Rules and Regulations of the Library of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews

§ 1. General information

The Library of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews (hereinafter: “Library of the POLIN Museum”) is a specialist library operated at the POLIN Museum in Warsaw. The Library comprises: the reference collection of the Resource Center, the collection of the King Matt's Family Education Area (hereinafter: “family education area”), and the core collection stored in the library storage. 

The Library of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews operates on the basis of the Library Act of 27 June 1997 and the Statute of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. The Library performs tasks related to the Museum’s strategy. Its tasks include: the provision of library services and scientific information related to disciplines falling within the statutory activity of the Museum, i.e.: the history, culture, religion, and heritage of Jews in historic Polish lands, other countries where a Jewish diaspora exists, and Israel, and contemporary issues related to culture, society, and religious life, as well as the museology.

§ 2. Using and borrowing items from the collections of the Library of the POLIN Museum

1. A User shall be a person using materials of the Library of the POLIN Museum and being:
   1. a visitor to the Museum,
   2. an employee of the Museum,
   3. an associate of the Museum,
   4. an intern and a regular volunteer of the Museum,
   5. an employee of an external company operating on the premises of the Museum,
   6. an employee of the Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute.
2. Items can be borrowed outside the Museum only by registered Readers, i.e.:
   1. employees of the Museum,
   2. associates of the Museum,
   3. interns and regular volunteers of the Museum, 
   4. employees of an external company operating on the premises of the Museum,
   5. employees of the Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute.
3. The Library of the POLIN Museum does not lend items outside the Museum to visitors and non-registered persons.
4. Borrowing items from the collections of the Library of the POLIN Museum shall be free of charge. Borrowing shall require the prior creation of a Reader account. 
5. The creation of a Reader account, consisting in registration in the computer Reader database, is possible by approaching a Librarian and presenting an ID document. Readers are required to sign a declaration on compliance with the Rules and Regulations of the Library of the POLIN Museum and to give their consent to the processing of personal data (appendix No. 1 to the Rules and Regulations). Readers are provided with their login credentials for their Reader accounts and with a link to the online catalogue by email.

§ 3. Availability of the library collections

1. The library materials shall be made available under the following rules:
   1. visitors to the Museum shall not use at the same time more than six items from the core collection (library storage) and any number of items from the reference collection of the Resource Center or the family education area,
   2. employees of the Museum may borrow not more than six items for a period of one month, with an option to prolong the borrowing period, 
   3. associates and employees of the Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute may borrow not more than three items for a period of one month, with an option to prolong the borrowing period; in justified cases, a Librarian may agree to lend more items, 
   4. interns, regular volunteers and employees of external companies may borrow not more than two items for a period not longer than two weeks, with an option to prolong the borrowing period; in justified cases, a Librarian may agree to lend more items,
   5. persons not specified above may be allowed to borrow items based on a written permission of the Director of the POLIN Museum or the Deputy Director for Programming.
2. Interlibrary lending shall take place based on detailed arrangements between the institutions concerned.
3. Publications issued before 1960, dictionaries, and encyclopaedias shall not be lent outside the Museum.
4. Readers shall be obliged to return borrowed items by the deadline or to prolong the borrowing period not later than on the date on which the deadline expires, as long as the items concerned have not been booked and no other Reader is waiting for them.
5. A Reader account may be disabled if the Reader exceeds a return deadline by 20 working days.
6. If a borrowed item gets lost or has been damaged, the Reader shall be obliged to purchase the same item or refund the current value of the item, if the publication is no longer available on either the book-selling market or the antiquarian market.

