Breaches of terms and conditions of use of Library facilities, services and collections

These guidelines outline our policies and procedures for dealing with breaches of our terms and conditions of use, ensuring consistency in the way such incidents are handled.

• We reserve the right to suspend or withdraw your library card, your online account and access to our facilities should you fail to comply with our terms and conditions.
• In the case of minor infringements, Library staff will resolve the issue on an informal basis with you.
• All incidents will be held on file in accordance with our privacy notices and data protection legislation. We will notify you of all decisions in writing.

• Where we consider an incident to be serious, staff will report the incident to the appropriate manager. The manager will, wherever possible, resolve the incident directly with you and you will be given the opportunity to state your case.
• Where the manager considers an incident to be sufficiently serious to warrant further investigation and possible suspension to your access, we will keep your library card and ask you to leave our premises, if applicable. You will be suspended from access to all Library facilities and services, including your online account, during the investigation. In the case of remote only readers, we will suspend your access to all online services.
• We will decide on the appropriate course of action based on all the information gathered.
• In the case of extreme breaches of the terms and conditions, we will pursue legal action and criminal prosecution wherever appropriate.
• If we decide to permanently suspend your access, you will have the opportunity to state your case to senior management, in person if possible.
• We will keep a record of the incident for a minimum of five years.

You may appeal against any decision made by the Library, by applying in writing to:

The National Librarian
The National Library of Scotland
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh
EH1 1EW

• You should make your appeal in writing within one month of notification of the decision.
• Appeals will be considered by the National Librarian or another member of the Library Leadership Team.
• We will consider all appeals within 10 working days of receipt, wherever possible, and a reasoned explanation of the final decision will be provided.

Minor offences are dealt with on an informal basis. The following list, although not exhaustive, is indicative of the kind of behaviour we deem to be of a serious nature.

Incidents:

• Abusive, rude or unreasonable behaviour towards staff / other readers
• Removal of items from reading or consultation room / building
• Mistreating, mutilating or damaging Library collections
• Use of prohibited items in the reading / consultation rooms
• Mistreating, mutilating or damaging Library facilities / equipment
• Misuse of the internet
• Misuse of the eResources
• Use of unauthorised cameras or scanning equipment in the reading / consultation rooms
• Excessive photography in the reading / consultation rooms.