Library Rules
Handy Library of Historical, Archival and Art Literature

Section 1
General provisions. Library function and legal conditions

1.1 The Handy Library of Historical, Archival and Art Literature (thereinafter just “library”) is a specialized library in the context of provision 3 (paragraph d) of the Act No. 257/2001 Coll. Operation of the library is provided by the Department of Files and Archive Services within the frame of the Office of the President of the Republic.

1.2 The function of the library is to collect, file, process, preserve, and make available literary documents of the collection nature, documents illustrating cultural and other activities, documents required for the research of the Office of the Prague Castle employees and documents demanded by the scholarly public. Its activities support the preservation of cultural heritage, development of science and culture and education of citizens.

1.3 Library operation is regulated by these provisions:

a) Act No. 257/2001 Coll. of 29 June 2001 on Libraries and Terms of Operating Public Library and Information Services (Library Act)
b) Act No. 114/1993 Coll. of 24 March 1993 on the Office of the President of the Republic
c) Act No. 121/2000 Coll. of 7 April 2000 on Copyright and Rights Related to Copyright and on Amendment to Certain Acts (Copyright Act)
d) Act No. 101/2000 Coll. of 4 April 2000 on the Protection of Personal Data and on Amendment to Certain Acts
e) Act No. 97/1974 Coll. of 17 October 1974 on Keeping Archives as amended by Act No. 343/1992 Coll. of 30 June 1992
f) Regulation of the Ministry of Culture No. 88/2002 Coll. of 21 February 2002 to Implement Act No. 257/2001 Coll. on Libraries and Terms of Operation of Public Library and Information Services (Library Act)
g) Rules of Internal Governance of the Office of the President of the Republic of 29 January 2004.

Section 2
Library fonds

2.1 The library has two substructures, one historical and one specialized fond. The historical fond consists of collection documents, in specialized fond are stored documents related to the research of historical working compartments of the Office of the Prague Castle and Prague Castle Administration. It is supplemented according to the thematic plan and current needs.

2.2 Library fonds can be studied only in-house in the research room.

2.3 It is possible to create an educational handy library of the specialized fond for each specialist of the Department of the Files and Archives Services of the Office of the President Republic by long-term loans. The supervisor of an appropriate department or division is responsible for the libraries conditions.

2.4 Researchers shall be obliged to handle library fonds with care and do not cause any damage to them.

Section 3
Rights and responsibilities of researchers

3.1 A researcher must be 18 years old or older and shall register first to get a library card. The library card has limited validity, whereas the term can be extended. After its expiration date a researcher cannot use library services anymore. The library card is nontransferable and a researcher is responsible for its eventual abusing. In case of lost library card a researcher shall give notice to library staff without delay. Processing of personal data is performed in accordance with law.

3.2 A researcher shall follow the library rules and instructions of the library supervisors. He/she shall comply with given control measures of the library.

3.3 Before entering the research room a researcher shall take of his/her coat and store away briefcases, bigger bags, backpacks, luggage, umbrellas etc. When leaving, a researcher shall submit his/her belongings, or pockets to be searched.

3.4 A researcher can use only assigned premises of the library. Other areas are not for public access. In the library premises it is necessary to keep quiet and keep the area clean. Smoking, eating and drinking is prohibited. Furthermore, it is not allowed to speak aloud, make noise, or use cell phones.

3.5 Persons under the influence of alcohol or other psychotropic substances, unclean persons, armed persons (except for security guard), small children, dogs and other animals shall not be granted access to the library premises. Explosives, easily inflammable substances and other similar substances are also not allowed.

3.6 A researcher is entitled to only one single seat in the research room. If there are no vacancies, a researcher shall wait for released seats outside the library premises.

3.7 A researcher is not allowed to extract cards from the catalogue and write on them.

3.8 When a reader – researcher do not follow the regulations of this library rule, he /she can be deprived the right to use the library services, temporarily or permanent.

Section 4
Loans and other services

4.1 There are allowed only in house loans of the library fond and other documents that can be studied in the research room. Volumes of the historical fond and preservative volumes of the specialized fond are not part of the general loan system and can be borrowed only under specially defined conditions.

4.2 Outside loans are allowed only to employees of the Office of the President of the Republic who can borrow books and other material to their workplaces. But they shall be obliged not to take anything outside the Prague Castle premises and they are expected to return it on library staff member´s request to enable studying to other applicants. Employees are also not allowed to lend these loans to other persons. They guarantee for them whole time of the loan duration.

4.3 On request the library can arrange lending of documents that are not held in the library fonds through the Interlibrary Loan Services (ILL). The library uses ILL to lend documents to researchers of other libraries as well; this service is not available for historical fond volumes and preservative volumes of the specialized fond.

4.4 In the scope of informational and bibliographic services the library primarily:
• build and make available informational catalogs and card indexes, particularly on the basis of an electronic catalog;
• offers to the public oral and written information – factual, bibliographic, referential and librarian;
• processes literature searches on request;
• provides copy services. Copies are intended only for needments of the client who shall treat them in accordance with provisions of the Copyright Act. Library employees are allowed to designate, which documents cannot be copied, for example due to further damage, or in which cases making copies is contrary to law etc.

Section 5
Fees and refunds

5.1 Price of the literature search with regular creation term (a week) comprises of regular fee and charge for each searched title. A client will pay also for the searched document where no requested information is found. For the express service the price is double. Fees shall be governed by the Tariff of Services provided by the Office of the President of The Republic of 1 November 2003 (thereinafter just “Tariff of Services”) that is on view in the Archive of the Prague Castle and on its websites.

5.2 Fees for copies are also regulated by the Tariff of Services.

5.3 Refund for damaged or lost books and other documents can be made in this ways:
• by restoring to its original state
• by supplying an intact print of the piece of the same edition and binding
• if it is not possible, by supplying a bound copy (eventually by paying for the copy and binding)
• if refund is not possible according to the subparagraphs above, the library can agree with the client on supplying another edition of the piece, eventually supplying some different piece for the same price or the library can ask for financial compensation according to the market price in time of the lost.

5.4 If a researcher cause some damage by unskilled handling with technical devices (computers, nets etc.), he shall pay all costs that will be used for the repair.

5.5 The library is entitled to suspend the rendition of services to the researcher until solving method of refund and paying all debts.

Section 6
Final provisions

6.1 These Library Rules come into effect on 18 October 2004.

6.2 These Library Rules cancel and replace the Library Rules that were issued as the Supplement C of the Research Rules of the Archive of the Prague Castle of 1 March 1999.

Prague, 18 October 2004

PhDr. Ing. Jiří Weigl, CSc.
Chancellor of the Office of the President of the Republic