Library Policy

RULES OF THE ATREE LIBRARY

General Rules:

  • Deming, the quality Guru, once rightly said,
  • Learning enhances our capacity to create results.
  • There is no other instrument as powerful as knowledge to enable ATREE's mission.
  • Hence ATREE promotes continuous learning and capability building through its resource-rich library.

    Library hours

    The Library will be open between 9.30 am and 5.30 pm on all days of the week except on Saturdays, Sundays, and on holidays observed by ATREE

    Membership

  • The library is primarily intended for use by faculty and students of ATREE.
  • Other individuals and institutions
  • Entry to outside academic/research visitors and walk-in users will be permitted entry only on the production of valid documents reflecting affiliation to any academic institution. Entry to visitors from corporate houses and profit-making institutions is restricted. Access may be provided by the librarian on receipt of a formal request in writing.

    Access to resources

    The categories of staff, students, and their access to resources are as under:

  • Category
  • Faculty
  • Academic Members (PDF, RA’s, SRF’s, JRF)
  • Ph. D Students
  • Institute staff, other than Academic Members
  • Inter Library Loan facility
  • Visitors (1 week +), Associates, and Summer Students may borrow books through the faculty to whom they are allotted.
  • The utilization of the library facilities is exclusively for ATREE staff and hence privileges are not transferable. Others who need access to library resources may contact the librarian who would advise appropriate action.
  • Electronic sources such as CD-ROM, Floppies, and AV Materials-- available with the Librarian can also be issued. However, textbooks, encyclopedias, dictionaries, floras, manuals, handbooks, and current journals will not be issued. Old volumes of journals will be issued only to the academic staff for a week.

    Issuance of resources:

    Material can be taken out from the library only after a formal issuance through the system. The software also provides information, on the issuance and return of desired books and enables reservations. The librarian will record the issue/return of the reading materials. Members will be responsible for the books and other materials issued in their names.
    a)Periodicals: Current issues of the journals are not issued. Old issues (older than 2 months) of popular magazines will be issued for a single night. Such magazines will be issued against submission of borrower’s ID cards and will be issued after 4 PM and have to be returned before 10 AM the following day. Bound volumes of periodicals are issued only for a period of one week.
    b)Text/reference books: In the normal course, books will be issued for a period of 30 days only. Textbooks, for particular courses, recommended by faculty, and reference books (encyclopedias, dictionaries, floras, manuals, handbooks, etc), are available only for perusal within the library.
    c)Maps: As most maps are either rare or fragile and hence have to be perused only within the library. They are to be handled with utmost care to avoid damage. Towards this end, it is to be ensured that no pins are to be put on the maps while studying them. Similarly, maps issued rolled in a tube, are not to be folded. Under no circumstances, maps can be taken to the field. However, for the purposes of photocopying/scanning, the maps could be borrowed for a day by depositing the identity card.

    Reservation:

    Books, on loan, or on display at the new arrivals shelf, can be reserved by filling out the reservation form provided in the software. Reservations will be made on a first-come first serve basis. Books so reserved would be kept for collection by the individual for two days. If the book remains uncollected, the reservation would automatically lapse. Thereafter the book would be offered to the next individual in que.

    Renewals:

    Requests for renewal of books and other materials would be entertained only if there are no pending reservations. The renewal could be done through E-mail/ SMS on two occasions. The borrower is expected to physically present the book for the third renewal and thereafter.

    Care of library material:

    Library resources such as books, journals, electronic materials, etc. are often rare and expensive as well. The resources are for the benefit of not only the current but also the future members of the library. Therefore, the necessary safeguard of available resources is done with utmost care. Damage by way of folding, leaving marks, defacing by scribbling, underlining, etc, and tracing, and copying of copyright material are strictly prohibited. The user shall be responsible for the consequences of violations.
    In view of the above, it is expected that the borrower, before collection gets satisfied that the material lent is in good condition. Damages if any should be brought to the notice of the librarian. Failure to do so would make the member liable to replace the material or pay damages/fine/compensation as may be decided by the library committee.

    Penalties for delay/damages

    It is expected that items borrowed from the library are returned promptly. No reminder or notification would be sent to the borrowers about due dates. Penalties would be levied if materials are not returned on the due date. Penalties delayed submissions are as under:

    i) Day 1-15: @Re1 per day
    ii) Day 16-30: Rs15+@Rs2 per day
    iii) Day 31 onwards: Rs45+@Rs5 per day

