Rights and responsibilities
Contents
Learning and working together in the
library: MMU Library Customer Charter
Library staff are committed to providing high-quality services for all
customers, but an excellent educational experience depends on a close and
effective partnership. MMU Library’s Customer Charter, as outlined
below, describes the expectations, standards and responsibilities of both
partners, and sits alongside the Library Rules and Regulations and
the University
Student Agreement (PDF, 36k).
Our commitment to you
- To be approachable and treat all our customers fairly, with courtesy and
respect, taking individual needs into account as appropriate;
- To provide an efficient service, publicise the facilities we offer,
and seek our customers’ views as we design and constantly seek to
improve services;
- To provide access to resources to support the University’s study
and research activities and to help our customers use them effectively;
- To provide a safe, pleasant and welcoming environment with designated
zones for group, silent/quiet work and mobile phone use;
- To guarantee the confidentiality of personal information in accordance
with the Data Protection Act;
- To ensure observance of the Library’s Customer Charter.
Your commitment to us
- To treat library staff and fellow customers with courtesy and respect
at all times, and to use the facilities provided appropriately;
- To carry your own current/valid University/Library ID card whenever
you visit the Library, be prepared to show it on request; also to keep
it safe, ensuring that you do not permit/enable others to use it;
- To respect the designated zones for group, silent/quiet work and mobile
phone use;
- To treat books, journals and other library resources and equipment with
care, and pay for any lost or damaged material;
- To follow library guidance about copyright and licensing law when photocopying,
scanning, printing and using electronic resources, DVDs, etc.
- To use the MMU network and e-resources appropriately and never for commercial
purposes, keeping your MMU network ID/password secure, and not allowing
use by others;
- To keep belongings with you at all times - unattended items are at risk
of theft but may also be regarded as a security risk or safety hazard
and removed by security staff;
- To use plug sockets only for laptops and not for charging phones and
MP3 players etc, to avoid trailing wires, and to avoid unplugging or otherwise
tampering with equipment;
- To bring only bottled soft drinks with screw tops into the Library -
food is not allowed except for packet sweets, other than in designated
areas;
- To ensure that all items are issued before leaving the Library and to
bring them back promptly;
- To check your University e-mail account regularly for library messages.
Our commitment to customer satisfaction
We welcome your feedback or suggestions to improve the service. Please
speak to a member of staff, complete a comments card or submit feedback
via the Library’s website.
Ensuring observance of the Customer Charter
In order that the Library continues to provide a welcoming environment where
customers can learn effectively, library staff will ensure that the above
measures are observed at all times by, as necessary:
- Reminding customers of the provisions of the Charter
- Requesting to see appropriate identification
- Asking customers to adjust their behaviour or leave.
- Filing a misconduct report when they consider it appropriate. This
may lead to a fine, temporary exclusion from library premises and/or disciplinary
action; it may also lead to customers not being permitted access to other
academic libraries through cooperative schemes such as SCONUL Access.
September 2008
^ Top of page
Library rules and regulations
General
Use of the Library is conditional on observance of the Rules and Regulations.
Users must comply with these and with any reasonable request or instruction
issued by library staff. Anyone failing to do so may be temporarily excluded
from the Library and/or incur a fine.
The Head of Library Services or other member of staff on duty at the
time has authority to require any person he/she considers to be in breach
of the Library’s Rules and Regulations or otherwise behaving inappropriately
to leave the Library immediately. A student who refuses to obey an instruction
given by a librarian or other member of library staff on duty at the time
to leave the Library may be summarily suspended from the University by the
Vice-Chancellor pending further disciplinary action against them under the
University’s Student Disciplinary Procedure.
The Head of Library Services has the right to refer any breaches by
students of the Rules and Regulations and/or verbal abuse or improper behaviour
towards library staff, other library users and the Library in general to
the relevant Head of Department (or equivalent) or Dean of Faculty for dealing
with under the University’s Student Disciplinary Procedures. Students
banned from the Manchester Metropolitan University Library
following such a disciplinary action within the University may be permanently
banned from all of the other university libraries in the North
West.
Students who fail to pay their tuition or accommodation fees, library
or other fines, or to repay any loans made to them by the University within
the time specified for so doing, will have their library facilities suspended
until such time as satisfactory payment/repayment arrangements have been
made and agreed by the University.
Specific rules and regulations
- Access to the University Library is restricted to staff and students of
the University who are in possession of a current valid identification card
issued by the Manchester Metropolitan University, and to such other persons
as may be authorised by the Head of Library Services.