§ 4. The Resource Center

1. The Library of the POLIN Museum shall provide Users with free access to the reference collection of the Resource Center. The reference collection includes books and maps bearing appropriate reference numbers. 
2. Users of the Resource Center may use applications on the available computer equipment and are free to use the wireless network on their own devices.
3. Items available in the Library of the POLIN Museum can be searched for in the Library’s online catalogue, available on the Museum’s website and in the application of the Resource Center.
4. A registered Reader may order books through the online catalogue or borrow items from the reference collection of the Resource Center, directly with the person being on duty in the Resource Center, without prior ordering.
5. If a User wishes to bring their own library materials into the Resource Center, they must inform the employee on duty in the Resource Center of this fact.
6. All materials available to Users in the Resource Center, i.e. books and maps, are secured with RFID labels that must not be removed or damaged.
7. Having finished using materials available in the Resource Center, a User must put them back on the dedicated place. 
8. The book collection of the Resource Center shall be available to Users in the Center’s working hours, i.e. from Monday to Sunday, except for Tuesday, between 10.00 and 18.00. 

§ 5. The Family Education Area 

1. The Library of the POLIN Museum shall provide Users with free access to the reference collection of the family education area. The reference collection includes books bearing appropriate reference numbers. The collection shall be made available only on site. 
2. A Reader may not borrow items directly from the reference collection of the family education area – they are required to order them via the online catalogue.
3. Orders for books from the collection of the family education area are collected in the Library room.
4. If a User wishes to bring their own library materials into the family education area, they must inform the employee on duty in the family education area of this fact.
5. Having finished using materials available in the family education area, a User must put them back on the dedicated place. 
6. The book collection of the family education area shall be available on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays between 15.00 and 18.00 and on Saturdays and Sundays between 11.00 and 18.00, excluding situations where an event is organised in that area. 

§ 6. The core collection / Library storage

1. The online catalogue of the Library is available on the Museum’s website.
2. Visitors to the Museum may use the core collection only at the Resource Center.
3. Publications from the core collection shall be made available to visitors on the basis of a loan request form submitted to the employee being on duty in the Resource Center (appendix No. 2 to the Rules and Regulations). A visitor may submit six loan request forms at a time. 
4. The materials ordered are delivered to the Resource Center within three hours. 
5. Visitors must not take materials from the core collection outside the Resource Center. Having used a book, a visitor must return it to an employee of the Resource Center. 
6. Readers may place orders via the online catalogue, after they log on to their library accounts. 
7. The Library of the POLIN Museum shall deliver orders for items from the core collection from Monday to Friday until 15.30, orders placed after this time shall be delivered on the next working day. 
8. Employees of the Museum collect items from the core collection ordered online in the Library room, while other registered Readers collect their orders at the Resource Center, after they receive an e-mail confirming that the books are ready to be collected.
9. Ordered books may be collected at the Resource Center for a week from the date of placing the order.
10. No orders are placed for library materials being part of the reference collection.

§ 7. Availability of the protected collections for Users 

1. The Library of the POLIN Museum issues protected collections (from 1946 to 1960 inclusive) to visitors on the basis of a written recommendation of a scientific institution or the manager of a scientific project. 
2. Protected collections are made available within two working days of the date of placing an order at the Resource Center.
3. Visitors shall use protected collections under the supervision of a Librarian or an employee of the Resource Center. 
4. Protected collections are issued to Readers based on a statement of reasons sent by e-mail to: [email protected], for one working week, to the place where they are to work, without the option to take them outside the Museum. Employees of the Museum have the right to use protected collections at their place of work, whereas other Readers use such collections at the Resource Center.
5. The Library of the POLIN Museum shall not make available protected collections that are to undergo or are undergoing maintenance. 

§ 8. Availability of the special collections for Users 

1. The Library of the POLIN Museum issues special collections (until 1945 inclusive) to visitors on the basis of a written recommendation of a scientific institution or the leader of a scientific project. 
2. Special collections are made available within five working days of the date of placing an order at the Resource Center.
3. Visitors shall use special collections under the supervision of a Librarian or an employee of the Resource Center. 
4. Special collections are issued to Readers one item at a time, based on a statement of reasons sent by e-mail to: [email protected], for one working day, to the place where they are to work, without the option to take them outside the Museum. Employees of the Museum have the right to use special collections at their place of work, whereas other Readers use such collections at the Resource Center.
5. The Library of the POLIN Museum shall not make available special collections that are to undergo or are undergoing maintenance. 

