College and graduate students, faculty, staff, officials, alumni and retired employees of Northwest Samar

State University (NwSSU) may use the library resources subject to rules and regulations governing their
use. Researchers from other institutions may also use the library after paying a nominal visitor’s fee.
However, college students from other schools may use the library only during specified hours and their
access is limited to particular sections. Children (including grade school and high school students) are
not allowed in the library except during scheduled tour visits and other pre-arranged occasions.

I. Service Hours:

Regular Schedule:

Monday to Friday

8:00 AM – 6:00 PM (No Noon Break)

Saturday

8:00 – 12:00 AM - 1:00 – 5:00 PM

Semestral & Summer Break:

8:00 – 12:00 AM - 1:00 – 5:00 PM

In order to serve the greater number of clientele, the NwSSU libraries shall adopt different approved
schedules which shall be posted at the Library premises. Schedule may vary according to availability of
personnel & other prevailing circumstances.

II. Presentation of Validated School ID

1. Only students with valid school ID are allowed to avail of library services.

2. Using another’s ID to gain entry into the library or to take out library materials is a misrepresentation
and a form of dishonesty and shall be dealt with accordingly.

3. In case of lost ID, the owner shall report immediately to the SARS Office and shall apply for renewal.

III. Borrowing Privileges/Policies

To use the collection more effectively and equitably, the following privileges and policies are designed to
ensure library users achieve their aim in acquiring information and knowledge. Students, faculty and
staff, and community as well, are privileged to avail the various facilities and resources following the
rules and regulations.

A. Students

1. Circulation Section

1.1 These are materials accessed in an open shelf. Graduate students shall avail three (3) books while
college students shall be allowed to borrow two (2) books at a time.

1.2 General reading books shall be borrowed for three (3) days while fiction books are for one (1) week.
These books shall be returned anytime of the day on their due date.

2. Reserve Section

2.1 Resources from this section shall be accessed through the library staff on duty.

2.2 Required readings and recommended textbooks by the faculty shall be restricted to room use only
during the day, but shall be checked-out for overnight lending two (2) hours before closing time.

2.3 Use of books in great demand shall be limited to one (1) hour and renewable for another hour, if
there shall be no other requests for them.

2.4 Books borrowed overnight shall be returned the following morning between eight and nine o’clock.
Beyond this shall be considered overdue.

3. Instructional Media Materials and Internet Services

3.1 Instructional and other non-print materials shall be borrowed by a student upon presentation of a
duly signed request from a faculty. In effect, the faculty serves as a guarantor for the return of the
borrowed materials.
3.2 Students shall avail of the internet strictly for research purposes only.

4. Books and other materials “Not for Home Use”.

4.1 General references - dictionaries, encyclopedia, atlases, yearbooks and handbooks

4.2 Art collections

4.3 Rare books/Filipiniana

4.4 Theses and dissertations.

4.5 Periodicals

These materials shall be returned to their proper place after reading. Borrowers of back issues shall only
take five (5) copies at a time to the reading area and shall make a receipt indicating the name/title and
date of issuance.

4.6 Vertical file collection – users shall fill up the form provided before using.

B. Faculty and Staff

As a general rule, faculty shall only be allowed to borrow books/resources related to their teaching load.
Other materials shall be used within the library premises only.

1. Regular Faculty

• Regular faculty members shall be allowed to borrow a maximum of ten (10) books per semester. The
same shall be returned at the end of the semester.
• A recall order shall be issued for the return of some books earlier if there shall be several requests for
them and/or in preparation for accreditation visit and other similar activities.

2. Regular Staff

Regular staff shall be allowed to borrow a maximum of three books per semester to be returned at the
end of every semester.

3. Part Time Faculty

These faculty members shall only be given library privileges upon presentation of an approved referral
from the dean, where he/she is connected. The referral forms shall be available in the library and shall
be filled up in duplicate.

Policies

• Faculty shall only be allowed to borrow books/resources related to their teaching loads for the current
semester. This is to extend the use of books/resources to other library users.

• Failure to return books on due date shall be a ground for administrative action.

