LIBRARY RULES AND POLICIES 2023

The following rules shall apply to Garissa University Library and user community

1. Membership

The library shall constitute the following:

1. All registered students of Garissa University
2. All Permanent and Contractual Employees of Garissa University.

iii. Official visitors and researchers of Garissa University on recommendation of the host department or school

1. Staff and students of other universities in Kenya subject to recommendation of the respective University Administration and Librarian
2. Members of the public may register to use the library for a limited period subject to recommendation letter from an authorised officer of the government or the Kenya National Library services (KNLS) provided that such applicants are affiliated with the respective organizations.
3. Children of members of staff provided they are three and above years old

vii.Contractual staff with less than twelve months contracts and Casuals are not eligible to borrow books but shall be issued with temporary passes to allow them use library facilities and services during their period of engagement

2. Registration of Users
3. All users are required to register before using the library
4. Applications shall be done via an approved registration form

iii. No registration shall be done in proxy

3. Library Cards

• All students are required to activate their membership accounts by borrowing at least one book upon issuance with the library card
• Each user shall be issued with a library card at a cost of Ksh500
• Library cards are not transferable
• To expedite issuance of Library cards, procedures shall normally be based on self service and on first come first served basis
• The following procedures shall Apply:

3.1 Students’ Library Card Issuance procedure

1. Pick the student ID application form from library upon: (fulfilling 2,3)
2. Present a copy of your current admission letter

iii. Present a copy of your original national ID card or birth certificate

1. Fill the form completely and accurately paying more attention to key identifiers (name and admission number). Please note that you will be disqualified and surcharged for costs incurred if you give a wrong admission number
2. Sign in front as well as on the reverse left hand side of the form
3. Take the form to admissions office or Dean of Students Office for confirmation of your details especially your studentship status, name and admission number

vii.The confirmation should be affirmed using the respective authorised rubberstamp and signature

viii.Using a digital camera of at least 5mp resolution and using the yellow background available at the library) take a clear passport photo of yourself (please note that most modern mobile phones, ipads and smart-phones can equally give you good photos)

1. Take a clear close-up photo of the front side of the application form
2. Take a clear close-up photo of the back side of the application form containing the signature
3. Confirm that all the three photos above are clear, legible and likeable. You may need to repeat the process to your satisfaction

xii.  Download the Student ID Application Template (in MS-Excel format) from the library link in the university website at www.gau.ac.ke

xiii. Fill the template completely and accurately

xiv. Rename the three photos in 8, 9 and 10 above together with the fully filled in template using your admission number respectively as per the following example: for the passport photo rename with your number e.g. BIS_0012_2012, for the front photo of application form add your surname e.g. BIS_0012_2012amina, for the back side add (s) e.g. BIS_0012_2012s and for the template add (temp) e.g. BIS_0012_2012temp

1. Email the renamed three photos in 8, 9 and 10 above together with the fully filled in application template to library@gau.ac.ke

xvi. Submit the original hard copy of the ID application form to the library issue desk

xvii.Wait for at most 1 week for your ID to be ready

3.2 Staff’s Library Card Issuance procedure

1. Pick the hard copy staff ID application form from library (upon fulfilling 2,3 below)
2. Present a copy of your appointment letter

iii.   Present a copy of your national identity card

1. Fill the form completely and accurately paying more attention to key identifiers (name and PF number). Please note that you will be disqualified and surcharged for costs incurred if you give a wrong PF Number
2. Sign in front as well as on the reverse left hand side of the form
3. Take the form to HR office for certification of your details especially your personnel status, name and PF Number

vii.  The certification should be done using the respective rubberstamp and signature

viii.Using a digital camera of at least 5mp resolution and using the gold background available at the library) take a clear passport photo of yourself (please note that most modern mobile phones, ipads and smart-phones can equally give you good photos)

