Personal Conduct

Library clients are expected to treat Library staff and other Library clients with courtesy and respect. Additionally they should refrain from disruptive behaviour which includes, but is not limited to the following:

1. Assault or intimidation of Library staff or patrons through language or actions.
2. Any behaviour that creates excessive noise or commotion.
3. Failing to comply with a reasonable staff request or failure to leave the Library during emergencies and at closing time.
4. Entering areas of the library marked “Staff only”.
5. Engaging in sexual harassment and/or overt sexual behaviour.
6. Smoking and consumption of foodstuffs in any part of the Library is forbidden.
7. Drinking of water is restricted to water fountain areas of the Library.
8. Being under the influence of alcohol/illegal drugs, and selling, using or possessing alcohol/illegal drugs.
9. Refrain from taking materials out of the library without first checking them out.
10. Clients should observe silence in all parts of the Library at all times. Library users who bring in any electronic devices should remember that these should not disturb other users.  Cell phones and pagers should be turned off or set to silent.  Head phones should be used with any DVD/CD players, Ipods, laptops or any other device that produce noise.  The noise from the headphones should not be audible to others. Talking on the cellphone is prohibited.
11. No bags, cases, folders or parcels shall be brought into the Library. Clients shall utilise the baggage storage facility at the entrance to the Library, at owners’ risk.
12. Animals are not allowed in the Library.
13. Client should avoid disciplinary action and loss of Library privileges by observing Library Regulations.
14. It is the responsibility of every client to acquaint themselves with the full text of Library Regulations and due penalties. Clients should REMEMBER: Ignorance of the Regulations on their part does not absolve them from the consequences of their infringement.
15. Anyone engaging in disruptive behaviour may be denied further access to the Libraries.

Computer Use

1. Library computers shall be used for searching the OPAC (Catalogue), Online Databases, Institutional Repository, other Library Databases and the Internet for academic purposes.
2. Clients should refrain from installing unauthorized software and/or changing setups on Library computer equipment.
3. The Library shall not provide typing (word processing) and email services, and it’s illegal to use the Library computers for those purposes.
4. Misuse of Library Computers shall attract a Fine / Suspension from using the Library.
5. Library shall provide printing facilities at Enquiries Desk at a cost, for academic work searched from Library Computer workstations.
6. Additionally the Library shall from time to time provide computer usage time control mechanisms to ensure that there is equitable use by all clients.
7. Use of personal laptops in the Library is restricted to academic purposes only.
8. Clients are accountable for any damage to Library network and power points and the Library shall assess the maintenance cost to be levied to the client.

Categories of Borrowers and Borrowing Privileges

Library clients shall be allowed to borrow Library resources as outlined below:

Students Loans

1. A valid Great Zimbabwe University Identity Card must be presented to the Security Officer at the Entrance and to Library staff at the Circulation Counter when borrowing or returning items. Identity Cards shall be for the exclusive use of the owner only and may not be swapped among friends. No ID – No Service!
2. Each Undergraduate student may borrow 3 Ordinary Loan items, 1 Reserve item.
3. Graduate students may borrow up to 5 Ordinary items, 1 Reserve item.
4. The loan for each Ordinary issue shall be 7 days for Undergraduate students and 14 days for Graduate students.
5. Loans for Undergraduate and Graduate students shall not be renewed.
6. Ordinary books already on loan to a student may be recalled before its original due date or reserved by other clients. Recalled items must be returned to the Library immediately.
7. Borrowers must observe the hours of issue / return of Reserve items.
8. Reserve items in greater demand shall be restricted to 1 hour loan.

