after having been requested not to do so by a library officer.

17. A person shall not wilfully obstruct any library officer in the execution of his duty or wilfully disturb, obstruct, interrupt or annoy any other person in the proper use of the library.

18. A person shall not display, distribute, affix or post any bill, placard or notice in, or upon any part of the library.

19. A person shall not, without the consent of the Librarian, offer anything for sale in the library.

20. A person shall not lie on the furniture or fittings of the library or on the floor thereof except, with the consent of the Librarian, on the floor of any part of the library for the time being set apart for the use of children.

21. A person shall not smoke or strike a light in any part of the library set apart for the use of the public, except in any part thereof which is for the time being used as a restaurant or in which, when it is being used for an educational, cultural or other event under Section 20 of the Act, the Library Authority allows smoking.

22. A person shall not, except with the consent of a library officer, partake of refreshment in the library, except in any part thereof which is for the time being used as a restaurant or in which, when it is being used for an educational, cultural or other event under Section 20 of the Act, the Library Authority allows the partaking of refreshments.

23. Except with the consent of the Librarian, a person shall not cause or allow any apparatus for the reception of sound broadcasting or the reproduction of sound to be operated in any part of the library set apart for the use of the public.

24. Every person who shall offend against any of the foregoing Byelaws (other than Byelaws 10 and 11) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the sum of £20.

25. Every person who, within the view of a library officer, contravenes any of the foregoing Byelaws may be excluded or removed from the library by such officer if: -

(a) his name and address are unknown to and cannot readily be ascertained by the officer; or

(b) from the nature of the contravention or from any other fact of which the officer may have knowledge or be credibly informed there is reasonable ground for belief that his continuance in the library may result in another contravention of the Byelaws or that his exclusion or removal from the library is otherwise necessary for the proper use and regulation thereof.

26. On the coming into operation of these Byelaws, the Byelaws relating to libraries which were made by the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Ealing acting by the Council on the 3rd day of March 1938 and were confirmed by the Board of Education on the 20th day of April 1938 shall be revoked.

THE COMMON SEAL OF THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND BURGESSES OF THE LONDON BOROUGH OF EALING was in pursuance of a Resolution of the Council of the Borough hereunto affixed this 16th day of September, 1966 in the presence of: -

A.J. McCALLUM
Mayor

E.J. COPE-BROWN
Town Clerk

Confirmed under the official seal of the Secretary of State for Education and Science on 18th November, 1966.

MERVYN LONGHURST

Authorised under Section 3 of the Education Act, 1944.

Rules and Regulations for the administration of the Public Libraries

These Rules and Regulations are supplementary to the provisions of the Byelaws made by the Library Authority under Section 19 of the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964.

1. In these Rules and Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) “the Act” means the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964;

(b) “the Library Authority” means the Council of the London Borough of Ealing.

(c) “library” means any library for the time being maintained by the Library Authority for the purposes of its functions under the Act and includes a vehicle when being used for those purposes;

(d) “the Librarian” means any person appointed as such by the Library Authority or, in his absence, any person authorised by the Library Authority to act on his behalf;

(e) “book” includes any and every book, journal, pamphlet, music score, manuscript, picture, print, photograph, engraving, etching, deed, map, chart, plan, sound recording, film and any other article of a like nature forming part of the contents of the Library or lent to any person by or on behalf of the Library Authority;

(f) “member” means a person to whom a borrower’s ticket has been issued in accordance with these Regulations; unless the context otherwise requires, the expression “member” also includes a person to whom books are loaned on surrender of a current borrower’s ticket or production of an Interavailability Form issued by any public library authority in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or any person, society, group, association, college or school to whom a library ticket has been issued in accordance with these Regulations.

2. The Library shall be open on such days and during such hours as the Library Authority may from time to time determine.

3. Membership will be open to persons who are resident, employed, or attending an educational institution in the London Borough of Ealing on the production of evidence of such residence, employment or attendance, provided that, if the applicant is a minor or is unable to produce such evidence, he shall obtain the recommendation of a parent or guardian or of an elector either of the London Borough of Ealing or of the area in which he lives.

4. Books may also be borrowed by any person surrendering a current reader’s ticket or producing an Interavailability Form issued by any public library authority in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Books so borrowed are issued at the pleasure of the Library Authority on the terms of the Regulations in force for the time being and the issue of books to such a person is terminable at any time without notice.

5. Sound recordings may be borrowed by any member to whom an adult library ticket has been issued in accordance with Regulations 3 and 6.

