The Rules of the Reading Room and Library of the Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences

1. The Library’s task is to make available the Library Collection of the Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS, in the interests of science, teaching and the popularisation of the natural sciences.
2. Books in the Library Collection are made available to all interested in the relevant subject matter.
3. Responsibility for the Library Collection as a valuable public good is conferred upon the user thereof, who bears the material liability in the event of damage, destruction or loss.
4. The Library’s operating hours are as determined by its Manager, in agreement with the Director of the Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS, the public being informed of the opening and closing times.
5 .Users of the Reading Room are obliged:

• to familiarise themselves with the Regulations of the Reading Room and Lending Library and to meet the requirements thereof precisely,

• to register their presence in the book for users of the Reading Room, and – where those concerned are from outside the Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS – to fill out a reader’s card and to leave an identity document with the Librarian on duty for the duration of their visit,

• to declare to the Librarian on duty any of his/her own materials that are brought into the Reading Room,

• to declare to the Librarian on duty any shortcomings of, or instances of damage to, publications made available to him or her,

• to leave outside clothing, briefcases, bags, etc., in the places designated therefor,

• to remain quiet and respect order, and to not smoke or eat on the Reading Room premises.

6. In the Reading Room, use may be made of:

• the collection of books and current publications on display in the Reading Room, on condition that publications to be consulted are removed directly from their places on the shelves and then returned after use to the Librarian on duty,

• the Library’s Main Collection, accessed by means of request slips filled out legibly and signed separately for each item up to a maximum of 5 requests at a time, the submissions being made no later than 30 minutes prior to the end of the Reading Room’s working day.

7. Publications needed for a user’s ongoing work on successive days may be reserved in the Reading Room for a period agreed with the Librarian on duty.
”Lending” in the meaning of the Regulations shall not imply lending beyond the premises of the Library of the Museum and 8. Institute of Zoology PAS, where publications:

• were published pre-1945 (in which case lending rights are confined to employees of the Museum and Institute),

• are of particular rarity or importance,

• are in a form (large format) or state of preservation not permitting their use beyond the Reading Room,

• form part of the on-display book collection,

• are of a cartographic nature (in which case, lending rights are confined to employees of the Museum and Institute)

• are doctoral theses

9. Old manuscripts are only made available on the basis of separate regulations.
10. The right to borrow larger collections beyond the Library premises shall be enjoyed by:

• employees of the Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS,

• other libraries (by virtue of the Inter-Library Loan system),

• scientific institutions lacking libraries of their own – under the conditions laid down in point 12.

11. By way of the Library, employees of the Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS shall enjoy the right to draw upon the collections of other libraries in Poland. By way of the National Library, the said employees shall further enjoy the right to draw upon the collections of libraries abroad.
12. Other libraries and institutions not possessing libraries shall enjoy the right to open a borrowing account by virtue of a submitted declaration including a copy of the given institution’s stamp, the signature of its Director, Head or Manager, and an example of the signature of persons authorized to engage in borrowing and assuming the obligation to comply with the requirements of the Library Rules.
13. Scientific employees of the Museum and Institute are entitled to the ”permanent” loan of up to 300 volumes from the Library, albeit on the basis of an obligation that books be returned, or borrowing slips renewed, at five-yearly intervals.
14.  Employees taking parental or unpaid leaves, or being seconded elsewhere, for periods in excess of 3 months, are obliged to return all publications borrowed to the Library.
15. Employees leaving the Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS or retiring from employment therein shall return all publications borrowed from the Library prior to the end of their tenure at the institution. With the consent of the Director, scientific staff who have retired may continue to make use of the Library’s collections by virtue of the rules set out in Point 13.
16. Where publications are sought by readers from outside the Museum and Institute, employees thereof are obliged to return publications borrowed within the Reading Room to Library staff, whenever requested to do so.
17 Employees of the Museum and Institute shall not lend publications borrowed in their name on to other individuals or institutions.
18. Employees of the Museum and Institute shall be obliged to make borrowed publications available to the Library for checking not less often than once every two years. Explanations in respect of any absences of publications are to be submitted within one month of discovery.
19. Inter-Library Loan shall only be possible on the basis of request slips filled out legibly and precisely, each requested item on a separate slip, with the signature of an authorized person and bearing the stamp of the Library or Borrowing Institution.
20. The number of libraries and other institutions using the Library’s collections may not exceed 10 at any given time.
21. A Borrowing Library shall be obliged to return borrowed publications within 30 days of their receipt. Requested prolongations of this time limit for returns are to be submitted prior to the expiry thereof. Consent for prolongations of the said time limit shall be dependent on requests submitted by other users. The Library shall send out reminders upon the expiry of the said time limit, and failure to return a borrowed publication thereafter shall result in abstention from any further consideration of requests. 
22. Loaned publications shall be sent as valuable items or by registered post, with proper safeguards taken to ensure protection against damage.
23. The Borrowing Library shall be liable for damage done to loaned publications, as well as for any losses thereof.
24. Should a loaned publication be lost or damaged, the user shall be obliged to supply another copy of the same publication, or – in exceptional circumstances – another publication, where the Library Manager, in agreement with the Committee on Losses from the Library Collection recognizes the equivalence of the substitute publication. A user unable to comply with this obligation shall submit a declaration in writing to that effect, and render to the Library a sum equivalent to three times the value of the lost item, at the given time. Where a publication is damaged, the user shall bear the full costs of repair.
25. Failure to comply with the requirements laid down in point 24 will result in steps on the part of the Library to seek redress in court.
26. Where users fail to abide by the aforesaid Rules, the Library reserves the right:

• to demand the return ahead of schedule of publications borrowed,

• to suspend or terminate rights to the use of the Library Collection.