Staff Loans

1. Staff shall be entitled to borrow a total of not more than 6 items.
2. Academic staff shall borrow Reserve items for 1 day.
3. The loan for each Ordinary issue shall be 14 days for all staff. Loans for Academic staff may be renewed only once unless it’s off semester and the resources are not in demand by other clients.
4. All borrowed resources shall be returned by the end of the loan period.
5. Loan items no longer required shall be returned to the Library immediately notwithstanding the loan period.
6. All items may be subject to Recall by the Librarian before its original due date.
7. Staff who fail to return borrowed items at the end of the initial loan and / or renewal period shall be debited for the full replacement value of the unreturned item plus an Admin fee.
8. Part-Time / Contract staff shall only be allowed to borrow provided:
   • A signed employment contract is provided.
   • A letter from the Dean of Faculty / Head of Department concerned authorizing the staff to borrow and the Faculty assuming the role of surety.
9. Academic staff may place a Hold request at the Circulation Desk only for Library resources that are currently checked out by another client. Two holds of different titles are permitted per Academic staff at any one given time. In addition to them checking at the Circulation Desk, the client would be notified by email for pick-up when the item is returned. Failure to pick up the item with 24hours of notice will have the item returned in circulation.

Library Levies and Fines

Library levies include overdue, administrative and manual fines. Overdue fines are NOT a mechanism to “rent” a book. Purposefully keeping a book for a long time overdue and then simply paying up the fine does NOT relieve clients of their Library obligations. Clients who habitually keep books overdue may be subject to loss of access and use of Library resources, disciplinary action by the university. The following shall prevail for Library levies and fines:

1. Failure to return any material after due date or time shall attract a fine in respect of each day or part of a day by which the resources are overdue.
2. Fines for overdue ordinary items are charged daily including weekends and public holidays.
3. Fines for overdue Reserve loans shall be charged per hour. Part of an hour shall be regarded as a full hour.
4. A fine shall be levied for all recalls not returned by the second day.
5. A fine shall in no case exceed the total cost of replacing the material in respect of which the fine is incurred.
6. Payments for Library fines must be done and a receipt must be issued.
7. A student who at the end of a Semester fails to clear all Library dues, shall have this dues sent to his/her fees account. The student shall not be registered with the Library or graduate until all dues are cleared.
8. Fines shall be levied for breach of expected Library personal conduct.
9. Staff defaulters shall be subject to deduction of the dues from his/her salary or benefits.
10. Library material(s) shall NOT be issued to persons who have not paid fines as required, or to persons who hold overdue Library items.
11. All fines referred to the Bursar’s Office attract an administration fee which shall be determined from time to time.
12. Fines for various categories of resources shall accrue at a rate determined by the University Librarian, who shall gazettes Library levies in conjunction with Library Committee / Chairperson.

Library Notices

Overdue notices are sent as a courtesy reminder. The Library has no obligation to send an overdue notice. Clients are responsible for ensuring that resources do not become overdue on their Library account.

Damage to, Theft and Loss of Library Resources

1. Clients are fully responsible for all Library resources loaned out to them and shall be held responsible for any loss or damage occurring to these Library resources.
2. Upon return, every Library item lent shall be inspected and any damage / loss shall be made good by the borrower in terms of the Regulations.
3. Clients should refrain from defacing, marking materials with pencil, ink, post it notes, tape, paper clips, bending corners of pages and placing books open facedown.
4. Clients should refrain from ripping or cutting pages out of materials.
5. In the event that an item is lost, the Library will charge the cost of the item plus a processing fee per item. If a lost item is found and returned, the Library shall assess case by case. However the processing fee is not refunded.
6. A student found guilty of theft, attempted theft or mutilation of Library property shall be subject to the disciplinary procedures laid down in the Rules of Student Discipline. All students shall be required to acquaint themselves with the penalties likely to be imposed for infringement of Library Regulations.
7. A member of staff found guilty of any of these offences shall be subject to disciplinary provisions laid down in the relevant Terms and Conditions of Service.
8. Library defaulters shall be subject to suspension of their Library privileges.
9. Any person who repeatedly breaches or constantly disregards any part of the Library Regulations shall be excluded from all use of the Library and shall be subject to any other penalty imposed by the University in terms of the appropriate disciplinary rules.
10. Any borrower relinquishing use of the Library must return all outstanding resources and clear all outstanding fines in order to obtain Library Clearance.