Guidelines and Policies

Use of Library Facilities and Information Resources
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NTU Library facilities & resources are restricted to NTU Library members only. Visitors should approach the desk in the relevant libraries for permission to enter the libraries. NTU Library reserves the right to grant the privilege.

A. Use of Library Facilities

1. Appropriate behavior

Library users are expected to show consideration to other users at all times and help to maintain an environment conducive for study and learning. To accommodate different user learning needs our Library has provided the following zones which allow for different levels of noise:
- Learning Commons
  These are found in Business Library (BUSL) and Lee Wee Nam Library (LWNL) and moderate noise arising from discussions and/or collaborative learning activities is allowed.
- Quiet Zone
  These are demarcated areas or floors designated specifically for quiet learning and reading. No conversation is allowed.
- General and open areas
  As these are areas with clusters of either study carrels or study tables, brief and quiet conversation is allowed but it should be kept at a level which is not disruptive to other users.
Mobile phones should be set to silent or vibrating mode and calls should be answered outside the Library when possible or in designated areas.

All users are expected to engage with library staff and other users in a respectful and courteous manner. They should behave in a civic minded manner within library premises (e.g. by not putting their feet on seats or tables or littering).

In general, library users have the right to request others to conform to proper behavior in the Library. The Library reserves the right to ask a disruptive user to leave the Library premises, impose suspension of library privileges and take further disciplinary measures as it sees fit.

2. Food and drinks
Any kind of food, whether for consumption or safe-keeping, is not allowed in the Library. Drinks in covered containers may be brought into the Library but users should exercise caution to prevent spillage.

The Library reserves the right to ask users to remove food or drinks from any area of the Library.

3. Seating and Library facilities
Various types of seats and desks are provided in the Library for users to study, consult and use the library collection and resources. Users should refrain from sleeping and depriving others of their proper use.

Seats in the Library may not be reserved. During busy periods, the Library exercises the right to remove the belongings of any user who has not occupied his/her seat for more than half an hour so as to enable other users to use the seat.

4. Computers & Equipment
Use of Library computers and equipment is restricted to NTU Library members only.

The following is not allowed:
- using more than one workstation at any one time
- allowing others to use your NTU network account or vice versa
- copying, storing, transmitting or using any unlicensed copyrighted software or materials
- accessing, storing or downloading data which is obscene, distasteful, vulgar, sexually suggestive or graphics which are prohibited by the laws of Singapore
- using any obscene, distasteful, derogatory, vulgar, sexually suggestive or discriminatory language
- unauthorised access to any system
Action will be taken against those who abuse the use of computers and equipment. The Library reserves the right to direct the offender to leave the library premises and to impose a suspension of library privileges. In addition, the offender may be referred to the University Administration for further disciplinary action.

In addition, users are required to adhere to rules and regulations for computer account holders as spelt out in the Centre for IT Services (CITS) policy.

5. Safety and security
Library users should exercise caution and care over their personal belongings and not leave them unattended. The Library shall not be responsible for any expenses, claims or demands in the event of any accidents occurring to any persons engaged in connection with the use of the facilities. The Library is not responsible and liable for the security, loss or damage of any items brought in by the user.

Library users who attempt any theft of library materials or commit any misdemeanor or crime in the Library shall be handed to Campus Security and the police for investigation.

The Library installs CCTV in selected areas in its premises to ensure better security of our members and the security of our collections. These surveillance areas are indicated by appropriate signage. Only Library staff and university security personnel will have access to footage from the surveillance recordings during security investigations.

The Library shall not be responsible for any personal hurt or injury suffered by users while inside the Library. However users should approach Library service desks or any Library staff for assistance in any medical emergency.

Children should be supervised at all times by a responsible adult whilst on library premises.

All library users should familiarize themselves with the designated emergency exits in each library. They are to exit the building through the nearest exit when prompted by announcements, alarms, or Library staff during a fire or security emergency.

