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Special Collection: Special Collection Policy and Procedures

Special Collection Policy and Procedures

Panitza Library Special Collection policy includes all existing organizational Library policies for security, storage, cleaning, maintenance, processing, monitoring, and control of the environment, protection, emergency planning, and restoration, as well as emphasizes on regulations for rare books use.

The procedures aim to ensure the necessary balance between public access, the Collection security, the service capacity, and the library mission. There may also be cases where access to fragile materials is only possible under exceptional circumstances. The procedures will be reviewed regularly to ensure that they are effective, meet the patrons’ needs and guarantee the items safety.

Special Collection Purposes

  • To provide students, faculty, and staff with information.
  • To support students' educational needs with exceptional potential in a community, whose values ​​are academic excellence, national and ethnic diversity, and mutual respect, and to prepare them for democratic and ethical leadership to serve the region and the world.
  • To support the University mission by facilitating the storage and dissemination of knowledge through the effective provision of information resources and services in a supportive, research environment.
  • To outline the parameters of the Special Collection services, thus ensuring consistency and clarity.
  • To indicate the professional, ethical and behavioral standards when using the Special Collection resources.

 

Special Collection Procedures

 

  1. The collection is restricted and is used only onsite with the help of a librarian during the library working hours.
  2. Requests for interlibrary loans are not allowed.
  3. Monographs are prohibited from borrowing due to the unstable condition of some of the books, and because of their rarity and value. A designated place is provided (room 012), which can be used as a reading space as well.
  4. The live chat service offers users a way to quickly and easily ask for information.
  5. If an AUBG patron wishes to use library materials, they need to contact a librarian. Non-university users must contact a librarian by calling 073 888 341 or emailing "mailto:libmail@aubg.edu"
  6. Group visits can also be arranged upon request.
  7. Searching. All Special Collection resources are fully described in the library catalog, classified as Special Collection location (check the filters located on the left side). A link to a digital version of the monograph is attached to some of the bibliographic records of rare books.
  8. Patrons are required to provide an AUBG ID card, as for the external ones – they must fill out an outside visitors form at the Circulation desk.
  9. Rare books that are not available in digital format can be photographed using portable devices, as long as the books are carefully unfolded and not squeezed or torn to open further for a better shot. Reproduction of images can be done only for scientific and educational purposes.
  10. Smartphones or digital cameras can be used to capture images.
  11. The use of a mobile phone is allowed only in quiet mode.

Policy Principles

The conditions and the order of storage activities, use and document disposal of Library materials, representing cultural values are controlled and organized according to Regulation # 3, dated from 18 November 2014 and the Cultural Heritage Act. [1]

All the recommendations of the standard BDS_ISO_11799: 2016 regarding the requirements for preservation of documents and library materials suitable for maintaining the library materials integrity, defined as a Special Collection, including their historical, textual, pictorial and physical content, have been fulfilled. This policy sets out what procedures the Library will follow to achieve its obligation to better preserve the Special Collection books, while maintaining and promoting access to these collections. This policy refers to specific standards and procedures suitable only for non-digital formats.

Bibliography

[1] The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent, non-governmental international organization, which brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges. In the updated version of the standard BDS ISO 11799 from 2016, depending on the climatic and economic conditions in a country, the creation and maintenance of ideal conditions for long-term storage of archival and Library materials may be a challenging process. This International Standard presents facts and general rules that must be executed when constructing a new building intended for storage of Library materials, transforming it, or when the building is undergoing major repairs in order to achieve energy efficiency and sustainable development.