Rules for Reading Room West
- Reading Room West is the Royal Library's research reading room. Scholars and others users with a documented need to consult restricted material and/or the reference collection, are given priority to use the reading room.
- Every user of the Reading Room must sign the protocol immediately upon arrival.
- Outer clothing, umbrellas and bags (including laptop cases and sleeves) in formats larger than A5, must, for security reasons, be left in the lockers, before entering the reading room.
- Mobile (cell) phones must be switched off, and may be kept in the lockers.
- Foods and beverages are not allowed. Smoking is prohibited.
- Readers are allowed to bring a limited number of their own books into the Reading Room. Laptops are allowed.
- Books in the reference collection may not be taken out of the Reading Room. Books must be re-shelved in the proper location. Users must themselves return the books to the shelves.
- To pick up books and other materials ordered for use in the Reading Room, show your reading room card
at the Desk. When you leave the Reading Room for the day, return the materials at the same place. Borrowed materials may not be removed from the Reading Room.
- Borrowed books may not be left unused for over 10 days, unless a special arrangement has been made.
A user may have up to 10 books for use in the Reading Room, however only 5 newspaper volumes.
Users with assigned readers' desks may have 2 rows of books, but a user with a study carrel may store
as many books as there is room for.
- If a user leaves his place for more than a half hour, the desk must be cleared for the use of others.
- Valuable or fragile printed works, as well as manuscripts, may only be used at the designated tables and must be returned to the Desk whenever the user leaves the Reading Room. Use of such materials requires a special (yellow) ID card. The card is issued by application.
- Borrowed materials must be treated with caution and stored carefully. Damage will result in a claim for compensation and the right to borrow will be revoked. Underlining, marginal notes, folding of pages etc. are all viewed as damage that results in claims for compensation.
- The use of materials may be subject to further special conditions that are set by the lending department.
- There is access to do-it-yourself photocopying from Reading Room West. Materials to be copied must be presented at the Desk and approved for photocopying by the staff on duty. In addition, photocopies or photographs of materials can be ordered insofar as preservation allows; ask the staff at the Desk. Taking photographs with your own camera is allowed, if prior permission has been granted by the reading room/centre staff.
- Users of the Reading Room who need to use a large number of books (those restricted to Reading Room usage) for a longer period for scholarly purposes can apply in writing for an assigned reader's desk, a study carrel or a book cart, though only for at most 6 months at a time. Users with these special privileges receive a special user card and a control card which they must fill in with the date of each visit. The control card is kept at the Desk. The library assumes no responsibility for the user's own materials at the assigned reader's places.
- The Reading Room staff check that the library's books and other materials are not irregularly removed from
the Reading Room. This is done by checking books, papers etc. in accordance with Law no. 246 of June 8, 1976 regarding measures against theft from the Royal Library.
- The Reading Room is a work space where consideration for all users requires calm and quiet.
Private conversations must be carried on outside the Reading Room.
- Users must follow the directions of the Reading Room staff, whether or not they are included in the written rules.
- Complaints should be sent to the Department Head for the Reading Room.
- Infringement of these rules may result in refusal of admittance and revocation of user privileges.
