Terms and conditions

The National Library is open to all and, in registering to use the Library, you agree to accept our terms and conditions. These are essential to help preserve this national resource for future generations. We will manage any breaches of Library terms and conditions using our guidelines.

Last updated: 1 November 2018.

You agree:

• To provide the National Library of Scotland with the information needed to create and maintain your registration
• To tell us if you change your name and / or address
• To take every care of your login details and password, for security reasons, by:
  • Keeping your login details confidential at all times and not allowing anyone else to use them for any purpose
  • Changing your password regularly
  • Ensuring your password is difficult for someone else to guess — i.e. is a 'strong' password, including at least one number and at least one letter.

• Your login is needed for accessing the Library's eResources and password protected services
• We cannnot guarantee you access to any particular resource or service, due to the publishers' licensing restrictions or circumstances beyond our control.

• You are responsible for ensuring that any use you make of personal information, including personal data held in the collections, complies with data protection legislation, including the Data Protection Act 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation and other legislation as may apply
• We will process your personal information in accordance with our privacy notices and applicable data protection legislation.

• Your rights and obligations relating to an external resource or website are governed by that service provider's terms and conditions, including any licence agreements. We will not accept any liability in connection with these providers.

• The National Library of Scotland is a reference library. You can only consult items in the reading and consultation rooms
• Theft will result in legal action and / or criminal prosecution being pursued.
• Please be courteous to other users and staff as specified in our service charter.
• When using Library computers or our network, you must abide by the JANET Acceptable Use Policy for internet access
• You may only use the software which we have installed on our computers.
• You may use personal audio equipment with headphones, but please ensure nothing is audible to other Library users
• You must comply with our restrictions on the use of photographic and recording equipment, including mobile phones, in public spaces and exhibition areas. Any permitted photography must be done with due consideration to the collections, Library staff, and other visitors
• You must comply with our terms of use for photography in reading and consultation rooms — Self-service photography guidance notes (PDF) (115 KB; 12 pages)
• You are responsible for ensuring that any re-use you make of material from the collections complies with intellectual property legislation, including copyright legislation
• You may only eat or drink in the café or other designated areas. Please note that bottled water is not allowed in the reading or consultation rooms
• Smoking, e-cigarettes included, is not permitted in any of our buildings
• In the event of emergency evacuation, follow the directions of Library staff
• You bring personal property into the Library at your own risk.

The following conditions do not cover every eventuality. Please follow any instructions from Library staff.

• You are responsible for all items issued to you until you return them to staff. Do not allow another person access to them without consulting staff
• You may use laptop computers and other small portable electronic devices — such as tablets and mobile phones — in designated areas, provided that sound is turned off before you enter the area. Do not make or receive phone or video calls in any reading or consultation room
• You may only bring and use pencils in the reading and consultation rooms and you should not write or make marks in any Library collection items
• For security reasons you must leave most bags, outer garments — e.g. coats, jackets — and anything that may damage the collections in the lockers provided. In the reading rooms, small handbags and clear plastic bags must be stored on the floor and not on the desks.

We may revise these conditions at any time and any changes will be notified via our website. By continuing to use our services, after we notify a change of condition, you are agreeing to these revised terms and conditions of use.