RSU library regulations

Translation from Latvian by Tilde Machine Translation, 2024

APPROVED
with Riga Stradiņš University
9 October 2024 Rector’s Decree
 No. 1-PB-2/698/2024 
 

Rīga Stradiņš University
Library
REGULATIONS

Issued pursuant to
 Section 20, Paragraph two of the Law on Higher Education Institutions
 and Section 4, Paragraph two of the Library Law

1. General provisions

1.1.    The Riga Stradiņš University Library (hereinafter - Library) is a unit of Rīga Stradiņš University (hereinafter - University) – the main Library of the medical and health sciences sector in the State, which ensures the accumulation, systemisation, cataloguing, bibliography and preservation of printed matter, electronic publications, handwriting and other documents, as well as ensures the public availability and use of information in the library collection and the provision of library services.
1.2.    The Library shall operate on the basis of this Regulation, observing the Constitution of the University, internal and external laws and regulations.
1.3.    The full English name of the Library – Library of the Riga Stradiņš University.
1.4.    The Library serves university students, academic and general staff, researchers, Latvian healthcare workers and any user in the country in accordance with the rules of use of the Library. The terms of use of the Library shall be approved by the Rector of the University.
1.5.    Using a library item is free of charge. Library fee services and their prices shall be determined by the Rector’s Decree.
1.6.    Libraries shall be supplemented by books and other information resources purchased at the University’s expense, donations from natural and legal persons and by other means, as well as by donated and gifted books.

2.    Library structure

2.1.    The Library shall be managed by the Library Director, who shall, without a separate authorisation, represent the Library in matters of its competence and shall be responsible for the work of the Library.
2.2.    The Library Director shall be appointed and removed from office by the Rector of the University.
2.3.    The Library Director shall organise the work of the Library, ensure and be responsible for achieving the objectives of the Library specified in this Regulation and fulfilling the tasks of its structural units, organise the records of the structural unit, perform the tasks specified in the descriptions of the university processes and other internal laws and regulations of the University, as well as fulfil the duties specified in the job description.
2.4.    The Library Director is directly exposed to the University’s Vice-Rector for Science.
2.5.    The Library shall consist of the following business units:2.5.1.    Department of Collection and Resource Development;
    2.5.2.    Department of Information, Bibliography and Information Literacy performing the following functions:
      2.5.2.1.    Interlibrary Loan (hereinafter - SBA) and International Interlibrary Loan (hereinafter - SSBA),
      2.5.2.2.    Information and Bibliographic Service Point in the Library Information Centre – open access reading room;
    2.5.3.    Department of Information Resources Usage and Maintenance performing the following functions:
      2.5.3.1.    Open access loan,
      2.5.3.2.    A subscription to the Library Information Centre — hands-free Reading room User Service point,
      2.5.3.3.    User service point at the Liepāja Branch of the University,
      2.5.3.4.    User service point at the university’s Latvian Academy of Sport Education,
      2.5.3.5.    World Health Organisation Depositary Library in Latvia (hereinafter - WHO Depositary Library in Latvia),
      2.5.3.6.    The European Documentation Centre (hereinafter - THE EDC);
    2.5.4.    Library Information Centre for Healthcare Professionals of Latvia.
2.6.    Heads of departments or key specialists in accordance with job descriptions shall be responsible for the work in the relevant departments and shall be directly accountable to the Library Director. The head or chief specialist of a structural unit shall, without a separate authorisation, represent the structural unit within the scope of its competence.
2.7.    The duties of Library employees shall be determined in the job descriptions, which shall be approved in accordance with the procedures specified in the internal laws and regulations of the University.
2.8.    The library also includes the Library Council.