1. Take a clear close-up photo of the front side of the application form
2. Take a clear close-up photo of the back side of the application form containing the signature
3. Confirm that all the three photos above are clear, legible and likeable. You may need to repeat the process to your satisfaction

xii.Download the Staff ID Application Template (in MS-Excel format) from the library link in the university website at: www.gau.ac.ke and fill it completely and accurately

xiii.Rename the three photos in 8, 9 and 10 above together with the fully filled in template using your PF number respectively as per the following examples: for the passport photo give it you PF e.g. 115, for the front photo of application form add your surname e.g. 115abdi, for the back side add (s) e.g. 115s and for the template add (temp) e.g. 115temp

xiv.Email the renamed four items (three photos in 8, 9 and 10 and the fully filled in Excel application template in 12) to: library@gau.ac.ke

xv.Submit also the certified original hard copy of the ID application form to the library issue desk

xvi.Wait for at most 1 week for your ID to be ready

3.3 Guest User’s Library Card Issuance procedure

Guest users shall follow the relevant procedures available in the library or as guided by the library staff

4. Change of contacts
5. Change of postal, mobile numbers, email address and other personal contact details must be reported to the library within a month.
6. Failure to report the change of contacts may lead to suspension from the library
7. Conduct in the Library
8. Smoking, eating, drinking, making of phone calls and any other misconduct which is a nuisance to other users is prohibited.
9. Writing, defacing or damaging library items is prohibited.

iii. All users should comply with safety regulations displayed on library notice boards.

1. Library seats may not be reserved
2. Overcoats and bags brought into the library must be deposited in the designated area at the owners risk
3. Library staff shall remove library items or personal effects left unattended in the reading area.

vii.Users are discouraged from bringing and leaving high value items such as money, mobile phones and computers at the baggage area

viii.The university shall not be held liable for loss or damage of personal effects left by users in any part of the library.

1. Silence must be maintained in and around the library at all times
2. Mobile phones and similar electronic gadgets must be on silent mode
3. No person shall enter or leave the library except via authorised entrance and exit points.

xii. Any member of the library staff may require any person leaving the library to establish that library items in his/her possession have been properly borrowed.

xiii.Electrical sockets in the library must not be used for personal equipment other than laptop computers and similar portable devices.

xiv.The library reserves the right to cancel membership of a user on the basis of misconduct for a whole semester.

1. The University Librarian may withhold or restrict the circulation of any library items in the library or transfer from one part of the library to another as circumstances may require.

xvi.No library item shall be used beyond the library control points unless it has been duly issued at the circulation desk.

xvii.     Borrowers are responsible for protecting any library item in their possession against damage and must report to the University Librarian any loss or damage.

xviii.Electrical sockets in the library must not be used for personal equipment other than laptop computers and similar portable devices.

xix.Laptop computers or portable devices are used in the library at the owner’s risk. Devices requiring a power supply may only be used at desks immediately adjacent to power sockets, to avoid the safety hazard caused by trailing electrical cables. Computing equipment should be used with consideration for others.

1. The following items may be not be borrowed except under special conditions as the University Librarian may determine:

• Books and journals classified as reference or special collection
• Current journals
• Any other materials as the University librarian may determine

6. Borrowing of Library Items

All users coming to the library must present their:

1. Library card
2. University identification card (for student and staff)

iii. National Identity Card

7. Borrowing of Long Loan books
8. Undergraduate – Up to 4 books for 2 weeks.
9. Post graduate /researchers: Up to 6 books for 4 weeks.

iii. Academic and Senior Administrative staff: Up to 6 books for 4 weeks

1. Users with disabilities 4 books for 4 weeks
2. Other persons – 2 books for 2 weeks.
3. Library staff reserve the right to require any person leaving the library to establish that library items in his/her possession have been properly issued to them.
4. Borrowing of Short Loan books

All library users can borrow for 24hrs renewable once if not reserved.

