Library Services
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Borrowing Procedures
Borrowing Procedures | Borrowing Options | Eligibility for Borrowing Services | Borrowing Duration | Automatic Extensions | Reader card renewal | Opening up a reader card | Messages for Readers | Reader's Responsibility | Lost / Damaged Borrowed Items | Fines and Restrictions | Return of Borrowed Items | Reserving a Borrowed Book
Borrowing Procedures
Books may be borrowed from any of the campus libraries, but the lending policies in each library may differ. For additional information concerning circulation policies and special collections in specific campus libraries please contact the relevant library.
If the requested book or article do not exist in the Library and Information Division's collections, Staff and students may request the items from the Interlibrary Loan department. For more information and directions please refer to the Interlibrary Loan Department.
Borrowing Options
The borrowing of the books is individual and is only permissible for users with a valid student card / administrative employee / academic staff card for the current school year. Visitors (with permission) require a Picture ID.
Eligibility for Borrowing Services
Students: A reader card is automatically setup after payment to the university and after arranging the course schedule. The information from the university system will be synchronized with the library system.
Faculty: A reader card is automatically setup after the position is registered in the university system. The information from the university system will be synchronized with the library system.
The following is a breakdown of the eligibility of the lending according to the user status.
|
Eligible Users |
Number of books to be borrowed |
Notes |
|
Undergraduate and/or Graduate Students |
40 |
Graduate students with a thesis, upon completion of the course obligations, must be enrolled in a thesis writing course to be eligible for library services. |
|
PhD Students |
100 |
Upon completion of the course obligations, postgraduate students must be enrolled in a doctoral writing course to be eligible for library services. Students in the process of writing a research proposal are required to pay a university application fee to gain access to electronic databases |
|
Administrative / academic staff |
100 |
|
|
Special programs:
|
10 |
|
|
Visitors:
|
10 |
See Setting up a reader card (for users who do not appear in the reader file) |
Borrowing Duration
The duration of lending books varies and is dependent on the book and the users’ status at the university. Therefore, the duration of borrowing should be checked for each book individually. Access to this information can found in the library catalog by logging in to your user account. In case of any discrepancy between what is listed in the catalog and the actual situation, please consult with the librarians.
Regular students, academic and administrative staffs of the university are eligible for the lending according to the following rules:
Reserved books - not for loan / 3 days;
Regular books - one week;
Dissertations (Ph.D.) and Masters Theses - three days / two weeks (unless restricted by the author).
Scientific journals, reference books, encyclopedias, dictionaries are not borrowed.
Senior faculty members can borrow books and theses for extended periods in order to facilitate their research.
You can order or extend reserved books at the counter or by telephone not via online.
Automatic Extensions
Certain books may not be renewed:
- The book is requested by another reader.
- The item is not extendable (belongs to the reserved collection / limited on a night loan).
- The reader card has expired.
- The reader card is blocked due to fines or delays in returning books.
Below is a breakdown of the extensions according to the different statuses:
|
User’s Status |
Duration of Automatic Extensions |
|
Undergraduate/graduate Student |
Up to six months |
|
PhD Students, Post-doctorate Students, Academic/Administrative staff |
Up to one year |
|
Special Programs |
Up to two months |
|
Visitors |
Up to four months |
Reader card renewal (for users who appears in the reader file)
A registered user of the library system whose card has expired and has not yet registered for a new academic year, needs to fill out the "Application form for borrowing and consultation services in the university libraries for new readers or readers whose card has expired". The form can be downloaded from the library's website > forms. The form must be signed by the head of the department and submitted to the circulation desk at building 401, entrance floor, or sent by e-mail to the Circulation Department - Lib.Loan@biu.ac.il
Opening up a reader card (for a user who does not appear in the reader file)
A new user who needs to open a reader card manually (who does not appear in the reader file) cannot access the library's electronic resources. Only users who are registered in the Bar-Ilan system can have access to all the university computer services, including the library's electronic resources.
To open a reader card, go to the circulation desk at the Jewish Studies Library building (building 401) or send a photo ID / passport to Lib.Loan@biu.ac.il
Note:
- New Lecturer – a new lecturer needs to bring a signed form - "Application form for borrowing and consulting services in the university libraries" from the head of the relevant department. After opening a reader card at the circulation department, new lecturers are eligible to use the university libraries’ borrowing and consultation services. Access to the electronic databases is possible only after registration in the university system.
- New Student – a new student, who has not yet appeared in the reader file, in addition to the above form, must present certificate of studies for the current school year. After opening a reader card at the circulation department, new students will be eligible to use the university libraries’ borrowing and consultation services. Access to the electronic databases is possible only after registration in the university system.
- Visitor – a visitor from another university needs to submit a valid letter of guarantee from the institution to which s/he is registered, who will be eligible to use the university libraries’ borrowing and consultation services. Access to electronic databases is possible from the university to which the visitor belongs.
- External Researcher – an external researcher who works with Bar Ilan university researchers – needs to bring a valid guarantee form signed by the head of the faculty / department in which s/he works. ("Application form for receiving borrowing and consultation services at the university libraries"). Opening a reader card will permit the use of the university libraries’ borrowing and consultation services. Accessing the electronic databases is not possible as s/he does not appear in the university system. Check to see if it is possible to gain access to the electronic databases through the faculty / department secretariat.
