Center for Economic Research & Graduate Education - Economics Institute

Library Rules

In accordance with Act No. 257/2001 Coll., referring to rules for running public library and information services (Library Act), we issue the following regulations.

Article I

Fundamental Stipulations

The library is open to the public as an information service for those who specialize in fundamental research in economics and are establishing theoretical bases for devising economic policy. Furthermore, it serves students engaged in graduate economics programs which are closely linked to the goals and specializations of the Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education of Charles University and the Economics Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (further referred to as CERGE-EI).

Article II

Library Users

The library serves the following categories of users:

  • Category A – Matriculated CERGE-EI students, by program
  • Category AA – Non-matriculated (special program) CERGE-EI students, by program, sponsors
  • Category AVIP – CERGE-EI permanent or visiting faculty and researchers, employees
  • Category AUK – Students and faculty from other units of Charles University
  • Category AAV – Researchers from other units of AV CR
  • Category ALM – CERGE-EI Alumni
  • Category B – Students and faculty from other schools, universities, or research institutes in Czech Republic
  • Category D – Students and faculty from schools, universities and research institutes outside the Czech Republic
  • Category G – General public

Article III

Binding Library Regulations

  1. These stipulations regulating the activities and services provided by the library are binding for all employees and users.
  2. These library regulations are supplemented by internal regulations concerning the operation of the library.
  3. The director of the library can consider exceptions to loan regulations.
  4. Claims and proposals regarding library activities and services can be submitted to the director, either verbally or in writing.
  5. Non-adherence to library regulations is punishable by sanctions (see Supplement 1) and provides grounds for temporary (for a one-time violation of the regulations) or permanent suspension of one's right to use library services.
  6. Temporary or permanent suspension of the right to use library services does not absolve the user from the responsibility for and compensation of damages caused by violation of the regulations. These damages are to be determined according to valid legal norms.

Article IV

Library Services

The CERGE-EI library offers public library and information services. These are particularly:

  1. Loan services: loans on the premises, loans of materials to be checked out of the library (outside loan)
  2. Inter-library loan service and international inter-library loan service (ILL and IILL).
  3. Bibliographic, information, and reference services:
    • consulting services (information about catalogues, collections, and utilization of the library)
    • reference service: information about the accessibility of information sources within the library, and within the Czech Republic and abroad regarding sources within the library’s scope, including information retrieval and Internet access
  4. Electronic services
  5. Promotional services, instructional sessions about the library, organization of workshops
  6. Photocopying services on a self-service basis
  7. Special services

The Library offers standard services free of charge. The library can require cost compensation for administrative tasks dealing with the library user record-keeping and for specialized services according to the real costs. A deposit can be required for these services.

Article V

User Rights and Duties

  1. The library provides all services free of charge to CERGE-EI members, with the exception of the real cost of ILL and IILL.
  2. Disabled persons are entitled to free services as well with the exception of the real cost of ILL and IILL.
  3. Users of the library are obliged to comply with copyright Act No. 121/2000 Coll., on Copyright, Rights Related to Copyright, and the Amendment of Certain Laws (the Czech Copyright Act).
  4. Library users are obliged to comply to the license agreements of the all electronic sources accessible on the CERGE-EI LAN or through registered remote access. Any obtained data can only be used for the purposes of teaching, research and study. The following are particularly prohibited: large-scale downloading of data that exceeds individual usage, copying or using obtained data for the benefit of a third party or for commercial purposes, and downloading complete volumes of journals. Copyright information included by the database owners may not be obscured or removed.
  5. Failure to observe the database license could result in sanctions (according to the conditions of the individual electronic resources producers). It could cause immediate termination of membership in the CERGE-EI library.
  6. Users must at all times be considerate to others and follow instructions from the staff member on duty. On entering the library, the user shows her or his library card and must leave his or her coat and bag(s) in the designated place. The users can use books, journals and other freely accessible materials. Borrowed materials have to be returned to the librarian on duty. Smoking and eating is prohibited in the library.

