Library Regulation 2018



Part 1 Preliminary
1   Name of Regulation
This Regulation is the Library Regulation 2018.
2   Commencement
This Regulation commences on the day on which it is published on the NSW legislation website.
Note—
This Regulation repeals and replaces the Library Regulation 2010, which would otherwise be repealed on 1 September 2018 by section 10 (2) of the Subordinate Legislation Act 1989.
3   Definitions
(1)  In this Regulation:
governing body of a library means:
(a)  in the case of the State Library—the Council, or
(b)  in the case of a local library—the relevant local authority.
library means:
(a)  the State Library or, depending on the context, the premises of the State Library, or
(b)  a local library that is provided, controlled or managed by a local authority by which the Act is for the time being adopted or, depending on the context, the premises of any such library.
library staff member means:
(a)  in the case of the State Library—a person employed in the Public Service to enable the State Library to exercise its functions, or
(b)  in the case of a local library—any member of staff of the library.
local authority, in relation to a library or library service, means the council of the local government area in which the library is situated or in which the library service is conducted.
premises of the State Library includes any premises used by the Council from time to time as part of, or in connection with, the State Library.
the Act means the Library Act 1939.
Note—
The Act and the Interpretation Act 1987 contain definitions and other provisions that affect the interpretation and application of this Regulation.
(2)  Notes included in this Regulation do not form part of this Regulation.
Part 2 Management of libraries
Division 1 The State Library
4   State Library rules
(1)  The Council may make rules to regulate the use of any facilities, services or collections of the State Library.
(2)  The rules for the State Library may make provision with respect to the following matters:
(a)  access to the State Library’s facilities, services or collections,
(b)  the conditions of use of the facilities, services or collections of the State Library,
(c)  requiring persons to make undertakings in relation to the use of the facilities, services or collections of the State Library,
(d)  any other matters relating to the use of the State Library.
(3)  The Council may require any person wishing to make use of the facilities, services or collections of the State Library to obtain the Council’s consent to that use.
Division 2 Local libraries
5   Registration of borrowers
(1)  Only a person who is registered as a borrower at a local library may take library material away from that library.
(2)  The procedure for registration, including the term of registration, is to be determined by the local authority.
(3)  The local authority may refuse to register a person as a borrower at a library or may cancel a person’s registration as a borrower:
(a)  if the person is not a resident of the local government area of the local authority or of a local government area in relation to which the local authority has entered into an arrangement referred to in section 10 (3) of the Act, or
(b)  if the person has failed to comply with the library rules for the library, or
(c)  if, in the opinion of the local authority, the person is not a fit and proper person to be registered.
6   Local library rules
(1)  A local authority may make rules to regulate the use of its local libraries.
(2)  The rules for a local library may make provision with respect to the following matters:
(a)  the borrowing and returning of library material,
(b)  the charges to be imposed for library material that is returned late and for library material that is lost, damaged or destroyed,
(c)  any other matters relating to the use of the library.
(3)  It is a condition of a person’s registration as a borrower at a local library that the person must comply with the library rules in force for the library.
7   Calculating the value of library material
(1)  The maximum charge that may be imposed by the rules for a local library for library material that is lost, damaged or destroyed is the full value of the library material or, if the library material is obtainable only as part of a series (for example, a series of books or discs), the full value of the series.
(2)  The full value of the library material or series is the value determined by the local authority, being a value not exceeding the sum of the following amounts:
(a)  the original purchase price or the replacement purchase price, whichever is the greater,
(b)  the cost of processing the library material or series for use in the local library.
8   Fee for the late return of library material
For the purposes of the definition of charge in section 10 (4) of the Act, the prescribed fee for the late return of library material is the fee determined by the local authority for the library, being a fee that (whether calculated on a daily, weekly or other basis) does not exceed $50 per item of library material.
Part 3 Use of libraries and library material
9   Certain things must not be taken into a reading room
A person entering a library with any umbrella, bag, case or package, or any photographic or other equipment, must not take it beyond any vestibule of the library except with the consent of the governing body for the library.
Maximum penalty: 2 penalty units.
10   Reproduction of library material
(1)  The governing body of a library may give notice to users of the library that certain library material of the library is unsuitable for reproduction.
(2)  A person must not photograph, photocopy, trace or otherwise reproduce (whether by electronic or digital reproduction) any such library material.
Maximum penalty: 2 penalty units.
Note—
See the Copyright Act 1968 of the Commonwealth for other restrictions on making copies of works (as defined in that Act).
11   Damaging library material or equipment
(1)  A person must not damage, deface or improperly interfere with any library material of a library or any equipment provided by a library for the purposes of accessing library material.
Maximum penalty: 2 penalty units.
(2)  For the avoidance of doubt, turning down the page of a book or otherwise causing any printed matter or the like to become creased is damaging library material.
12   Deliberate misplacing or hiding of library material
A person must not wilfully misplace or hide any library material, or any record of the library material, of any library.
Maximum penalty: 2 penalty units.
13   Noise
A person must not, by speech or otherwise, make any more noise in a library than is reasonably necessary for the use of the library.
Maximum penalty: 2 penalty units.
14   Proper use of a library
A person must not, without the consent of the governing body for the library, use a library for a purpose other than reading, consulting or borrowing the library material of the library or for any other library service or information service.
Maximum penalty: 2 penalty units.
15   Eating and drinking prohibited
A person must not eat or drink in a library otherwise than on those parts of the premises set aside for that purpose by the governing body for the library.
Maximum penalty: 2 penalty units.
16   Animals prohibited
(1)  A person must not take an animal into a library or leave an animal in the library unless the person has the consent of the governing body for the library.
Maximum penalty: 2 penalty units.
(2)  This clause does not prohibit a person with a disability from taking an assistance animal into a library.
(3)  In this clause:
assistance animal means an animal referred to in section 9 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 of the Commonwealth.
disability has the same meaning as in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 of the Commonwealth.
17   Library users may be directed to leave
(1)  A library staff member may direct a person to leave the library and not re-enter the library for such period as the staff member directs, if the staff member is of the opinion that:
(a)  the person has contravened any provision of this Part, or
(b)  the person’s condition, conduct, dress or manner is likely to give offence to any person in the library or to interfere with any other person’s use of the library.
(2)  A person to whom such a direction is given must comply with the direction.
Maximum penalty: 2 penalty units.
(3)  The period for which a person may be excluded from a library by such a direction must not exceed the maximum period determined by the governing body of the library.
Part 4 Miscellaneous
18   Amount of subsidy
(1)  For the purposes of section 13 (4) (b) of the Act, the amount of subsidy is as follows:
(a)  $2.45 for the financial year 2019–20,
(b)  $2.55 for the financial year 2020–21,
(c)  $2.65 for the financial year 2021–22,
(d)  $2.85 for each subsequent financial year.
(2)  In this clause:
financial year means a period of 12 months commencing on 1 July.
cl 18: Subst 2019 (286), cl 3.
19   Determination of local population for subsidy purposes
For the purposes of section 13 (6) of the Act, the number of persons resident within the area of a local authority is the number of persons given as resident within that area in the table of the populations of local government areas most recently compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics before the year for which the subsidy is claimed.
20   Repeal and savings
(1)  The Library Regulation 2010 is repealed.
(2)  Any act, matter or thing that, immediately before the repeal of the Library Regulation 2010, had effect under that Regulation continues to have effect under this Regulation.