Administration and Usage Regulations (VBO) of the University Library of FH Aachen

(1) The University Library shall be managed by a full-time director with appropriate qualifications following uniform library principles.

(2) The head of the University Library shall be appointed for an unlimited period by the Rectorate on the recommendation of the Senate.

(3) He or she shall be the supervisor of all staff of the University Library. When selecting literature, he or she shall take into account the literature requests of the faculties, central institutions and operating units, unless there are important reasons to the contrary.

(4) Library management, or persons authorised by it, shall exercise householder's rights on the library premises.

(1) The University Library primarily serves teaching, study and research at FH Aachen, but is also open, within the scope of its possibilities, to external users with academic or professional interests.

(2) It shall fulfil its tasks in cooperation with other libraries, library and other institutions within and outside FH Aachen.

(3) As the central operating unit for media and information supply, it provides the following services:

• Procurement, indexing and dissemination of information through printed and electronic media as well as maintenance of the supply,
• Procurement of media from other libraries within the framework of the German Interlibrary Loan system and via document delivery services
• Provision of learning and working space in physical and electronic form,
• Providing advice, support and further training for members and staff of FH Aachen on how to handle information and media.

(1) The following shall be entitled to use the library readily: all members of FH Aachen, members of the University Council as well as members of other research and educational institutions located on the campuses of FH Aachen upon presentation of an ID card; members of state, municipal and ecclesiastical offices upon presentation of their official ID card of their place of employment; and all libraries participating in the German Interlibrary Loan System.

(2) Other natural persons or legal entities may be admitted by the Rector upon application. The Rector may delegate responsibility to library management. Admission shall be granted for a specified period of time. Extension is possible.

(3) With the entitlement or admission to use, or upon entering the library, the Library Regulations are acknowledged.

(4) Every user shall receive a library card or the FH Karte, which serves as a library card. The holder is liable for any misuse of the library card. The personal data collected during registration are stored electronically. The data will be handled in accordance with the applicable provisions of the data protection laws.

(5) Changes of address must be communicated without delay.

As a general rule, using the University Library is free of charge. Any costs incurred (postage, printing costs, insurance of interlibrary loans, etc.) must be reimbursed. Fees and charges are raised for certain administrative activities and types of use. The type and amount of the fees and charges are determined by the Regulation of Fees and Fines of the University Library of FH Aachen (Gebührenordnung der Hochschulbibliothek der FH Aachen) in the respective valid version. For the costs of the FH Karte, the Bye-Laws on the Collection of University Charges at FH Aachen (Satzung zur Erhebung von Hochschulabgaben) in the respective valid version applies.

(1) Every user must be considerate of other library users and must not interfere with library operations. In doing so, he or she must observe the library's regulations and the instructions of the library staff.

(2) In the common interest of all users, quiet is to be maintained in all library rooms that are in use, especially in the reading rooms. Smoking, eating, drinking and disorderly conduct are not permitted in the library rooms. Animals may not be brought into the library.

(3) When leaving the library rooms, library staff must be allowed to inspect folders, handbags, etc. upon request.

(1) Every user may look at all media and take them to the workstation in the library. The library staff will arrange the return of the media.

(2) With the exception of the literature groups mentioned under no. 3, all media are also available for use outside the library.

(3) The following shall be excluded from use outside the library: unbound journal issues, books declared by the library management to be of special value, general bibliographies, encyclopaedias/lexicons, reference works and loose-leaf editions. In addition, the use of much requested items may be temporarily restricted to use within the library in order to make them accessible to a wider circle of users.

(4) For use outside the library, the media are to be booked as borrowed items. The machine recording of the borrowing transaction shall be regarded as proof of handing over the media. The borrowing person is liable for the borrowed item from this point on until it is returned. It is not permitted to take media out of the library without booking them, to borrow them in the name of another person, or to pass them on to third parties.

(5) The library is entitled to hand over media to any person who presents a valid library card. It is also entitled, but not obliged, to check the identity of the user. The user may use a representative. If misuse is suspected, the library card may be blocked.

(6) Items on loan may be reserved. As soon as the desired item is available, the person who pre-ordered it will be notified.

(7) The University Library of FH Aachen provides the opportunity to use the publicly available PCs for research in the context of studies, teaching and research. The users undertake to accept the Network Regulations of FH Aachen with implementing regulations as amended from time to time.

(1) The loan period for media is four weeks. The library may set a shorter loan period for frequently needed works.

(2) A loan period of two weeks applies to journals, unless they are excluded from borrowing altogether (§ 8 para. 3).

(3) The loan period may be extended if the item is not otherwise requested. The extension must be applied for before the loan period expires. After multiple renewals, the library may demand the presentation of the medium. Media are to be returned upon request by the library if they are required by another user.

(1) The personal reserve collection of full-time teachers and scientific-technical staff, lecturers and members of the University Council may contain up to one hundred media items. There shall be no time limit on the loan of such media for the duration of the employment or mandate.

(2) The personal reserve collections remain the property of FH Aachen, are part of the University Library and are listed in its catalogues.

(3) Media items from the personal reserve collections of professors, scientific-technical staff, lecturers and members of the University Council must also be available to other users of the University Library. If there is a request to borrow an item from a reserve collection, the holder of that reserve collection shall be notified by the library administration and shall be obliged to return the item to the library within ten days. The item will then be lent to the person who requested it, with a maximum loan period of four weeks. After the medium has been returned, the holder of the reserve collection has the opportunity to request the medium for the reserve collection once again within a period of four weeks. If the holder of the reserve collection does not comply with the return deadline within ten days, the missed deadline is subject to the provisions of § 5 of these Administration and Usage Regulations.

(4) Standard works, table books, reference works, etc., which the holder of a reserve collection needs permanently for his or her teaching and research tasks, are exempt from this regulation. If a medium falling into this category is requested by the University Library for another authorised person, the holder of the reserve collection shall be obliged to make this medium available for inspection by the requesting person within a period of ten days.

(5) In addition to the personal reserve collection, it is possible to borrow media for use in a lab reserve collection or a comparable facility. A lab reserve collection is a special location of literature that must be permanently accessible to several professors, staff members and students. There is no personal liability on the part of individual users. The regulations for the accessibility of the media are the same as for standard works, table books and reference works of personal reserve collections. A lab reserve collection can contain up to one hundred media items and must be registered with the library administration stating the name of the lab reserve collection (e.g. lab reserve collection "Bauorganisation") and the name of the head of the lab.

(1) The library shall not be liable for the loss of, or damage to, items which a user has brought with him or her or which he or she has placed in the rooms of the library.

(2) The user shall be liable to pay compensation for lost, damaged or non-returned media. The type and amount of compensation is regulated by the library's Regulation of Fees and Fines.

(3) In the performance of their service activities, the library staff shall only be liable for damages due to gross negligence or wilful misconduct. In the event of incorrect, omitted or time-delayed library service, liability for consequential damage shall be excluded.

(1) These Administration and Usage Regulations shall enter into force on the day after their publication in the FH Aachen Gazette (FH-Mitteilungen). At the same time, the Administration and Usage Regulations for the University Library of FH Aachen of 28 January 2009 (FH-Mitteilungen No. 5/2009), last amended by Amendment Regulations of 3 February 2016 (FH-Mitteilungen No. 3/2016), shall cease to be in force.

(2) Issued on the basis of the resolution of the Senate of FH Aachen of 29 September 2022.