Rules of use

Rules of use of the Sotkamo municipal library as of 01.04.2020

Approved in a meeting of the Sotkamo’s Local Education and Cultural Committee on 27.02.2020, the rules of use are in force indefinitely.

Purpose of the rules of use

The rules of use are based on the Public Libraries Act (1492/2016). The purpose of the rules is to advance the organisation, security and comfort inside the library.

Rights of use

The library is available for anyone who abides by the library’s rules of use. The library is not responsible for possible damage on a customer caused by borrowing material, using equipment or using the open network.

Library card and borrowing

A library card is a personal item, and it must be shown every time when borrowing. The library card entitles customers to borrow from the main library and mobile library. The amount of material you can borrow may be limited. The library card can be obtained by proving your identity, and reporting your address in Finland. For people under 15 years old, a written permission from a guardian is required. A day care center, school, or other institution or organisation can obtain a community card with a written permission of a guardian. The guardian is responsible for the material that is borrowed with the community library card. The community card is temporary.

To view and renew loans, and reserve material through the web library, a PIN code is needed in addition to the library card. PIN codes can be obtained from the library or mobile library.  Guardians can get PIN codes for their children’s library cards.

The customer is responsible for their library card, PIN code, and the borrowed material. Changes in customer details must be reported to the library.

The customer loses their right to borrow if they do not return loans or they refuse to pay the charges. The ban is removed when the customer returns or replaces their loans, and pays the required charges. A guardian is responsible for the loans of minors.

In case a library card gets lost, the library must be notified immediately. The customer is responsible for the borrowed material until the notice has been made to the library.

Renewals and reservations

Material can be borrowed again if there are no reservations for it. Loans may be renewed up to five times successively. Loans can be renewed when visiting the library or the mobile library, by e-mail, on phone, or through the web library. Reserving material from Sotkamo library system is free of charge. A fee is charged for an uncollected reservation.

Returns

Loans can be returned to the main library or the mobile library. At the main library, there is a return chute for use outside opening hours. The customer is responsible for using the return chute, and the loans are returned on the next opening day of the library.

A notification is sent on the loans that have not been returned by the due date. A fee is charged for sending a notification.

Interlibrary loans

The customer can make interlibrary loan requests for items that are not a part of Sotkamo library’s own collection. If the item is in the library’s own collection, it can be requested as an interlibrary loan only from the public libraries of the Kainuu region. In forwarding interlibrary loans, nationwide rules on interlibrary loans and the terms of the library giving the loan out are adhered to. A fee is charged for interlibrary loans.

Replacing material

If the customer damages or refuses to return material of the library, they must replace it by paying a refund prescribed by the library, or by obtaining a new replacement item. Videos, DVD discs and Blu-ray discs can only be replaced by paying a refund.

Charges

The Local Education and Cultural Committee decides the charges collected by the library.

Data protection and privacy

The library is entitled to enter personal identity codes into their customer register (Data Protection Act 1050/2018, Section 29). There is a privacy statement for the customer register. Customers, in accordance with the Data Protection Act, have the right to check their personal information in the library’s register.

Discipline

A public library is a public place as denoted in the Public Order Act, and in cases of disturbance on the operations and threat on the safety of the library, the Public Order Act (612/2003) is dispensed. A customer of the library should not cause disturbance on the other customers or staff of the library. The right to use the library may be prohibited for up to 30 days on the basis of serious and repeated disturbance caused on the operations of the library. The ban on the use of the library is set by the library services manager after hearing the concerned person.

Feedback

Feel free to give feedback on the operations of the library, as well as wishes to the library.