9. Fines
10. The library is authorised to levy fines upon any reader who fails to return any library item within the stipulated loan period
11. The fine for late return of long loan items shall normally be ten shilling (Kshs. 10.00) per item for each day the loan is overdue

iii. The fine for late return of short loan items shall be five shilling (Ksh. 5.00) per item per hour

1. Overdue fines shall be charged up to a maximum of Ksh 10,000
2. A user accruing an overdue fine of more than Ksh 100 shall be blocked from accessing any lending service until all the money due is paid back in full
3. If a fine is outstanding after a period of one month from the date when the item first became overdue, the University Librarian shall institute the necessary procedure to recover the money and the item owed
4. Damage of library items
5. Writing, defacing or damaging library item is prohibited.
6. Lost or mutilated items shall be replaced with the current edition or model

iii. No damaged or defaced item shall be available for use until such anomaly has been corrected

11. Replacement of lost items
12. The user shall be held responsible for books in their possession

ii.In case of loss or damage, the affected user shall to either buy and replace the item within a period of three months from the report of the loss or damage and pay the full market cost of the latest edition/model plus an administrative cost of 50% of the current value and forex charges where applicable.

1. Loss of library items and borrowing cards shall be reported to the library immediately in writing to the University Librarian
2. Replacement of Lost or damaged Library Cards
3. All lost or damaged library cards shall be replaced at a cost of Ksh500 payable to the university bank account
4. The user must show proof of the loss of the card before a new card is issued

• The lost of replacing lost or damaged card may be reviewed from time to time

1. Renewal for worn out cards shall be instant upon payment of the required cost
2. Re-call

The University Librarian may re-call any items from a borrower by notice which shall specify return of the same within specified days.

14. Renewals
15. Items borrowed may only be renewed by a borrower in person (by post, email, telephone or any other authorized channels of communication) for a further period provided that such items have not been reserved by another user
16. Renewal shall only be granted to a user without any outstanding charges

iii. Application for renewal must be done before the date due

15. Reservations

Readers may request for a book to be reserved if and when such required book has been borrowed by other readers. Books on reserve request will be lent on first come first served basis.

16. Vacation Borrowing

Unless authorised by the University librarian in special cases, items borrowed during vacation shall be subject to normal borrowing conditions

17. Overdue Notices
18. Books and other items borrowed from the library shall be regarded overdue the day immediately following the end of the loan period and will be deemed lost one month thereafter if not returned

iii. If library item is still outstanding after one month, it may be deemed to be lost and, therefore, the user will be expected to replace it

4.11 Management of Virtual Library

1. The Virtual Library will be open from 9:00 am to 9:45 pm on weekdays only
2. The Virtual Library will always be manned when open and an inventory of ICT services and equipment offered will be maintained

• Users with personal computers or computer devices will be required to seek authentication for the use of both the wired and the wireless network services

1. Users authenticated to use the library network facilities will not be allowed to transfer any ICT privileges, services and resources bestowed upon them to any other person
2. All users will be required to book for the use of computers in the Virtual Library
3. No advance booking of more than 8 hours will be allowed

• Undergraduates will be allowed to use one computer workstation for a maximum of one hour per day
• Postgraduates will be allowed to use one computer workstation for a maximum of two hours per day

1. University Staff will be allowed to use one computer workstation for a maximum of two hours per day
2. Inter-Library Loans

Materials borrowed from other libraries are subject to the conditions set by the lending library and by these regulations.

19. Breach of library regulations

Users found in breach of Library Regulations outside the provisions made in this policy, the university policies and laws of the country governing the conduct and discipline of the respective people shall apply

20. Rules on use of digital Library Electronic Resources

In addition to the provisions of this policy, more specific rules and regulations governing the use of Library Electronic Resources are spelt out in the:

1. Library ICT policy and Virtual Library Guidelines
2. institutional repositories policy

iii. University anti-plagiarism policy

21. Clearance
22. All users are required to clear with the library and must pay lost books and overdue fines before they leave
23. On completion of the course for students, or termination of service of staff, all library items in their custody including library cards must be returned on clearance.

21.1 Staff

1. All staff shall be required to obtain a Library Clearance Certificate before they leave the university.
2. Staff who fail to comply will have cost of replacement of books plus administration cost recovered

21.2 Students

1. Students shall be required to obtain a Library Clearance Certificate before the award of their final degree, diploma and certificate.
2. Post-Graduate students will pay for thesis/dissertations before binding is done.

iii. Students who fail to comply shall have their examination results and certificates withheld