To enter each reading room and loan stack room, the reader's Reader's Card or second generation ID card will be verified by the card verification device located at the entrance of each room.
All materials in the reading rooms are to be read inside only.
To read open-stack books, readers are only allowed to take 4 books at a time. For open-stack newspapers and periodicals, readers are allowed to take only the items from the same category each time and take up to one year's issues. Please put the reading materials in the designated areas after reading and do not put them back to the shelves.
To read close-stack books and periodicals, readers must first fill in a request form and hand it to the librarian. Please return all books and periodicals after reading and put them in order.
To read books and periodicals in stacks, readers must first browse the catalogue from the Library's OPAC system (or card catalogue) and send a book request (or submit a request form) to the staff to pick up the item. For books or periodicals arrived at the circulation desk, if the reader doesn't pick them up, then 0.30 yuan per item will be fined. Readers must return the books and periodicals in stacks within the same day, otherwise 5 yuan per item per day will be fined.
To make photocopies of books and other reading materials, readers must fill in a photocopy request form and promise to abide by the copyright law, and process the request at the designated areas. Please return all books immediately after photocopying.
Books and other reading materials in the reading rooms are not allowed to carry out without permission, or else it will be regarded as theft.
A reader must use his/her Reader's Card with loan functions to borrow books.
To borrow Chinese books, only 3 books are allowed to be checked-out each time along with 3 accompanying CDs for 31 days. Renewal of a book is permitted only if it is not on hold for another person. The length of renewal is 31 days (31 days right after the day it is renewed). For English books, 3 books are allowed to be checked-out each time for 31 days. English books are not available for renewal.
To borrow foreign language books in stacks, the reader must first send a loan request on OPAC or use the catalogue cards to browse for its call number. The Library staff will pick up the item for him/her.
Once an item is borrowed and checked-out, the reader should check for any damage to it or any loose pages. He/she must inform the Library staff if it is damaged, and the Library staff must mark the item with a stamp. If a reader returns a damaged book without the staff's stamp on it, he/she will be fined according to relevant regulations.
All reading materials must be returned on time. The overdue fine is 0.30RMB/book/day for Chinese books and handheld readers and 0.50RM/book/day for foreign language books respectively.
To borrow a book that is not owned by the Library, the reader can submit his/her request to the Document Supply Centre to transfer the book from the location where it is available. A fee is charged for this service.
All reading materials in the loan stack rooms are prohibited from carrying out without permission. Otherwise it will be regarded as theft.
Digital reading service is free of charge. Each reader may use the computer for 2 hours at a time after scanning his/her Reader's Card or second generation ID card at the registration desk. After 2 hours, you will get offline automatically (Please save your personal files in time when the system gives you prompting message). If all computers are occupied or you need to continue to use computer after getting offline automatically, please wait to be assigned computers at the registration desk, and then scan your card for using computers.
Readers who bring their own computers may use the Library's wireless local area network free of charge by his/her efficient Reader's Card.
Readers aged 15 and below can get access to digital resources through service computers in the NLC Children's Library.
Please do not download, browse, and search databases and digital resources continuously, systematically within short period in an over normal reading speed.
Please abide by Copyright Law of the People's Republic of China, and related laws and regulations. Downloaded literature is not allowed for commercial purpose.
Please do not engage in any activity which may harm the NLC's computer information networks security or disturb the normal order: please do not use abnormal means to log in the Library's computers or use the Library's computer information networks; please do not delete, modify or increase data, information network functions and applications stored in the Library's computer information networks; please do not create or spread computer viruses and other programs which sabotage the normal operation of the computer system; please do not secretly change the Library's computer devices or network connection manners; please don't run network or stand-alone games; please do not visit entertainment video websites, or pornographic, vulgar webpage contents.
Please pay attention to personal information protection. Please save the downloaded and edited materials in personal storage devices or computer storage areas except disk C. Don't store materials in computer disk C (including Desktop and My Documents), so as to avoid data missing caused by machine breakdown.
Please abide by the related laws and regulations, including Regulations of the People's Republic of China for Safety Protection of Computer Information Systems, Implementation Rules for Provisional Regulations of the Administration of International Networking of Computer Information in China, Measures for Security Protection Administration of the International Networking of Computer Information Networks, Copyright Law of the People's Republic of China, etc.
Please pay attention to your password and other personal information, so as to avoid information leaks and other security risks.
