NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE: SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION
INDEX TO SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION
National Library Service Regulations
NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE REGULATIONS
(under section 11)
(11th April, 1968)
ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS
REGULATION
1. Citation and application
2. Interpretation
3. Registration of readers
4. Registration of persons at educational institutions
5. Registration of persons under 21 years
6. Temporary readers
7. Registration to be binding contractually
8. Issue of reading tickets
9. Tickets non-transferable
10. Borrowing of books
11. Postal readers
12. Offences in connection with books, etc.
13. Powers of librarian
14. Removal from register of readers
15. Suspension of readers
16. Imposition of fine where books lost, damaged or destroyed
17. Penalties
S.I. 29, 1968.
These Regulations may be cited as the National Library Service Regulations and shall apply in relation to libraries.
In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—
“library” includes any library at which library facilities have been established under section 3 of the Act, and the several rooms, passages, staircases, entrances and exits forming part thereof and adjacent thereto;
“the librarian” means the Director or his duly authorised representative;
“registered reader” means a person who has completed an application form as provided for in these Regulations and who has been accepted as a member of the library;
“ticket” means ticket issued under regulation 8(1).
Any person ordinarily resident in Botswana may be registered as a reader of the Botswana National Library Service upon making written application in such form as the librarian may determine.
4. Registration of persons at educational institutions
Any person making written application to become a registered reader who is in full-time attendance at any educational institution in Botswana shall submit with his application a recommendation in writing, in such form as the librarian may determine, from the principal of such institution or his duly authorised representative.
5. Registration of persons under 21 years
Any person making written application to become a registered reader who is under 21 years of age and not in full-time attendance at an educational institution in Botswana shall submit with his application a recommendation in writing, in such form as the librarian may determine from a parent, guardian or employer.
Any person visiting Botswana may register as a temporary reader of the Botswana National Library Service upon making written application in such form as the librarian may determine and upon obtaining a recommendation from a registered reader.
7. Registration to be binding contractually
Upon signing an application for registration as a reader of the form provided by the librarian for the registration of readers, a person shall be deemed to have consented to be bound by these Regulations.
(1) Every registered reader shall be issued with one or more tickets, as the librarian may determine, each of which may be used to borrow one book of any kind at a time:
Provided that the librarian may designate categories of books as being not available for loan.
(2) Books may be borrowed on tickets from any library but must be returned to the library from which they were borrowed.
Tickets shall only be used by the person to whom they have been issued and shall not be transferable.
(1) The normal period for which books may be borrowed shall be 14 days, but the librarian may reduce this period in respect of books which are in heavy demand.
(2) Books shall be returned within the period specified in subregulation (1) unless the librarian, in his discretion, permits the period of borrowing to be extended for a further period.
(3) Requests for an extension under subregulation (2) may be made verbally, by post or by telephone, and should be made on or before the last day of the initial loan period.
(4) The period for which a book is borrowed may not be extended more than once under subregulation (2):
Provided that nothing in this subregulation shall prevent the re-issue to a person of a book which he has returned to the library.
(5) The librarian may refuse the loan of a book to any person who has borrowed a book and who has failed to return it timeously.
(1) Any person who is ordinarily resident in Botswana and who—
(a) is not in full-time attendance at an educational institution; and who
(b) resides and works more than eight kilometres from any library,
may be registered at the National Library Service Headquarters in Gaborone as a postal reader upon making written application in the prescribed form.
(2) Postal readers shall not also be registered as ordinary readers nor shall they register as postal readers at libraries other than the Headquarters.
(3) Postal readers shall be subject to all the provisions of these Regulations except that—
(a) the normal period for which books may be borrowed by post shall be 28 days;
(b) books shall be returned to the library in the wrappings or packets in which they were delivered, using the official addressed label enclosed.
12. Offences in connection with books, etc.
(1) No person shall, without the permission of the librarian—
(a) take any book from a library;
(b) make a tracing of any portion of a book;
(c) soil, tear, cut, deface, damage, injure or destroy a book.
(2) Any person who contravenes the provisions of subregulation (1) or who gives a false name or address for the purpose of entering a library or obtaining any privilege therefrom shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to the penalties prescribed in regulation 17.
(1) The librarian may exclude or remove from, or otherwise deny the use of the library to—
(a) any person who is not member of the library;
(b) any person who, in his person, dress, manner or behaviour appears likely to or does disturb, interrupt or annoy any other person in the proper use of the library;
(c) any person during the hours when the library is closed to the public.
(2) The librarian may require that any animal, wheeled vehicle or other object likely to disturb, interrupt or annoy any person in the proper use of the library, shall be left outside the library, or deposited with an officer or servant thereof, at the owner’s risk.
(3) The librarian may require that any case, basket or similar article brought into the library by any person shall be deposited with an officer or servant of the library, or that any such case, basket or similar article shall, if so required, be opened for inspection by an officer or servant upon the owner leaving the library.
(4) Any person who fails to comply with any instruction of the librarian given in the exercise of his powers under this regulation shall be guilty of an offence and liable to the penalties prescribed in regulation 17.
14. Removal from register of readers
(1) The librarian may remove from the register of readers the name of any person—
(a) who ceases to be ordinarily resident in Botswana;
(b) who has failed to borrow any book for a period in excess of one year;
(c) who dies;
(d) at the request of that person; or
(e) who has been convicted of an offence under these Regulations,
and a person whose name is so removed shall thereupon cease to be a registered reader for the purposes of these Regulations.
(2) The librarian may refuse to register as a reader any person whose name has been removed from the register of readers under subregulation (1)(e).
The librarian may direct that no book shall be lent to any registered reader, for such period as he may determine, being a period not in excess of one year, who—
(a) fails to notify the librarian as soon as is reasonably practicable that he has—
(i) ceased to use the library;
(ii) changed his address;
(iii) lost a ticket;
(iv) changed his name;
(v) attained the age of 21; or
(vi) ceased full-time attendance at an educational institution; or
(b) has, in the opinion of the librarian, contravened or failed to comply with the provisions of these Regulations or has failed to pay any fine imposed under the provisions of regulation 16.
16. Imposition of fine where books lost, damaged or destroyed
(1) Where it appears to the librarian that any book which has been borrowed by a registered reader has been lost, damaged, or destroyed while in the custody of such reader, he may give notice to such reader either verbally or in writing calling upon the reader to show cause why a fine should not be imposed upon him under the provisions of this regulation.
(2) Written notice given under the provisions of subregulation (1) shall state the period, which shall not be less than two weeks, within which the reader shall be entitled to make an explanation as aforesaid.
(3) The librarian may, thereafter, after considering any representations which may have been made by the reader as aforesaid, impose a fine on that reader in an amount which shall not exceed the value of the book plus 25 per cent of such value.
(4) A fine imposed under this regulation shall be recoverable in such manner as may be prescribed under section 11 of the Act.
Any person who is guilty of an offence under the provisions of regulations 12(2) or 13(4) shall be liable to a fine not exceeding P50 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or to both.