• Damaged/lost books shall be replaced with the same title and author (newer edition is preferred). In
case of non-availability of the same title and author, an appropriate title may serve as a substitute as
prescribed by the librarians.

C. Others (alumni, retired employees and other researchers)

1. Alumni and retired employees shall avail of the resources by presenting a valid identification card.
However, they shall not be allowed to take out any library material.

2. Students from other schools shall present a valid ID and a referral letter from their Librarian/Dean.
They shall also be required to pay a minimal library fee.
IV. The Rule of Silence

The library is a place for serious study and research. A quiet atmosphere shall therefore be maintained
at all times. It shall be the library staff’s responsibility to enforce the rule of silence and proper decorum
and as such they shall be authorized to impose the necessary penalty on erring users.

Requests/inquiries addressed to members of the library staff shall be conducted in a low voice. Cellular
phones shall be turned off or shifted to “SILENT” mode while inside the library in order not to disturb
other users. Conversation and small talk shall be conducted outside library premises. Besides giving a
warning or penalty, the library staff shall ask those loitering or disturbing others to immediately leave
the library.

V. General Rules

The Code of Discipline in the Academic Manual and Students’ Handbook shall be enforced inside the
library. In addition, the following specific rules shall be applicable:

1. No smoking and littering. Smoking anywhere including inside the toilets, disposing cigarette butts and
food/beverage containers in the urinals/toilet bowls, and other forms of improper waste disposal shall
be penalized.

2. No eating and drinking except when explicitly permitted (during special events in a designated area.)

3. No bags except purses/small hand bags. Bags beyond a certain size shall be deposited at the bag
depository check-in counter before proceeding to the different sections of the library. Deposited bags
shall, however, be retrieved before the library closes for the day.

4. No seat reservation or lying down on the sofas. Personal belongings left unattended for 15 minutes or
more may be removed by the library staff to make room for other users.
5. No writing on books, tearing of pages, and any mutilation or defacement of library materials,
equipment or facilities. Mutilation/defacement of library property including computer equipment shall
be considered vandalism and shall be subjected to disciplinary action.

6. No bringing out of library books, materials, and equipment without proper authorization. Books for
general circulation shall be checked out at the circulation counter where the due date is stamped on a
form attached to the book. Other materials and equipment shall need a borrower’s authorization form
or a gate pass properly signed by a member of the library staff on duty. Unauthorized withdrawal of
library property shall be considered stealing.

7. After using the books in the circulation room, they shall NOT be returned to their shelves. They shall
be left on the table to be shelved by the library assistants. (This is to avoid their being misplaced).
Individual volume of general references such as encyclopedia shall be returned to their proper places.

8. The student shall be held responsible for the books/materials borrowed. Damaged or lost books shall
be reported at once, and replaced or paid within two weeks from due date. In the event that the loss of
a book is not promptly reported to the library, the usual fines shall be added to the replacement cost of
the book including shipment, handling and processing charges.

9. Before leaving the library, all borrowers shall be responsible enough to ensure that the library books
and materials they are bringing out shall have been properly checked out or with a corresponding
authorization form. They shall be expected to present these for inspection by the library personnel on
duty at the exit area without their attention having to be called.

VI. Bag Depository Counter Rules

1. Things not needed shall be deposited at the counter, while studying inside the library premises. To
avoid possible mix ups, things shall be put together in only one bag.

2. Do not leave money and other valuables inside the bag you are depositing. The library will not be
responsible for their loss.
3. Materials not allowed in the campus shall also be prohibited in the library. If discovered, these shall
be subjected to confiscation. The owner shall also be sent to proper authorities for further investigation.

4. Numbered claim tag shall be asked when depositing your bag which shall be released only upon
return of the corresponding claim tag.

5. Library users who lose their claim tags shall be required to identify themselves and prove ownership
over the bag(s) they shall be claiming. In addition, a corresponding fine shall be imposed.

6. Bags shall not be left overnight. A corresponding fine shall also be imposed every night.

7. All bags (not deposited here) and brought inside the library premises shall be subjected to strict
search/inspection when leaving the library.

8. Library authorities shall impose or adopt certain measures deemed appropriate to ensure the safety
of the resources.