In addition, users are required to adhere to the Campus Security Policy as set out by Campus Security Division (CSD).

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B. Use of Library Information Resources

1. Reproduction of library materials
All materials available at the Library are copyrighted. Users are not to photocopy, scan, distribute, publish, transmit, broadcast, reverse engineer, decompile or modify, download or reproduce the materials in any form or manner, in whole or in part, unless permitted by the Singapore Copyright Act.

Fair Dealing:
Copying for Education Purposes:

Multiple copying or communication, 14 days after the previous copy was made or communicated, of insubstantial portions of works by any person is permissible if the copying or communication is carried out or initiated from the premises of the University for the purposes of a course of education provided by the University. “Insubstantial portions of works” here refers to:
not more than 5 pages of a work that is less than 500 pages, or
not more than 5% of a work that has more than 500 pages
Under the statutory licence for educational institutions, multiple copying of a reasonable portion (amount permitted under fair dealing) of a work by the University for educational purposes is permitted. Written record of the copying shall be kept. Teaching staff should check with their respective schools on how these records are maintained.

Copying beyond Copyright Limits:

Permission must be obtained to use copyrighted materials if it exceeds the legal limit. Staff or student need to contact the:
copyright owner to negotiate for permission or a licence to use the material; or
collective society that administers the rights of copyright owner. In Singapore, The Copyright Licensing and Administration Society of Singapore Ltd (CLASS) has a group of international and local academic book publishers and local authors as members. The Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS) deals with music copyright and the usage of musical works
If copying exceeds the limits allowed under the Copyright Act, the University will not be liable for any infringement of copyright action which may be taken against the perpetrator.

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2. Viewing of AV materials
Users may view exempted and unrestricted AV materials within the Library at workstations provided. Titles which are not marked as “Non-Circulating” can be borrowed out on short term loan.
Viewing of unrated, classified AV materials (i.e. those with IMDA ratings of NC16 and M18) and restricted (R21) AV materials must follow the latest guidelines laid down by the Media Development Authority (Singapore). Thus:

Both NC16-C and M18-C titles are to be viewed by students within the library premises only.
Students have to be at least 16 and 18 years old in order to view NC16-C and M18-C titles respectively.
Unrated and restricted AV materials, including R21, Passed with Cut, Banned and Not Recommended can only be viewed by students enrolled in the course in which the item is used as course material, or academic or research staff undertaking research on the title.

AV materials borrowed out of the Library by a user are meant for home viewing and are strictly not to be screened for groups or the public.
Borrowers or viewers must comply strictly with copyright laws and ensure that AV materials charged out under their names are not communicated or reproduced in part or in whole in whatever ways possible.
Group film screenings in the Library are for two possible purposes:

Teaching/learning. Required viewing of legally acquired course-related films for the students enrolled in a specific course is supported by Library policy.
Non-course related/leisure. Only titles acquired with Public Performance Rights can be screened. Most films acquired by the Library prohibit public performance and as such the Library cannot support their screening.

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3. Use of electronic resources
Access to electronic resources
Electronic resources provided by the library are mostly subscribed from vendors and publishers. Members have access to them within the Library or remotely using NTU staff or student computer accounts and authentication. Library members who are not staff or students of NTU may access most of these within designated workstations in the premises of the Library.
License Agreements:

Access to and use of electronic resources subscribed by the Library is governed by license agreements negotiated between the Library and publishers/vendors/ content providers. These license agreements are legally binding contracts that allow staff, students, employees and other authorised users to access the resources for non-commercial, educational, scholarly and research purposes.
While licenses are different for each resource, there are general clauses that are applicable to all electronic resources in general. These clauses prohibit:
large-scale or systematic downloading of single or multiple copies of abstracts, tables of contents or full text documents in print or electronic copies or permanently retaining them on any file or on any hard drive, server or other form of memory
utilisation of software programmes or routines designed to continuously and automatically search and index the resources, such as spiders, web-crawlers and robots
alteration, amendment, modification, abridgement, translation or change in any manner of and including the removal of copyright information from the licensed materials
sales and exploitation of licensed materials for any commercial purposes
publication, distribution, mounting on any electronic network, or retaining portions of licensed materials or combining them with any other material

Resources where additional restrictions apply will require Library users to agree to the terms and conditions of use via an online click through acceptance page before proceeding to use the resource.

