1    Identification

Title: Library Regulations

Person in charge: Library Director

This Regulation applies to: all Library users

Approval stages:

• Adopted by the Board of Directors on April 11, 1996 (CAD-4287)
• Amended by the Board of Directors on December 21, 2006 (CAD-992-5133)

2    Definitions

Unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions apply:

1. Library Management: The Library Director and his or her proxies
2. Document: Any resource provided by the Library for consultation or loan, or borrowed from another organization, including books, periodicals, databases, maps and plans, microform, films, slides, videotapes, audio recordings, optical disks and software.
3. User card: A card issued and honoured by the Library giving users access to its facilities and services.

3    Conditions of access

Access to the Library is permitted for the consultation of documents and for the purpose of academic study.

3.1    Priority of use and restricted access

The Library is open to all, but priority use is given to Polytechnique students, professors and staff.
Library Management determines the opening hours of the Library and may give priority, restrict or reserve access to its facilities, equipment and certain documents or services to specific categories of users.

3.2    User card

Library staff may request a Polytechnique ID card or another piece of identification at any time.

3.3    Categories of documents and services

Library Management determines which documents may be borrowed and which are available for consultation at the Library, as well as conditions of access to services and equipment.

3.4    Fees

Library Management may establish a fee schedule for certain documents and services. It may also set all fees for fines, in particular overdue fines, replacement charges and administration fees.
Each year, Library Management will submit to the Comité conseil de la Bibliothèque (Library advisory committee) a schedule of fees, charges and rates in effect.

4    Conditions of loans

4.1    User card

The user card must be presented for all loans and loan renewals. The user card may only be used by the designated cardholder.

4.2    Borrower’s responsibility

The borrower is responsible for a document taken out in his name until the document’s return has been processed. Users must borrow documents as per the rules and must abide by the duration and conditions of the loans. All recalled items must be returned to the Library as soon as possible.

The borrower is also responsible for damaged or lost documents loaned to him.

4.3    Duration of loans

Library Management will determine the procedures and duration of loans as well as conditions of renewal, which will vary according to document and user categories.

5    User undertakings

Users must comply with the provisions of this section which are set out in the Code de conduite des usagers de la Bibliothèque de l'École Polytechnique de Montréal (code of conduct for Polytechnique Montréal Library users). They must also comply with all other guidelines issued by Library Management.

5.1    Behaviour and civility

Users must behave in a manner appropriate for a library working environment and must show civic-mindedness towards staff and other users.

Users may only occupy the space they require for work or study.

5.2    Loitering and soliciting

Loitering and soliciting are not permitted in the Library.

5.3    Recordings

It is forbidden to make audio or audiovisual recordings, or to take photographs in the Library except when authorized by Library Management.

5.4    Cleanliness and order

Users must help keep the Library, equipment and collection clean and orderly.

Users must not enter the Library with food. Unless otherwise indicated, only bottles of water and drinks in spill-proof mugs are allowed.

Users must keep documents in good condition and must not highlight, underline, annotate the documents, cut out sections, fold corners or damage them in any other way. They must maintain the shelving order of documents and leave consulted documents on tables or in designated areas.

Users must take care of the property, furniture and equipment at their disposal.

5.5    Noise

Users must avoid making noise.

Users must refrain from using cell phones, turn off the ringtones on cellphones and pagers, lower the volume of music devices, avoid loud conversations, and so forth. Any noise that disturbs other users is considered excessive.

Users must remain silent in designated areas.

5.6    Security

If asked by Library staff, users must show their user card or other personal identification.
Users who lost their user card must immediately notify the Institutional security service staff.

Users must take care of their personal effects.

Users must pass through detection systems and allow their personal belongings (bags, etc.) or clothes to be inspected before leaving the Library if an alarm goes off, or if staff members have reason to believe they are attempting to remove unauthorized documents or property from the premises.

Users must notify Library staff of any objectionable behaviour.

5.7    Copyright, licences and other regulations

Users must comply with the provisions of the Copyright Act, electronic resources licences , the Regulation Concerning the Use and Management of Computer Resourcesand the Copyright Policy.  They will be liabe for damages to Polytechnique resulting from their actions.

Polytechnique accepts no responsibility for the violation of said Act and licences.

5.8    Payment of amounts owing

Users must pay to Polytechnique all amounts owing 1) following the application of a section of these Regulations; 2) in payment for chargeable goods and services; 3) to another library with which the Library has a service agreement.

6    Violations and sanctions

6.1    Late returns, lost or damaged documents

A fine will be owed for each day a document is returned late, calculated from Monday to Friday. The fine is calculated from the first day the document is late until the 42nd calendar day. Polytechnique personnel have a 15-day grace period (calendar days). Users lose their borrowing and renewal privileges until they return the late document.

After 42 days, the document is considered lost. The borrower will be required to pay the accumulated fines, replacement charges, billing and processing fees, and binding costs. Users who return a document late after receiving a bill must pay all of the accumulated fines and billing fees.

Users who damaged documents must pay the cost of restoration or replacement, as well as administrative fees.

6.2    Non-compliance

Users who refuse to comply with any of the provisions of these Regulations may be called to order by Library staff.

Non-compliance with any of the provisions in these Regulations may result in a suspension of borrowing privileges, as well as the right to access and use Library services, up to and including expulsion from the Library. In the case of a student, non-compliance with these regulations may be documented in the student's academic file.

6.3    Omission or refusal to pay

Users who refuse or neglect to pay any amount owing will lose their borrowing and other privileges, such as inter-library loans, until they have rectified the situation.

Polytechnique reserves the right to take any recourse permitted by law to recover amounts owing.

In the case of a student, Polytechnique reserves the right to withhold a transcript or diploma until amounts owing have been paid.

6.4    Damage and lack of cleanliness

All users responsible for damage to or the loss of property, furniture, equipment or facilities belonging to the Library must cover the replacement, repair or cleaning costs, as well as administrative fees.

6.5    Theft, attempted theft and vandalism

Users who steal, attempt to steal or commit an act of vandalism with regard to documents or property belonging to the Library or made available to them, or users who have participated in such acts, will be subject to legal action and will immediately forfeit their right to access the Library’s resources and facilities until the appropriate authority at Polytechnique has decided on a sanction. These sanctions include:

• In the case of a student, a warning, suspension for a period to be determined according to the seriousness of the offence and the damage caused, expulsion from Polytechnique;
• In the case of a staff member, a warning, suspension for a period to be determined according to the seriousness of the offence and the damage caused and according to the person’s contract of employment (individual or group) with Polytechnique, dismissal;
• In the case of an external user, a warning, temporary or permanent barring from Polytechnique.

Offenders will be required to reimburse Polytechnique, if applicable, for all damages and losses.

7    Confidentiality

To respect users’ right to confidentiality, Library staff may not divulge any personal information, notably the name of the borrower of a document or the list of documents borrowed by a user.

8    Responsibility

Polytechnique will take all reasonable measures at its disposal to ensure the protection of Library users and their personal effects. Polytechnique will not be held liable for any loss or damage incurred by Library users.

9    Minor amendments

Any minor amendment to these Regulations will be made by the Dean of Research and Innovation and must be approved by the Assemblée de direction.

10    Effective date

These Regulations are effective from the time they are adopted by the Board of Directors.