3. Library goals and tasks

3.1.    Main objectives of the Library as an accredited official State-level library:
    3.1.1.    organise work in accordance with the university’s strategic specialisation in natural, health and social sciences, as well as creating a library as a research library, taking over best practice from foreign leading university libraries;
    3.1.2.    implement the university’s open access policy;
    3.1.3.    ensure availability of stock, electronic resources and information systems for university students, researchers, academic and general staff, Latvian healthcare specialists and any user of the Library.
3.2.    Library tasks:
    3.2.1.    modernise and expand the range of services to be provided through the development of digitisation services and the introduction of new technological tools in the work processes, as well as the improvement of the library’s structural infrastructure;
    3.2.2.    promote the professionalism of library users, including healthcare workers, by providing them with information resources, as well as teaching them how to use these resources;
    3.2.3.    support, in particular, the implementation of doctoral study programmes and scientific research by offering effective tools and methods for accessing information resources, in line with the objectives, courses of action and tasks set out in the university’s development strategy;
    3.2.4.    use available sources of information from other Latvian and foreign libraries or document delivery centres through AN SBA subscription or SSBA subscription;
    3.2.5.    proactively introduce and promote library information resources, services, technological tools, university scientific activities and repository systems among library users, promoting user information literacy;
    3.2.6.    advise libraries of healthcare facilities and provide them with methodological assistance as necessary;
    3.2.7.    raise funds to be used for continuing education of staff, replenishing the resources of the library collection, etc., or for the modern development of the activities of the library;
    3.2.8.    maintain feedback with library users through technology capabilities, organising regular surveys on the quality of library information resources and services provided;
    3.2.9.    prepare and submit the necessary documents and information to the University departments in accordance with the internal laws and regulations of the University.
3.3.    Department of Collection and Resource Development tasks:
    3.3.1.    to compile the library stock in accordance with the study directions and programmes of the University, the directions of scientific research work, the guidelines for compiling the library collection, the decisions of the Library collection Commission, the place of the Library in the common library coordination system as the main Library of the medical sector in the country, in accordance with the framework of the University’s financial resources, including to expand the availability of digital resources;
    3.3.2.    enter and edit metadata in the electronic aggregate catalogue of official State-level libraries by creating the electronic catalogue of the university library, supplement the authoritative record database and perform resource processing, enter and edit metadata in the institutional repository of the university;
    3.3.3.    examine and evaluate new and changed literature lists of study course programmes and inform the heads of study courses and programmes regarding the availability of literature in the library collection for the provision of the study process;
    3.3.4.    list the item received and excluded by the Library, exclude the units in the Library collection.
    3.3.5.    to create an analytical bibliographical database of the Latvian healthcare and medical sciences sector;
    3.3.6.    perform other tasks of similar content in collaboration with other sections of the Library.
3.4.    Tasks of the information, bibliography and information information department:
    3.4.1.    perform bibliographic enquiries and organise an information enquiry system, organise and perform informative and bibliographical service of users;
    3.4.2.    create bibliographic databases and lists of information resources;
    3.4.3.    promote user, incl. Latvian health care specialists, information literacy on library services, resources (subscribed databases, university institutional repository, technological tools, scientific activity information system (LDIS), research data repository Dataverse, etc.), as well as publication in open access;
    3.4.4.    to ensure the input, screening, approval, accumulation and analysis of data from scientific publications, dissertations and other relevant works published by university staff in THE LDIS OF the university, as well as to ensure the training and support of LDIs users;
    3.4.5.    provide informative research support to university staff, from the emergence of a research idea to the dissemination of research results;
    3.4.6.    provide library users with information sources that are not available in the library collection using SBA or SSBA capabilities.
    3.4.7.    perform other tasks of similar content.
3.5.    Information resources Resources Usage and Maintenance tasks:
    3.5.1.    ensure availability and use of the library collection for the continuous implementation of study and research processes;
    3.5.2.    promote the use of innovative methods in the organisation and development of stocks;
    3.5.3.    to promote the Library collection – to regularly create lists of achievements and place them on the Library website, to organise exhibitions (including accreditations and licenses of study programmes), to send information to university departments, etc. to users as necessary;
    3.5.4.    perform inventory of library inventory, select information resources for write-off, recalogy, transfer to other libraries, and organize this work at service points;
    3.5.5.    ensure the maintenance and restoration of the Library’s aggregate inventory;
    3.5.6.    ensure the issuance of quality information sources to users at Library service points for work inside and outside the Library;
    3.5.7.    participate in the creation of the single Reader database;
    3.5.8.    conduct surveys of library users and use various other methods to study user satisfaction with library information resources and services;
    3.5.9.    to create, supplement and promote the share of the total collection of the university library – THE WHO depositary library in Latvia and THE EDC stock, providing users with accurate and factual information about WHO and EDC, in cooperation with WHO’s European Regional Office in Copenhagen (Denmark), WHO’s representation in Latvia, and the European Union’s representation in Latvia to promote and develop research in the field of European integration;
    3.5.10.    provide academic staff, researchers and students with information resources and services at the Liepāja branch of the University and the University’s Latvian Academy of Sport Education, perform informative and bibliographical service of quality users, as well as teach them to use electronic resources;
    3.5.11.    perform other tasks of similar content.
3.6.    Tasks of the Library Information Centre for Healthcare Professionals of Latvia:
    3.6.1.    provide information resources and services to all users of the Centre, as well as academic staff, researchers and students of THE university agency RSU Red Cross medical college, also performing the functions of the college library;
    3.6.2.    to issue information resources to users and to serve them in the reading room in accordance with the rules of use of the Library, to perform informative and bibliographical service of quality users, as well as to teach them to use electronic resources, to advise users in the process of using electronic resources or stocks;
    3.6.3.    perform other tasks of similar content.

