Rules for Visitors of Manuscripts and Early Printed Books Department
Art. 1
The Manuscripts and Early Printed Books Department is a special department that manages the historical collection of the National Library of the Czech Republic based in Prague. The regime of the Department is governed by special regulation.
Art. 2
The Reading Room of the Manuscripts and Early Printed Books Department is intended exclusively for consulting items from the historical collection managed by the Department and for working with the reference library.
Access to the Reading Room is permitted to all users holding a valid Card of the National Library of the Czech Republic.
All documents managed by the Department including the reference library can be consulted in-house only, and that is in the Department's Reading Room.
Art. 3
The order form is available in the Reading Room (all three parts are to be filled out); orders can also be placed on-line (for the link to the on-line order form see the Department's web pages); orders by e-mails or by phone are excluded. Documents in bad physical condition cannot be lent. In principle, substitute carriers, i. e. Manuscriptorium, optical discs, microfilms, microfiches, photocopies and facsimiles, have priority in lending transactions.
Art. 4
Documents cannot be ordered while one waits. They are being delivered in hours of expedition (9:00 am, 2:00 pm) or prepared for the agreed date and time. It is possible to place orders for up to 5 volumes. After these volumes have been returned, other volumes can be ordered. Only one volume/item can be studied in the Reading Room. The lending period is 14 days from the day of delivery (unless the user prearranged another period). Exceptions from the rule are to be approved by the Head of the Department.
Documents from the Central Depository Hostivař can be delivered once a week, on Fridays.
Art. 5
In the Reading Room 6 seats are reserved for the study of items from the historical collection (desks No 1 and 2 for manuscripts and desks No 3, 4, 5, 6 for early printed books). Users working with the historical collection are obligated to work on these places. The staff member designated to supervise the Reading Room can allocate them a place for study taking into account the Reading Room's occupancy and character of the lent documents. It is not part of the tasks of the supervising staff to render assistance with the reading and translating of texts.
Art. 6
Manuscripts (marked by a concordance CIM Call Nr.) can be lent solely for one day and studied for a limited period only. Their reservation is not possible. Exceptions from this rule are to be permitted by the head of the department.
Art. 7
Each user is obligated to deliver their valid reader's card to the supervising staff member at the entrance to the Reading Room.
Art. 8
The user working with documents borrowed from safe-deposits, has to hand over the documents to the staff member-in-charge in the Reading Room, whenever he/she leaves the Reading Room.
Art. 9
The user is obligated to:
- at the study, use normal pencils of medium hardness (2H, HB) only;
- use foam supporters for original items during their study;
- use only bookmarks from non-acid paper available at the attendance for marking or following texts;
- keep quiet and in no way disturb other users;
- observe instructions of the attendance.
Art. 10
It is strictly prohibited to interfere in whatever way with the borrowed documents as e.g. tick off, inscribe notes, complement numbers of folia, make copies or use the documents as desk pad etc. Users are obligated to return the lent documents in the condition that they borrowed them. If this is not the case, he/she will be held responsible for all damage and will be obligated to cover the National Library' s costs for repair of the documents, or to pay compensation as in case of the lost.
Art. 11
In the Reading Room consumption of food and drinks and use of mobile phones are not allowed. Prior to entering the Reading Room, users are required to store their outer clothing, bags, briefcases etc. in the cloak-room.
Art. 12
If the user commits a breach of any obligation resulting from these Rules for Visitors, he/she may be taken off the borrowed collection items.
Art. 13
Possible exceptions from the Rules for Visitors are to be consented by the Head of the Department.
Art. 14
In general matters users act up to the Rules and Regulations of the National Library of the Czech Republic. Under the provision of their Part 11, paragraph 3, the present Rules for Visitors are an integral part of them.
Art. 15
The Rules for Visitors are effect as of the day of issue.
Given on the 1st of June 2007
PhDr. Miroslava Hejnová
Directrice of the Department of Historical and Music Collections