Singapore Copyright Act
In addition to License Agreements, use of electronic resources is also governed by the Copyright Act. Additional information can be found in section, Reproduction of library materials.

Downloading of electronic resources
Excessive downloading:

Excessive downloading occurs when a user downloads files in quick succession using robots, spiders, automated downloading programmes or other manual methods; or copies the whole or a significant portion of an e-journal, e-book or database for retention, distribution or other purposes that violate the terms of use of the resource.
Detection of excessive downloading of files from e-resource provided by the Library will lead to blanket suspension of access to the whole university community for a significant period of time by the respective publisher. A user who engages in this act will cause great inconvenience for the entire university community and gravely affect the work of members who need uninterrupted access to the resource.
Users who engage in excessive downloading are liable for disciplinary action.

Penalties imposed on violations:

On detection of extensive downloading activity by the Library, the user will be suspended. Depending on the outcome of investigation, access privileges may be restored.
On blanket suspension of access imposed on the entire university community by the publisher due to excessive downloading traced to a user, the offending user will have his access to all library e-resources suspended for a minimum of 1 week and subject to completion of all tasks required by the publisher and the Library to lift the suspension. This may include deleting of all downloaded materials and a written undertaking not to repeat the offence. The offender’s name will be logged in the Library rules violation file.
On subsequent violations, a suspension of all library privileges will be imposed and a formal notification of offense sent to the respective deans of colleges and other supervisory staff for further action.
For the full policy, please see: Appropriate Use of Information Resources.
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Appropriate Use of Information Resources
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Please read this data protection and privacy statement carefully so that you understand the purposes for which we collect, use and disclose your Personal Data. In this document, "we", "us" and "NTU" refers to Nanyang Technological University and its successors and assigns.

We may collect, use, disclose and process your Personal Data for one or more of the following purposes:
1. To process your application to be a Library member;
2. To administer and manage your relationship with us as a Library member ("Relationship");
3. To contact you or communicate with you via various modes of communication such as voice call, text message or fax message, email or postal mail for the purposes of administering and managing your relationship with us;
4. To deal with, administer and manage your use of NTU resources and facilities;
5. To verify and process payment when you pay fines, replace lost or misplaced items, pay for document delivery services and other services;
6. To conduct statistical analysis of users and usage of our resources and conveying such information in broad terms (but not information in relation to specific individuals) to third parties who have business dealings with us;
7. To generate and send you publicity materials for our courses, events and programmes; and
8. Any other purpose reasonably related to the aforesaid.
  (Collectively, the "Purposes").
We may need to disclose your personal data to third parties, whether located within or outside Singapore, so that they can process data for one or more of the above purposes.

You have the right to withdraw your consent given hereunder. However, your withdrawal of consent could mean that we will not be able to continue with your relationship with us. If you wish to withdraw your consent, please send us an email.

"Personal Data" means data, whether true or not, about an individual who can be identified:
1. from that data; or
2. from that data and other information to which NTU has or is likely to have access.
Collection Development
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The Collection Development Policy aims to fulfil 2 objectives:
1. Develop and maintain a collection that matches the curriculum and research profiles of the university.
2. Help users to better understand the reasons behind the selection and purchase of library materials.
How do we select and purchase library materials?

Our librarians select library materials based on individual subject profiles. Selected and approved library materials are then purchased by the Resource, Discovery & Access.

Get full details about our policies:
- Collection Development Policy (Print & AV)
- Weeding & Discarding Policy
For feedback and query on the policy, please contact the respective librarians.

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About NTU Library

Guidelines and Policies

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