Regulations of Tallinn Central Library
Regulations of Tallinn Central Library Free translation
The Regulation is established upon the Public Libraries Act (§16, §17), the Local Government Organization Act in accordance with the Regulation No. 9 of the Minister of Culture of 12 July 2004 Guidelines for the organization of the work of a public library.
§1. General provisions
(1) Regulations for readers of Tallinn Central Library (hereinafter Library) regulates service of departments, mobile library and branch libraries and the rights and obligations of readers.
(2) Loan for in-house use and home lending of documents and granting access to public information through the public data communication network are foundation services of the Library. Foundation services are free of charge.
(3) Fees are charged for special services (printing, making copies etc). The amounts of the fees charged for special services shall be approved by city government or the agency authorized by the city government.
(4) The use of computers are regulated by the directives of the Director of Tallinn Central Library: Regulations for the Use of Computers in the Library, Regulations for the Use of Wifi and Regulations for the Use of Library’s Laptop.
§2. Reader registration and re-registration
(1) Readers are registered once on the basis of ID-card or a personal identity document with a photo.
(2) The following data are provided with the registration:
1) a given name and surname
2) personal identification code
3) residential address(es)
4) e-mail address
5) telephone number
(3) Persons under 16 years of age are registered on the basis of a personal identity document (persons under 15 years of age also on the basis of a student card) and with the written consent of his or her parent, legal guardian or curator. The consent shall be written once and is valid until he or she attains 16 years of age.
(4) Readers are re-registered annually (verification of name, residential address, e-mail address and other information which are the basis for the registration).
(5) Reader is obligated to notify the Library of changes of name, residential address, e-mail address and telephone number.
(6) Debtors are re-registered after liquidation of debts.
§3. Processing of personal data
(1) Reader's data is entered in the integrated library system INNOPAC Tallinn database which is also used by other Tallinn libraries who are members of Estonian Library Network Consortium. In addition to data given in section 2 subsection (2) is also being entered the number of the library card and the validity of the card, encrypted PIN code and information connected with the services.
(2) Data given is section 2 subsection (2) is used to identify the reader, to provide Library services including sending reminders and precept after the due date, and for statistical analysis.
(3) Reader's residential address is verified in the Library from the Estonian Population Register.
§4. Library card
(1) Registered reader shall be issued a library card where he or she shall give a signature. By giving a signature the reader agrees to follow the Rules for readers of Tallinn Central Library and acknowledges that he or she is aware about processing one's personal data.
Library card is also valid in branch libraries and library bus. The library card is charged.
(2) Reader whose residence is not entered in the population register and has not paid a security deposit, has the right to use library materials on the premises. For this purpose, a reader has to make a library card which gives the right to use library materials on the premises. The library card is charged.
(3) A temporary visitors’ card is valid for one day and it gives the right to use library services at the same day the card was released. Visitors’ card does not permit home lending.
(4) The barcode and the barcode number on the library card are used for identification of a reader. Library can only be used by presenting the library card.
(5) The Periodical Room can be visited without the library card.
(6) It is prohibited to pass Your library card to other persons. Reader is liable for the use of the library card. Reader is required to inform the Library immediately if the library card is lost.
§5. Circulation policy
(1) Reader has the right to borrow maximum of 20 documents at a time, including 10 audiovisual documents depending on the size of the collection.
(2) The loan period is 21 days. The due date can be renewed once either in person, via phone, e-mail or online library catalogue ESTER if documents are not in demand or overdue. Library can lend returned documents to the same reader if they are not in demand. In this case the reader has to come to the Library with the documents.
(3) Library may lend requested documents for a shorter period than 21 days and the they can’t be renewed.
(4) The loan period for magazines and audiovisual documents with license agreement is 7 days and they can’t be renewed.
(5) A bail may be required from a reader upon home lending of a document if the reader is not entered to Estonian population register or this is necessary due to the value of the document based on established procedure for the taking and returning of a bail by city government.