6. Any society, group, association, college or school in the Borough may borrow for corporate use provided that the official membership application form be signed by such of its officers as the Librarian shall decide or by the Principal of the educational establishment. Such signatories shall be held personally to the Library Authority for the safe custody and return of books borrowed. Any such society, group, association, college or school in the Borough to which a ticket has been issued in accordance with this Regulation shall notify the Library Authority immediately upon the signatory ceasing to be an officer of the society.

7. Applications for tickets shall be made on the official membership application form and the signing of the form will be regarded as an assent to the Regulations in force for the time being.

8. Tickets are issued subject to the following conditions:

(a) All tickets shall remain in force from the date of issue for such a period as the Library Authority may from time to time determine, unless previously surrendered, cancelled, suspended or revoked.

(b) Tickets are not transferable.

(d) Members will be held responsible for any books which may be borrowed on their tickets.

(e) Members leaving the Borough or ceasing to be qualified for membership in accordance with Regulations 3, 4, & 6 shall return all tickets to the Librarian for cancellation.

(f) The loss of a ticket shall be notified immediately to the Librarian, and the member will be held responsible for any books which may be borrowed on that ticket up to the time of reporting such loss.

(g) Lost tickets will be replaced on a payment based on the actual cost involved.

9. The Library Authority reserves the right to refuse to accept or renew any application for membership and to cancel or suspend any ticket at any time at the discretion of the Librarian. Any such applicant or member shall have the right of appeal to the Library Authority whose decision shall be final.

10. One ticket will be issued to each member for use with the computer-based loan system. Libraries not operating the computer-based loan will issue each member with three pocket-type tickets, and additional tickets may be issued on request at the discretion of the Librarian.

11. Only registered members engaged in selecting books to borrow shall have the right to access to the Lending Library but their representative or others may be admitted at the discretion of the Librarian. Cases, baskets, and similar articles must be left with the Librarian if required and at the owner’s risk. No person shall bring into the Lending Library any article which in the opinion of the Librarian is prejudicial to the service or the convenience of other members.

12. Books are normally issued for 28 days excluding the day of issue, but books in considerable demand may be issued for 14 days only or subject to such limitations of the loan period as may be decided by the Librarian. Provided, however, that a book is not required by another member the loan period may be extended for a further similar period from the date on which a request to this effect is received by the Librarian either personally, in writing or by telephone. Such request must specify the member’s name and address and the author, title, book number and due date for return of every such book. A book whose loan period has been twice so extended shall not be granted a further extension unless produced to the Librarian. A member retaining a book beyond the date due for return will be charged fines according to the scale adopted for the time being by the Library Authority.

13. Returned books must be delivered into the hands of the Librarian at the proper desk or counter or by post. If any book is lost by a member or, on examination when returned to the library, is found to have sustained any damage the member may be required to pay the cost of replacement of the book or, at the discretion of the Librarian, to compensate the Library Authority for the damage or loss sustained. When a book list or damaged is one of a set or series whose parts are not available separately the member may be required to defray the cost of replacing the whole set. Books found to be damaged when presented for issue must be reported, otherwise the member may be held responsible for such damage.

14. The Librarian shall have the right to inspect the sound reproduction equipment of any member to whom sound recordings are issued, and to refuse recordings to any member whose equipment he considers unsatisfactory.

15. Members will be notified of the availability or otherwise of any book upon completion of the appropriate form and payment of the notification fee currently adopted by the Library Authority. No book will be retained for a member for more than seven days after notice of its availability has been posted.

16. Books are issued on the understanding that this does not confer any right or licence in respect of copyright or public performance.

Reference library and reading room

17. Any person over the age of 15 and such others as the Librarian may permit, may enter the Reference Library or Reading Room. Entry into the Reference Library or Reading Room shall be deemed to be an assent to the Regulations in force for the time being.

18. Except as provided for below, books must not be removed from the Reference Library. Members will be held responsible for books issued to or consulted by them, and for any loss or damage such books may sustain.

19. In special circumstances the Librarian may at his discretion permit certain books to be borrowed from the Reference Library for a limited period. The decision of the Librarian in such cases shall be final.

20. No newspaper, periodical, yearbook or directory shall be retained by any member for more than fifteen minutes after an application for the same has been made to the Librarian by another member. A member is not entitled to retain any periodical or book other than those he is actually using. A member is not permitted to use the Reference Library or Reading Room except for the purpose of using books or other materials supplied or provided by the Library Authority, except by permission of the Librarian.