§ 9. Copying the resources of the Library of the POLIN Museum

1. The Library of the POLIN Museum does not offer reprographics services, however, it does allow Users to take photographs of library materials without using the flash. 
2. Any materials may be copied only in compliance with the applicable law, in particular the Act of 4 February 1994 on Copyright and Related Rights (Journal of Laws 2019, item 1231). 
3. Special and protected collections may only be copied with the permission of a Librarian.

§ 10. Personal data

1. The personal data controller, within the meaning of the provisions on personal data protection, shall be the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, with the registered office at Anielewicza Street 6, Warszawa (00-157). The POLIN Museum has appointed a Data Protection Officer, who can be contacted by email at [email protected] or by telephone (22 471 03 41).
2. In order to create an account for a Reader of the Library of the POLIN Museum, the provision of personal data is required, such as the first and last name, the telephone number, the e-mail address, and the place of residence, which data shall be included in the Library’s database. 
3. Personal data shall be processed for the purpose of conducting the Museum’s statutory activity, mission, and tasks, on the basis of Article 6 (a) of the Personal Data Protection Act of 10 May 2018 (Journal of Laws 2019, item 1781), hereinafter referred to as “the Act”, and regulation (EU) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing the Directive 95/46/EC (hereinafter: “GDPR”), i.e. on the basis of the consent of the data subject. 
4. The recipients of such personal data may be: suppliers of IT systems and IT services, entities providing the Museum with accounting, claim recovery, and legal services, and authorities authorized to receive personal data pursuant to legal provisions.
5. Personal data will not be transferred to a third country. 
6. Each consent may be withdrawn at any time. The withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of the processing carried out prior to the withdrawal. For evidential purposes, the Museum asks that consent should be withdrawn in writing, at the following address: 00-157 Warszawa, ul. Anielewicza 6, or electronically (by sending an email to: [email protected]).
7. A Reader shall have the right to access the contents of their data, the right to rectify them, delete them or limit their processing, the right to data portability, the right to object, and the right to withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the legality of the processing carried out on the basis of the consent before the withdrawal.
8. A Reader shall have the right to file a claim with a supervisory authority if they decide that the processing of their personal data infringes the provisions of the GDPR.
9. The provision of personal data is voluntary, however, it is necessary for the provision of services, including services provided by electronic means. The non-provision of the personal data required by the Museum shall result in the Museum’s inability to provide services.
10. Personal data will be processed in an automated manner, including profiling.
11. A Reader account that has been inactive for 24 months shall be removed from the computer Reader database along with the related personal data.

§ 11. Order regulations

1. Users of the Resource Center and the family education area shall be obliged to:
   1. take care of any library materials and Museum-owned equipment entrusted to them, 
   2. not bring any food or drink to any library areas,
   3. leave any outdoor clothing, bags, rucksacks, briefcases, umbrellas, etc. in the cloakroom.
2. Users are requested to notify the employee being on duty in a given area of any damage identified on library items before they start using them.
3. It is forbidden to take library materials outside the Resource Center or the family education area without the knowledge of their respective employees or without documenting the loan.
4. An employee of the Library, as well as the Resource Center or the family education area, may refuse to serve a User who is acting aggressively or is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
5. Persons who fail to comply with these Rules and Regulations may be deprived of the right to use the collections of the Library of the POLIN Museum, temporarily or permanently. 

§ 12. Final provisions

1. In justified cases, the Director of the POLIN Museum shall have to right to temporarily close or shorten the working hours of the Resource Center and the family education area and to reduce the availability of the core book collection. This fact shall be publicly announced on the Museum’s website. 
2. The current version of the Rules and Regulations is published on the following website.
3. Any changes to the Rules and Regulations may be introduced by an order of the Director of the POLIN Museum. 
4. The Rules and Regulations shall enter into force on the date of their implementation by way of an order of the Director of the POLIN Museum. 
5. Any questions and requests concerning the Library of the POLIN Museum should be sent to: [email protected]