4.    Library Council

4.1.    The Library Council (hereinafter - the Council) is a collegiate advisory body established for ensuring library cooperation with the academic and scientific departments of the University and the student Union of the University, as well as with external professional organisations and institutions, in order to provide the Library with support in resolving various issues related to the work of the Library.
4.2.    The purpose of the Council is to assist the Library in defining strategic development directions, in line with the strategy of the University, the requirements of modern higher education and science and the development of new technologies.
4.3.    The tasks of the Council shall be to:
    4.3.1.    provide recommendations and additions to the Library’s annual objectives and tasks in line with the university’s strategy;
    4.3.2.    provide assessment and recommendations for compliance of the library collection and quality of services with the academic and scientific work of the University;
    4.3.3.    support the Library in the management and organisation of the university’s open access repository of scientific and research publications and other research materials;
    4.3.4.    familiarise yourself with the results of user surveys and help the Library deal with the quality of collection and service of users;
    4.3.5.    promote the transition to a next generation library information system with new technological solutions to service library users;
    4.3.6.    prepare and submit proposals and suggestions for the management of the University to address matters falling within the competence of the Council;
    4.3.7.    perform other tasks in accordance with the University guidance.
4.4.    The Council shall have the right to request information from other departments of the University for the purpose of its activities.
4.5.    The Council shall be constituted by 15-17 members and shall be composed of:
    4.5.1.    President-in-Office of the Council: Vice-Rector for Science at the University (ex officio);
    4.5.2.    Deputy President of the Council - University Library Director (ex officio);
    4.5.3.    University Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs (ex officio);
    4.5.4.    University Vice-Rector for Health Studies (ex officio);
    4.5.5.    The Director of the Information Technology Department or his or her delegated representative (ex officio);
    4.5.6.    six University teaching staff and researchers (representatives of five faculty and representative of the Latvian Academy of Sport Education) nominated by the Council of Deans on the basis of the recommendation of faculty councils;
    4.5.7.    A delegated representative of the University’s Student Union;
    4.5.8.    Representatives of the Centre for Educational Growth and Library;
    4.5.9.    one representative of external professional organisations or institutions in the field of libraries.
4.6.    The composition of the Council, on the recommendation of its President, shall be approved by the Rector’s Decree, including the appointment of a Council secretary. The members of the Council (except those under the post (ex officio)) shall be determined by ensuring the representation of the university study direction and research process.
4.7.    Meetings of the Council shall be convened by its deputy chairperson as necessary, but not less than once in the academic year semester.
4.8.    The place, time and agenda of the Council meeting shall be communicated to the members of the Council not later than five working days before the meeting.
4.9.    The meetings of the Council shall be chaired by the President of the Council or, in his absence, by the deputy President of the Council.
4.10.    The agenda of the ordinary Council shall be coordinated by its deputy president with the President of the Council. At the ordinary sitting, unless the Council itself decides at a particular meeting differently how the first item on the agenda is dealt with in the implementation of the decisions taken at the previous sitting.
4.11.    The Council shall have a decision if not less than half of the members of the Council participate in its meeting.
4.12.    The Council shall act by a simple majority, with an open vote.
4.13.    Minutes of the meetings of the Council, the minutes shall be signed by the President and the secretary.
4.14.    Other university staff, student representatives, academic staff, researchers or experts may be invited to participate in the meeting in accordance with the questions examined by the Council.
4.15.    Council decisions are of a recommendation nature.

5.    Library collaboration and Rights

5.1.    The Library shall cooperate with other departments of the University, State institutions, non-governmental organisations and individuals to achieve the objectives and fulfil the tasks.
5.2.    The Library has the right to request and receive from the departments of the University, State and local government institutions, as well as in the cases specified in regulatory enactments from other persons documents and information necessary for the successful provision of its activities.
5.3.    The Library shall be obliged to provide other departments of the University with information on their activities in accordance with their requests.
5.4.    The Library has the right to receive the necessary financial, material and technical security for the successful operation of the Library.
5.5.    Library staff shall participate in the work of the task forces and commissions established by the University in accordance with the internal laws and regulations of the University.
5.6.    The Library shall submit proposals for improvement of activities to the management of the University regarding matters within the competence of the Library.
5.7.    The Library shall have the right to involve employees working in other departments of the University in realising the objectives of the Library, in co-ordination with the relevant employee and the head of his or her department.
5.8.    The Library shall have the right to hold consultations with representatives of the departments of the University regarding issues related to the directions of activity of the Library.

6.    Reorganisation or liquidation

6.1.    The reorganisation or liquidation of the Library shall be carried out by decision of the Council of the University.
6.2.    Changes and additions to this Regulation shall be approved by the Rector of the University.

Director of the Library I. Aploka

COHERENT
Rīga Stradiņš University rectorate
07.10.2024,
prot. No 1-PB-1/34/2024