(6) Readers are required to return the lent documents by the due date. Overdue documents will not be renewed. If one of the documents becomes overdue then also other lent documents will not be renewed. Readers who fail to return documents by the due date and fail to pay fee for the period of delay may not borrow additional documents.
(7) If the documents are not returned by the due date, an overdue notice will be sent within a period of three months via mail, e-mail or a telephone. Overdue notice includes a list of overdue documents, an overdue date and a new term to return the documents and pay the fee for the period of delay. Library may send more than one overdue notice depending on the demand of the document.
(8) Integrated library system automatically sends a prior information notice before the due date to readers who have given their e-mail address to the Library.
(9) Reference materials, single copies of requested documents, recent issues of periodicals and most valuable documents are for in-house use only.
(10)Readers may reserve checked out non-fiction literature. The cost of notification shall be paid by the reader. After reader has been notified of a reserved item’s availability, it will be held in the library for two days.
(11)Documents not available in the Library’s collection are ordered through ILL (Interlibrary Loan) from other libraries in Estonia, except libraries in Tallinn, at the request and at the expense of the reader.
(12)The Library shall organise home service free of charge for inhabitants who are not able to visit the library due to health reasons (elderly, physically disabled), at their request.
§6. Responsibility of reader
(1) Readers are financially responsible for the documents, equipment and other library’s inventory they use.
(2) Readers have to check the condition of the document they want to borrow, reader shall notify the librarian about the damaged document before borrowing it. If damages of the document are discovered in the course of returning the document then reader is considered to be responsible for it.
(3) If a reader fails to return a lent document by the due date, the Library requires a fee for the period of delay:
1) up to 30 days overdue 50 cents (0,03 €) per document for each day of delay;
2) more than 30 days overdue one kroon (0,06 €) per document for each day of delay.
(4) Upon damaging of or failure to return a document, the reader is required to replace the document (with the same title, may be newer edition). The head of the service department or the head of the branch library may, as an exception, allow the reader to replace the lent document with another document with the same value as the lent document.
(5) If a reader fails to replace the damaged or lost document then the reader has to pay ten
times the price of a lent document. The minimal price of the document published before 1992 is 50 EEK (3,20 €), if there is a later reprint of the document then the price of the document is the same as the reprint’s price.
(6) Damage caused by persons under 18 years of age is compensated by the parent.
(7) The Library shall set a term for a reader for payment of the amounts specified in subsections (3), (4) and (5) of this section. For payment of the amounts not paid by the due date, the city government shall issue a precept together with a warning concerning the initiation of compulsory execution upon failure to comply with the precept to the reader. A precept shall set out the possibilities, term and procedure for contestation thereof. If reader fails to comply with the precept within a term set out in the warning, the city government has the right to pass the precept for compulsory execution pursuant to the procedure provided for in the Code of Execution Procedure. The city government may transfer the competence specified to the Library. In case the reader is under 18 years of age the precept shall be delivered to his or her parent.
(8) If proceeding specified in subsection (7) of this section have been initiated against the reader, the borrowing prohibition is valid until the end of the proceeding.
(9) If a reader fails to replace the damaged or lost document or compensate it ten times the price in four month period, Library may prohibit the reader the right to borrow for one year as of due date.
§7. Code of Conduct of the Library
(1) The Code of Conduct is approved by the directive of the Director of the Library.
(2) The Code of Conduct is made available at all service points and on the Library's homepage.
(3) The Code of Conduct is obligatory for all users of the Library.
(4) Readers may not disturb the public order in any way, including not to deviate against generally recognized principles and good manners, not to insult human dignity and public morality.
(5) Suggestions, opinions and complaints can be made in the Library, by e-service from the Library’s homepage or by telephone. Complaints about the service resolve the heads of the service departments and branch libraries.
§8. Regulation entering into force
The Regulation will enter into force on 01.03.2008.
