Terms of use | Max-Planck-Institut für Sozialrecht und Sozialpolitik - MPISOC
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Terms of use

Terms Of Use (PDF)

For the purpose of fostering academic collaboration and research in the field of social law and social policy, the library of our Max Planck Institute is open to staff members, grantees and guests of the Institute, as well as to interested scholars. Visitors are asked to register on a daily basis with the library management and to sign the visitors’ book in the reading room. All users of the library are bound by the terms of use. The library management is authorised to expel any users who violate these terms.

Please take note of the following information :

1. Conduct and Duties of Care 
Coats, bags and food may not be taken into the reading room. During opening hours, such items can be stored in the lockers (€ 1 deposit) situated in the hallway leading to the library entrance. Inside the library, cell phone use, loud conversations, eating and drinking are prohibited.

All library property must be handled with care. In particular, the contents of books or periodicals must not in any way be marked or underlined, nor may pages be bent or bookmarks be left inside the books.

Library PCs and internet access are available for academic use only. Preinstalled computer settings must not be altered. The use of external storage media is not allowed.

2. In-House Lending 
The Institute library is a reference library. Its holdings are not allowed to be taken outside the premises. Should an imperative reason for the extramural loan of a book or periodical arise, approval from the library management is to be obtained.

In-house lending is possible for staff members, grantees and guests of the Institute. A user card can be obtained in order to be able to borrow books and bound journals for up to 6 months. Any media borrowed must be registered immediately on the personal user account. For this purpose, one self-service terminal each is available in the reading room and in the stacks. The loan period can be extended only once.

Books bearing the notation 'Lesesaal-Exemplar' (reading room copy) on their spines must not be taken out of the reading room. Single periodical issues may not be borrowed; they may, however, be withdrawn briefly for copying purposes in the reading room, or in room 443 if notified to the library personnel.

3. Passing on Loans to Third Persons 
Staff members may pass on borrowed media to fellow staff. In such cases, immediate reassignment to the current user’s account must be made.

4. Reservations 
In the case that a medium is currently on loan to another user, a reservation can be made with the library staff or via the Web OPAC. The medium will then be recalled from the current borrower who, in due consideration of the guaranteed minimum loan period of 14 days, has to return the loaned item to the library within three working days. Failure to do so may, upon agreement with the managing director of the Institute, result in the deactivation of the respective user account.

5. Return 
Borrowed media must be returned by the end of the loan period at the latest and placed in the RFID Return Shelf provided in the library reading room for this purpose. If the library asks for an item to be returned sooner, the borrower has to return it within three working days. Likewise, daily visitors must place all borrowed media in the RFID Return Shelf in the reading room before leaving the premises.

If urgently required, the library staff may withdraw media from a borrower’s office without prior notification before the expiry of the loan period. The borrower will be informed about this in writing.

Staff members, grantees and guests of the Institute are kindly requested to return all borrowed items on time before the end of their employment or stay.

6. Security 
If, upon leaving the library premises, the alarm is set off by the book detection system, users must consent to showing to the library personnel any items brought with them into the reading room.

7. Information Services 
The library staff is happy to assist you with any queries you might have. No responsibility is taken for the accuracy and completeness of such information.

8. Literature Search and Document Delivery Service 
Library users may search for literature independently or with the aid of the library personnel. All staff members, grantees and guests of the Institute also have access to the library services for inter-library loans and document delivery. The library staff are happy to comply with any requests in this regard.