Library's rules and regulations. Existing situation and global experience

Abstract

In the end of the 20th century and in the beginning of the 21st century library legislation has been improved and renewed all over the world. It was connected with the importance of information society and a need to adopt library laws to modern settings and modern users’ needs and expectations. The purpose of this workshop is to discuss existing library rules and regulations, the articles that concern aspects of the library accessibility. These articles are very important for library’s attendance and survival as modern information sharing, searching and retrieving place. The workshop will be started with a thematic introductory presentation and continued as a participants’ group discussion. The presentation will consist of 3 parts: 1) an overview (a “crash course”) of some historical aspects of libraries’ rules and regulations, their meaning and necessity both for library users and staff; 2) introduction of fundamental principles and main ideas of guidelines/ manifestoes of IFLA/UNESCO for library (academic and public) service adaptation to the needs of society. This part will include such aspects as freedom of information, access to it, services offered to different groups of users and customer care; 3) review of the rules and regulations of main library groups regarding the patrons’ health and hygiene, patrons’ personal stuff (like clothes, bags, technical devices etc.) and patrons’ behavior inside the library building including usage of library units, Internet, computers and other technical equipment. There will also be given examples for each category of these rules. The main idea of the presentation is that libraries’ rules and regulations should be based on the needs and convenience of the patrons and not for the convenience of the organization and its staff. Afterwards participants will work in groups and discuss points from the list (in advance) of really existing libraries’ rules and regulations, evaluate their importance, adequacy and necessity and also share one’s personal experience. As a result it will present multicultural and multiage opinion about ideal contemporary library rules.