Rules and Regulations on Operation and Use of Court Libraries

August 12, 2002

SUPREME COURT ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 37-02

RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE OPERATION AND USE OF COURT LIBRARIES IN THE PHILIPPINES

Upon the proposal of the Court Librarians Association of the Philippines (CLAPHIL) with the favorable endorsement of the Chief of the Library Services of the Supreme Court and the recommendation of Mr. Justice Vicente V. Mendoza, Chairperson of the Committee on Library and Printing Services, the following Rules and Regulations Governing the Operation and Use of the court libraries in the Philippines are hereby adopted:

I. LIBRARY CLIENTELE:

The library shall extend its services to the following:

a. Members of the bench and the bar;

b. Court officials and employees; and

c. Other government officials and employees.

Representatives of the diplomatic and consular services and other persons engaged in legal or scientific research may be admitted to the library.

II. BORROWING PRIVILEGES:

a. Borrowing privileges shall be limited to officials and employees of the courts. All other users are entitled to the resources of the library only within the library premises.

b. A borrower's card is necessary to enable the judges and employees of the court to borrow any book from the library.

c. A borrower's card can be secured from the library staff upon presentation of the identification card issued to the court official or employee by the court and the duly accomplished Form #1.

d. The borrower's card is non-transferable and in case of loss thereof, the library staff must be immediately notified.

e. A borrower's card will be issued to all judges and employees of the courts. The card should be presented every time a book is borrowed.

f. The borrower's card shall serve as a record of all library transactions as it contains a list of all books borrowed or returned by the cardholder.

III. LIBRARY MATERIALS ON LOAN:

a. Court employees may borrow library materials for a period of three (3) days upon presentation of the borrower's card or identification card.

b. The period abovementioned may be renewed. However, the borrowed books are subject to recall depending upon the need of the judges.

c. A fine of Five (P5.00) Pesos per day shall be collected from borrowers for books which are not returned on its due date. Refusal to pay the fine will automatically cause the forfeiture of the employee's borrowing privileges.

d. Fines shall be paid to the Clerk of Court. The fines shall constitute as income under the Judiciary Development Fund.

e. Upon return of the book, the borrower's card should be presented to the library staff who shall stamp the date of its return. This will serve as proof that the materials/books borrowed have already been returned.

f. Should the book be returned without a borrower's card, the borrower concerned shall fill up a receipt or Form No. 2. This receipt should be kept and presented when the borrower's card is available so that the date of return of the book is stamped on the corresponding column.

g. No loan of a book can be renewed without the borrower's card.

h. The following books shall be used only within the library premises and/or for photocopy purposes only:

1. Journals or Periodicals.

2. General reference books or those in series e.g. Encyclopedia, dictionaries, etc. Considering that the library has only one (1) set of the Philippine Reports and the Supreme Court Reports Annotated (SCRA) only the lawyers of the court and the staff designated by judges are allowed to bring them out.

3. Newspaper clippings, which are strictly for room use and photocopy purposes only.

4. Current issues of the Newsweek, Time, and other magazines can be read only in the library. Past issues can be borrowed for the same period as books.

IV. LOST BOOKS AND OTHER LIBRARY MATERIALS:

To maintain and improve the library collection:

1. All lost books will be computed as to its current value (per COA regulation). If the book is out of print, the number of pages will be counted divided by two, multiplied by the reproduction cost plus the processing fee. If said book is still of value, said book shall be reproduced at the expense of the borrower.

2. Replacement of a lost library book is preferred to the payment of the cost of said book, but the replacement should not be the older edition. In case there is a later edition, this edition is preferred.

3. Lost periodicals shall be replaced. In case this is not possible, the cost of photocopying shall be charged.

V. LIBRARY HOURS:

The library is open to all its users from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Mondays to Fridays.

VI. PROHIBITED ACTS: The following are strictly prohibited in the library, and violators will be subjected to appropriate disciplinary action:

1. Unnecessary noise, loud conversations, smoking, and eating in the reading area.

2. Mutilation of library materials and defacing library equipment or furniture.

3. Use of the library other than for its main purpose.

The Court Administrator, the Executive Judges concerned and Chief of the Library Services of the Supreme Court shall implement these Rules and Guidelines.

These Rules and Guidelines, which shall take effect on the first day of September, 2002, supersede previous Rules and Regulations governing the operation and use of court libraries in the Philippines.

Issued this 12th day of August, 2002.

 

(SGD.) HILARIO G. DAVIDE, JR.Chief Justice