Article VI

Library Membership

  1. A person becomes a library user as soon as he/she is registered and has been issued a library card. The issuing of a library card is subject to the submission of a valid identity card and a completed application form (see point 4 below).
  2. By signing the application form, the user pledges to respect the stipulations contained in the library regulations and agrees to the addition of his/her personal information to the library database.
  3. The library treats personal information in accordance with Act No. 101/2001 Coll., referring to personal data protection.
  4. The issuing of a library card is subject to the submission of a valid identity card (see below) and a completed application form.
    a) Citizens of the Czech Republic must submit a valid identity card and other documents proving their eligibility for one of the categories.
    b) Citizens of other states must submit a valid passport and other valid documents proving they are permitted long-term residency in the Czech Republic.
    c) Citizens of other states without residency permit (or with a permit for shorter than half a year) can borrow materials (outside loans) after leaving a financial deposit.
  5. Library cards are not transferable. They are issued subject to payment by the user and are valid for 6 months or one year from the date of issue. When a library card expires, it can be renewed through the same initial process stated above, after the library has ascertained that the user has not violated library regulations in the previous period.
  6. The user to whom a card is issued is responsible for its use. In the case of a collective user, the authorized representative bears the responsibility.
  7. The user must immediately report the loss of a library card to the library. Fees will be charged for issuing a new library card.
  8. Changes regarding the personal data of the user or the authorized representative (collective user) - e.g. long-term study stay abroad, premature termination of a study program, a change of employment/employer, etc. - must be reported immediately.
  9. If the library is forced to search for such data on its own, or if some damage is caused by such changes, the user must compensate the library for the costs incurred.

Article VII

Library Loans on the Premises

  1. The entire library collection is available for reading on the premises.
  2. The following are lent for on-premise use only:
    a) publications where there is a threat of irreplaceable loss or irreparable damage (a unique publication),
    b) reference literature,
    c) newspapers.
    e) electronic databases.

Article VIII

Outside Loans

  1. With the exception of materials specified in Article VII point 2, the following publications on open shelves can be checked out:
    a) books in the long loan category to readers of all categories for 4 weeks
    b) “overnight” materials (to be returned by 11:00 on the following week day) and a “week loan” for category A and AVIP. Statistics can also be loaned to category AAFSV overnight (to be returned by 11:00 on the following week day).
    c) semestral literature pertaining to CERGE-EI course materials can be loaned to category A , AVIP, and AAPREP for the entire semester
    d) grey literature for 4 weeks (with the exception of the last two years).
  2. The loan period can be extended by the library for category A and AVIP and, on the contrary, reduced for other categories, according to the needs of CERGE-EI. However, the loan conditions are applicable to everyone with a minimum guaranteed loan time of 3 days.
  3. A loan may be renewed twice for a period of two weeks in person, by e-mail, or by telephone. Loans of publications that have previously been reserved cannot be renewed. Priority belongs to category A and AVIP.
  4. A user can be put on a waiting list to borrow a book. The library will reserve the book for 1 week at most.
  5. The user must check on the state of the loaned publications and report any flaws he/she finds. Having borrowed it, he/she bears the responsibility in case of damage, depreciation or loss.
  6. When loaning materials, the library can demand a deposit when there are sufficient grounds.
  7. In the exceptional case that a user returns a publication by post, he/she must package it well and send it by registered post.
  8. If the loan time is exceeded by the user, he/she will pay the fine determined in Supplement 1. This applies even if a reminder has not been sent. If the user is sent a reminder requesting books be returned, the user must also pay for that reminder. After the third reminder, legal action will be taken.
  9. No item belonging to the library may be taken outside the Czech Republic except with special permission from the librarian.
  10. Information on loans is stored in the library information system in electronic form. By signing the application form the user agrees to respect the information stored in the system as valid documentation of his/her loans, and to take responsibility for any loss of library items registered in the system under the users name.

Article IX

Deposits, Compensation

  1. When loans are made in absentia, the library can demand a guarantee that the book will be returned by requiring a deposit to be paid in cash to the library. The receipt slip entitles the user to a reimbursement from the library upon return of the loaned book. The amount of deposit will be determined according to the librarian or library director.
  2. When a book is damaged, destroyed or lost, the user is required to provide compensation in one of the following forms:
    a) an undamaged copy of the work in the same edition in a binding of a similar quality,
    b) another edition of the work or another work of roughly the same value and importance for the library collection,
    c) financial compensation equal to the current value of the work.

Article X

Library Opening Hours

The director of the library stipulates the times when the library is open with the agreement of the director of the institute.

Article XI

Final Stipulation

  1. Supplement 1 "Amounts of Fees and Sanctions" is an integral part of the "Library Regulations."
  2. The Library Regulations are issued by the director of the library.
  3. The Library Regulations are made public in a suitable form.

Article XII

Validity of the Library Regulation

These Library Regulations come into effect on the date they are undersigned.


Prague, 05.01.2007