    If no cover price is available, the library committee will decide the cost of the book. If the borrower notifies of the loss of the book within the due date, only the cost of the book will be charged. However, if the borrower notifies of the loss of the book after the due date, the individual would have to pay, in addition to the replacement cost of the book, charges for delayed submission as well, as may be decided by the library committee. In case a book belonging to a set is lost, the borrower will replace the same. If the specific book is not available exclusively, then the entire set will have to be replaced by the borrower. If lost materials are found and returned in good condition within six months, a refund of charges paid against such a loss will be made. Fines may be laid on any member who: i) removes or attempts to remove any library materials from the premises of a library facility without entering in the register; or ii) mutilates, destroys, alters or otherwise damages, in whole or in part, any library material; or iii) defaces by scribbling, writing, underlining items in books iv) fails to return material borrowed which have been lent to said person by the library facility, within two/seven working days after demand has been made for the return of the materials. The quantum of fines will be decided by the Library Committee Penalties/Fines/Costs collected by the accounts will be made available as library budget Borrowing privileges may be suspended for two years for persons who do not comply with the library policies and who are repeat offenders.

    Project books

    Books being bought from the project grants have to be routed through the librarian, who in turn would catalogue them. Issuance of such books would thereafter be done on a long term basis to the faculty. The books can be borrowed by the PI (Fellow) for a period of one year and can be renewed each year. Books bought from student grants (IFS, DST fast track etc) will not come under this purview.

    Dissertations

    All the doctoral students have to deposit one copy each hard & soft (in CD) of their Ph. D thesis to the library. These will be not displayed in the racks for a period of two years.

    ATREE publications

    ATREE archives its publication of research articles, book reviews, book chapters, technical notes, reports, theses and dissertations for future reference. To enhance the collection of this Institutional Repository (IR), ATREE affiliates are encouraged to send copies of their publication to the librarian. It is desired that the faculty members deposit two or more copies of books published as well as a copy (hard bound and not spiral bound) of each project report to the library. The display of such reports on the racks will be done as per the instruction of the faculty. All ATREE publications will be available in the library.

    Donations to the library

    The library accepts donation of manuscripts, books, periodicals, special publications, audiovisual materials, electronic materials etc, from individuals and institutions. Offer of such donations should be made to the librarian. After due consideration, the decision to accept or otherwise would be communicated, by the librarian directly to the donor. Items gifted must meet the criteria of the library’s selection policy. Donated books and equipment become library property and are subject to this policy. The items will have the ATREE logo as well as the logo/name of the institution/individual who has gifted. Books once gifted are not returnable. ATREE library offers space for individuals and organizations who would like to loan their collections to ATREE for a limited period of time. The general ATREE library policies will apply for such collections and the loaning party will be required to enter into an MoU with ATREE.

    Internet policy

    A valid membership is essential for usage/access of the system in the library. Anyone accessing the computer/system available in the library would be bound by the norms/guidelines of usage as under:
    i) System usage is limited to 60 minutes per day per individual. However, the user may continue to use the system if there are no other users.
    ii) rovision of passwords for online access to journals is strictly restricted to the academic staff. The librarian may provide access to the relevant sites on receipt of specific requests.
    iii) It is not possible for the library staff to control specific information that may be located on the Internet.
    iv) Very limited support would be extended by the ATREE Library staff for the usage of the Internet.
    v) The library assumes no responsibility for the saved materials on the desktop or any other folders in the library systems. Users are advised not to save any information in the ATREE systems.
    vi) Copying or distribution of electronic materials without the explicit permission of the copyright holder, is prohibited. Responsibility for the consequences of copyright infringement would lie entirely with the user. The library/ATREE disclaims any liability or responsibility resulting from such misuse.
    vii) Similarly use of systems of the library for chat, accessing emails and unauthorized sites, material considered offensive to other users or to the library staff and unauthorized sites and making changes to setup or configuration or the software or hardware of the system are strictly prohibited.

    The management may take actions as appropriate against such misuse/abuse of this computer or internet access will, including suspension of Internet access privileges

    Personal Conduct in the library

    (i) Personal belongings Carrying bags/personal belongings inside the library is strictly forbidden. Members are required to deposit the same, at their own risk, at the property counter. The library is not responsible for any loss or damage to the same.
    ii) Smoking, bringing of pets/animals, carrying of eatables/refreshment, weapons of any kind are not permitted within the library premises.
    iii) Silence must be observed in the library at all times
    iv) Materials taken for reference should after use be kept on the reading table and not on shelves. Electronic elements if any should be handed over to the library staff at the counter.Suggestions for purchasing books and other materials and improving the library services may be forwarded to the librarian.Backpacks or large bags may be searched for security reasons if the library staff feels it necessary.

    Clearance certificate

    All those who leave the institute must surrender all the materials that they borrowed to the library, and obtain a ' Clearance" certificate from the librarian, in order to ensure that they owe no dues to the library. All the students are required to surrender all the books that have borrowed or taken on loan before the final submission of their thesis. Record of process Drafted Jan 12, 2010 Approved March 2010