- Foreign Students - foreign students need to bring a certificate of studies for the current year from the secretariat of the unit in which s/he is studying. Opening a reader card will permit the use of the university libraries’ borrowing and consultation services. Accessing the electronic databases is not possible as s/he are not part of the university system. Check to see if it is possible to gain access to the electronic databases through the faculty / department secretariat.
Messages for Readers
Automatic messages will be sent to users via email in the following cases:
- Notifications regarding non-extension of the borrowing period / end of the borrowing period, several days before the return date.
- Notifications regarding overdue books, and the accumulation of a fine (details in the section on fines), after the return date has expired.
- Notifications upon a request to return a book that is ordered by another user.
- Notifications regarding a reserved book that is waiting for the user at the circulation desk.
This messaging service should be treated as an additional service only, which does not excuse the user of his/her responsibility to check the reader card and return the items on time!
- Requests for return of an ordered item or an item whose borrowing period has expired are automatic and will stop only after the item has been returned to the library.
- If necessary, you can contact the relevant library directly by phone or e-mail, as indicated in the body of the message received by e-mail.
Reader's Responsibility
- It is the responsibility of each student and faculty member to return the books on time.
- The status of the books borrowed can be monitored through the reader card on the library’s website.
- Explanations of the reader's card are available on the library's website
- Anyone who knows in advance that they will not be able to return the books on time due to travel abroad, reserve duty, etc., must return the books to the library before his/her absence.
- A lecturer / researcher going on sabbatical abroad must return all the books before leaving.
- During the semester / summer vacation, the library operates as usual (except for one week of vacation in the summer, which is announced in advance). Ordered books or books whose borrowing period has expired (and no further extensions can be granted) must be returned, even if the return date is during the Holidays.
- It is the reader's responsibility to ensure that all contact information is up to date, including the e-mail address, residential address and mobile phone number. These details must be updated via the university system.
For regular updates of personal details please contact the following:
Students
- Student Administration website > Personal information for students > My details
- Shema department: By fax or email with a photocopy of an ID card or in person
Academic/Administrative Staff
In the department secretariat - the ERP system must be updated.
- It is the reader's responsibility to maintain the integrity and cleanliness of the books.
- It is the reader's responsibility to ensure that their reader's card is valid:
- Students need to pay and sign up for courses on time.
- Anyone who receives permission to continue his/her studies for a degree or submit a late paper must present the permit to the library before the reader card expires. The permit can be e-mailed to the circulation department : Lib.Loan@biu.ac.il
- In the event that there is a delay in payment and / or registration, it is mandatory to return all the borrowed books in order to avoid accumulating fines.
- For a temporary arrangement of the card's validity, use the procedure as in opening and renewal of a reader card.
- Graduate / PhD students, who have completed their course obligations and are in the process of writing their thesis / dissertation, still need to enroll in the new academic year and pay accordingly. Details can be found in the procedures of the School of Advanced Studies.
Lost / Damaged Borrowed Items
A reader who has lost a book must notify the circulation department immediately.
- We recommend to look for the book again before taking the following actions - you may find the loss.
- If the book is available for purchase, you must buy an identical copy and bring it to the circulation desk in exchange for the lost book.
- If the book is out of print, try and find a copy in good condition in second hand stores and bring it to the circulation desk for further treatment.
- If your efforts to locate the book in bookstores do not succeed, call the circulation department to find out the amount you will have to pay for the lost book.
If the book was damaged during the period in which it was in the reader's possession, the circulation department must be notified immediately. A defective book can not be returned and the user will need to do proceed as in the case of a lost book, as in numbers 2-4 above.
Fines and Restrictions
Failure to return the borrowed item ordered by another reader or books from the limited borrowing collection / reserved for the night, will result in fines of 15 NIS per book for each day of delay.
The accumulation of fines may result in the freezing of borrowing rights.
In addition, accumulation of books and / or fines may result in a delay in receiving your academic degree, and a delay in registering for a new school year until after the issue has been resolved.
Online Payment System (In Hebrew)
Return of Borrowed Items
The items must be brought to the circulation desk and validated by the librarian.
When the borrowing department is closed, the books should be placed in the box for returning the books .
Reserving a Borrowed Book
Items that are on loan by another reader can be ordered remotely in the library catalog, by clicking on the 'Order' link and filling in the details of the borrowed book.
A reader who has ordered a book and wants to cancel the order, must cancel it by e-mail or notification by calling the library.
Electronic equipment
The borrowing of laptops and projectors is restricted to faculty and students of the Chemistry Department.
Printing facilities
Printing facilities are available only to students of the Chemistry Department.
Personal advice
Consulting service is designed to give individual assistance by appointment for academic staff and graduate students who write a thesis or doctoral dissertations.
The meetings include a diagnosis of the researcher's information needs, guidance for searches and locating of required information items.
For coordination please contact the library: 03-531-8308 or 03-5317664
or by e-mail:
Trainings
The service is designed to give individual support in using the library resources, such as the library catalog, databases and other library's tools, for students and for academic/administrative staff.
Bibliography handbook
Remote Consulting
You can address your questions to the library staff via e-mail:
or by Tel.: 03-5318308 or 03-5317664, Sun-Thu between 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
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