Broadcasting materials stored in readers' own mobile storage devices is not allowed. Readers with disabilities are entitled to priorities of using the Library's computers.
Wireless Network Service of the National Library of China
The wireless network of the National Library of China provides wireless network (WLAN) access services in three areas (the North Area, the South Area, and the Ancient Books Library). Users who have a reader's card can access the resources on the LAN network and the Internet free of charge in the library through devices that support wireless LAN protocols * (such as laptops and smartphone). All they need to do is to authenticate with the reader's card number and password. In addition to all indoor areas for reading and circulation, the outdoor of the three library areas have also been covered with wireless network.
For laptops, the Windows operating system and IE browser are recommended; and for smartphones, they need to support multi-window browsing.
Access to the Wireless Network of the National Library of China
1. Please make sure that IE browser allows pop-up windows, and the security level (Internet) is Medium-Low.
2. Find the “reader” wireless network and connect to it.
3. Enter your reader's card number and password to authenticate.
After successful connection to the “reader” network, open IE browser and enter any URL, it will automatically jump to the authentication page, as shown in Figure 1. You need to enter the reader's card number and password to log in to the wireless network.
Figure 1 Wireless Network Authentication Page
If a reader carries out an item in the stacks or an item that is not allowed to check out without permission, he/she will be fined for 5yuan/book/day.
A reader is fined for any overdue reading material. The fines are as follows: 0.30yuan per Chinese item and 0.50yuan per foreign language item.
If a reader loses any reading material belonging to the Library, he/she should inform the Library staff immediately and actively search for the item. He/she must replace the lost item with a new one of the same version (or a newer version if permitted), and pay a 10yuan processing fee.
The time limit for purchasing the new reading material for replacement is 1 month. The reader cannot check-out any item at the time. If he/she fails to purchase a new item of the same version (or a newer version if permitted) in the required time, he will compensate for the loss at an amount subject to the following standards:
General domestic publications: documents published in 1950-1977 are compensated at 2 times the original price times the number of years since they were published; documents published in 1978-1984 are compensated at original price times number of years since they were published; documents published in 1985-1990 are compensated at 5 times the original price; documents published in 1991-1995 are compensated at 4 times the original price; documents published in 1996-2000 are compensated at 3 times the original price; documents published after 2001 are compensated at 2 times the original price plus 10yuan processing fee.
Imported foreign publications are compensated at 1-5 times the original price with 10yuan processing fee.
If one or more volumes are lost from a series of books, the reader must compensate for the price of the entire series and is not allowed to take back the other volumes. If a volume has a single price and multiple copies, it is compensated at multiples of its price.
Documents published during the Min Guo period and documents of special value should be compensated at the current antique market's appraised prices.
Compensation for non-priced reading materials refers to the prices of similar items.
If the original item is found after compensation has been paid, he/she can ask for a refund of the compensated amount upon presenting the original receipt. However he/she must pay for the overdue fee from the day compensation was paid to the day the original item was returned.
Damages
If any regular reading material is scratched, smeared or damaged by the reader, he/she will be fined 5-20yuan according to the degree of damage. If the readiness of the item is strongly affected, it is regarded as a lost item and the reader must compensate for it accordingly.
If any document in the Special Collection is scratched, smeared or damaged by the reader, he/she will be fined according to the following standard:
If damages are made to a preservation document, a publication in the Minguo Period or a precious document, the fine will be double of the amount charged for scratching, smearing or damaging the regular documents.
If any rare book or copy is scratched, smeared or damaged by the reader, he/she is subject to punishments under relevant regulations in the Law of the People's Republic of China on Protection of Cultural Relics.
Ripping and cutting-off pages
If an item's pages that are ripped or cut off, it is regarded as a lost item and will be compensated according to the lost item regulations.
Theft
If any library item is concealed by a person without being checked-out, once discovered, it will be regarded as theft. He/she must also pay for a fine of 2-5 times of the original price of the item.
Other Related Regulations
The Library has the authority to suspend a person's Reader's Card (three months, half a year, two years) or cancel a person's Reader's Card if he/she refuses to pay for a fine or to compensate for the above infringements (the deposit money will be used for compensation). To a person who severely violates the library regulations and shows a disagreeable attitude, the Library has the right to suspend or cancel his/her Reader's Card and notify his/her employer until the issue is legally resolved. If the person is unemployed, he/she will be brought to the police department.
