Library Rules

Harekrushna Mahtab State Library

• These rules may be called the Harekrushna Mahtab State Library
• In these rules, unless the context, otherwise requires “Director” means the Director of the Harekrushna Mahtab State Library
• The Harekrushna Mahtab State Library is a Reference and Research Library and shall not lend out any material for use outside the premises of the State Library.
• The Library shall only be open to registered members of the State Library and such casual visitors as are permitted by the Director of the State Library (hereinafter referred to as the Director) under Rule 10.
• Subject to the provisions of these Rules, any person above the age of 18 years who in consideration of his or her educational status and interest, is in the opinion of the Director, in a position to profitably utilize the facilities offered by the State Library, may, on application, be enrolled as a member of the State Library:
• A person desiring to be a member of the State Library shall make an application in the appropriate form appended to these Rules, obtainable on payment of Rupees five, together with two copies of the latest passport size photographs of the applicant and the receipt in support of payment of application fee. The Director may, where he considers it necessary, require any applicant, about whose eligibility there is any doubt, to produce evidence in support of his eligibility for membership and the application shall not be deemed to be complete until such evidence has been produced. An application which is not complete in all respects shall not be taken into consideration.
• The Director shall have the right to reject any application for membership without communicating any reason therefore and the Director’s decision in such cases shall, subject to review by the Director, Culture, Government of Odisha, be final.
• Every person admitted as a member of the State Library shall be required to make a refundable deposit of Rs.50 before issue of Membership Card to the applicant.
• Membership of the State Library shall ordinarily remain valid for a period of three years from the date of issue of the Membership Card and on application by the member may be renewed for further periods not exceeding three years at a time. Rules and procedure relating to enrolment of members shall mutatis mutandis apply to applications for renewal of membership
• Membership Cards are not transferable. Members shall be responsible for the safe custody of Membership Cards issued to them and shall also be liable for any misuse of the card by any other person. Loss of Membership Card shall be reported forthwith. In the event of loss or damage, a duplicate card may be obtained on submission of application accompanied by two passport size photographs of the applicant and un payment of Rupees five.
• A member of the State Library shall be entitled to use the Bhubaneswar Public Library at its premises but shall not be entitled to borrow books from the Bhubaneswar Public Library except in accordance with Rules Governing the use or the Bhubaneswar Public Library.
• The Director may, on application in the prescribed form obtainable on payment of Rs.3, permit a casual visitor to make use of the facilities offered by the State Library at it’s premises for a period not exceeding 30 days in a calendar year.
• Casual visitors desiring to use the facilities of the State Library for more than seven days, but not exceeding 30 days shall be required to make a refundable deposit of Rs.30.

The Bhubaneswar Public Library

• The Bhubaneswar Public Library is a branch of this State Library and functions as a reference and lending library. It shall only be open to the registered members of the State Library, to the Members of the Bhubaneswar Public Library and such casual visitors as are permitted by the Director under Rule 18.
  Subject to the provisions of these rules, any person above the age of 12 years who, in consideration of his or her educational qualification and interest, is in the opinion of the Director, in a position to profitably utilize the facilities offered by the Bhubaneswar Public Library, may on application, be enrolled as a member of the Bhubaneswar Public Library: Provided that every member of the State Library shall be deemed to be a Member of the Bhubaneswar Public Library: Provided further that a Member of the State Library or a Member of the Bhubaneswar Public Library shall not be permitted to use the Children’s Section of the Bhubaneswar Public Library.
• Any person desiring to be a Member of the Bhubaneswar Public Library shall make an application in the appropriate form appended to these Rules obtainable on payment of Rupees five together with two copies of the latest passport-sized photographs of the applicant and the receipt in support of payment of application fee. The Director may, in his discretion, require any applicant about whose eligibility there is any doubt, to produce evidence in support of his eligibility for membership and an application shall not be deemed to be complete until such evidence has been produced. An application which is not complete in all respects shall not be taken into consideration.
• The Director shall have the right to reject any application for membership without communicating any reason therefore and the Director’s decision in such cases shall, subject to the review by the Director, Culture, Government of Odisha, be final.
• Any person who is a member of the Bhubaneswar Public Library or is deemed to be a member of the said library under Rule 13 may, subject to the provisions of these rules, be permitted to borrow books after the member has made a refundable deposit of Rs.50.00 or Rs.100.00 or Rs.150.00. A member who has made a deposit of a lower value may at his option enhance the amount of deposit to any of the higher amounts from time to time. No book of a value which is twice the amount of the refundable deposit of the member shall be given on loan to the member:
  Provided that the refundable deposit made by a Member of the State Library under Rule 8 shall also be deemed to be a deposit for the purpose of this rule and may be enhanced to Rs.50.00 or 150.00 at the option of the concerned Member of the State Library.
• Every Member who is granted permission to borrow books shall be given a borrower’s ticket and such Member shall be entitled to borrow one book at a time against the borrower’s ticket. One volume of a set shall be deemed to be one book for the purpose of these rules.
• The Director may, on application in the prescribed form obtainable on payment of Rs.3.00 permit casual visitors to make use of the Bhubaneswar Public Library on its premises for a period not exceeding 7 days at a time and not exceeding 30 days in a calendar year. The facilities of lending library shall not be open to the casual visitors.
• Membership Card and Borrower’s Ticket shall ordinarily remain valid for a period of three years from the date of issue of the Membership Card and may be renewed on application for further periods not exceeding three years at a time. Rules and procedure relating to enrolment of members and issue of Borrower’s Ticket shall, mutatis mutandis, apply to application for renewal.
• Membership Card and the Borrower’s Ticket are not transferable. Members shall be responsible for the safe custody of the Membership Card and the Borrower’s Ticket and shall also be liable for misuse of the card and the ticket issued to them. Loss of Membership Card or the Borrower’s Ticket shall be reported forthwith. In the event of loss or damage, a duplicate Membership Card may be obtained on submission of an application accompanied by two passport size photographs and on payment of Rupees five. If a Borrower’s Ticket is lost, a duplicate ticket may be obtained on payment of Rs.5.00 and signing an indemnity bond to the effect that the borrower shall be responsible for any book if issued against the lost ticket
• Members desiring to borrow books shall be required to present their Membership Card and the Borrower’s Ticket at the Circulation Desk. Members may be permitted to borrow books through their agents by sending their Membership Card, their Borrower’s Ticket and a letter of authority under their signature. The letter of authority shall contain the signature of the agent duly attested by the member concerned. The Director shall be competent to refuse permission to borrow through an agent in case of any doubt.