- Details of each user’s name, address, department and such particulars
as may be deemed necessary for the secure and effective operation of the
Library’s service are used in the Library’s computer systems,
on the understanding that this information will be held securely, divulged
only as permitted under the Data Protection Act, 1998, and used only for
purposes registered and approved under the provisions of the Act.
- Students are required to carry their University student card and staff
to carry their University staff identity card to gain entry and to use the
Library, and must produce this when required to do so by an authorised person.
- This, or any other library identity card must be used only by the member
to whom it is issued.
- Bags, etc, are allowed in the Library at the discretion of the Head of
Library Services. It is a condition that all bags, trolleys and cases, including
those with wheels, are carried through the Library exit and are subject to
inspection if required. For reasons of security, bags and other personal
possessions should not be left unattended. The Library has no responsibility
in case of damage to or theft of personal property.
- Appropriate behaviour is required in all parts of the Library. Users of
the Library should respect the use of designated silent and quiet study zones.
Group work can only take place in the zones/rooms assigned for this purpose.
Phones should either be switched off or set to silent mode on entering the
libraries. The use of mobile phones to make and receive calls is prohibited
except in the designated phone zones. Users failing to comply with this requirement,
or who behave inappropriately anywhere in the Library will be asked to leave.
Any subsequent incidents will be subject to a fine and/or ban, or referral
to the Dean of Faculty for consideration within the terms of the appropriate
University disciplinary procedures.
- Smoking and the consumption of food and drink (with the exception of packet
sweets and bottled soft drinks with screw tops) is not allowed in the Library
except under designated conditions. Barring the above exceptions, anyone
entering with food and/or drink may be refused admission.
- The use of personal audio equipment is not permitted in the Library if
its use disturbs others. Photography, filming, video-taping and audio-taping
in the Library is not allowed without the prior permission of the Head of
Library Services.
- Mains operated personal equipment, except laptops, should not be used without
the prior permission of a librarian. Where use of the mains is permitted,
other equipment should not be unplugged and wires should not trail causing
a trip hazard.
- Users are required to comply with copyright regulations when photocopying,
scanning, photographing, printing or downloading from information resources
in print, electronic or any other format.
- Data retrieved from the Library’s electronic resources may
not be used for purposes other than learning, teaching, research,
personal educational development, administration and management of the
Manchester Metropolitan University, and development work associated with
any of the aforementioned. Use of the data is not permitted for
consultancy or services leading to commercial exploitation of the data,
nor for work of significant benefit to the employer of students on industrial
placement or part-time courses. Users must also comply with the specific
requirements of individual data providers. Passwords must never be deliberately
or inadvertently revealed or made accessible to others. See also Student
Regulations for Use of University Computing Resources. Access
to e-resources will be withdrawn in case of abuse.
- There is priority at some PCs for disabled students and for those using
subscribed electronic information resources.
- The removal of any material from the Library must be properly authorised
and recorded. Damage to, or unauthorised removal of, material constitutes
a serious offence and may lead to a fine or disciplinary action.
- Loan allowances and periods are defined in guides to library services.
Material can be renewed remotely up to a maximum of ten times unless it has
been reserved by another user. A reserved item is subject to recall once
it has been on loan for eight days.
- Fines are charged on overdue items (current rates are advertised in guides
to library services). If fines are outstanding, borrowing rights may be withdrawn
and passwords for access to electronic services withheld until such time
as those fines are paid.
- Most library communications are by e-mail to a student’s official
University e-mail address, including, eg, password distribution, overdue,
recall, reservation and inter-library loan notices. It is the responsibility
of users to check regularly for these messages.
- Users are responsible for material borrowed on their cards and for its
return by the due date. They will be required to pay for any damage to, or
loss of, material borrowed at replacement cost, plus an administrative charge.
Damaged material remains the property of the Library both before and after
payment; borrowing rights are withdrawn while payment is outstanding.
- Access to libraries and/or borrowing rights may be withdrawn temporarily
if fees/charges in other parts of the University are outstanding.
- The award of a University qualification may be deferred until all books
have been returned and outstanding fines/charges paid.
August 2008
^ Top of page
Student regulations for use of university
computing resources
The latest version of these are available from the Information
Systems website at:
http://www.isu.mmu.ac.uk/general/strategy-policies/policies/studentregulations.shtml
^ Top of page
Acceptable use policies (AUPs)
In addition to the above student regulations for use of university computing
resources, the University has recently (August 2000) ratified a policy
for acceptable use of information systems, available at:
http://www.isu.mmu.ac.uk/general/strategy-policies/policies/policy0002.shtml
There are also accompanying guidance notes at:
http://www.isu.mmu.ac.uk/general/strategy-policies/policies/guidance0002.shtml
ISU also have an index
to other policies including AUPs for email and newsgroup access.
^ Top of page