National Library
(Republic
of Mauritius)
Foreward
The aim of the National
Library is to be a model of excellence in the provision of information services
to all Mauritians and foreigners within the resources available.
Our Customer Service
Charter reflects our fundamental commitment to customer service in achieving
this vision. We believe we can achieve
organizational credibility through consistency, transparency and continuous improvement
in service quality.
Our Charter has been
developed to let you know the standards of service you can expect from us and
how you can help us improve our services.
Content
- Our Vision
- Our Mission
- Our Goal
- Our Key Priorities
- Our Collection
- Our Service
Standard
- Our Customer
Promise
- Working with
Others
- Our Customers
- Our Customers’
Responsibilities
- Services
11.1
Reference / Enquiry Service
11.1.1
Search
Room
11.1.2
Reprographic
Service
11.1.3
Electronic
Search
11.1.4
Reservation
11.2
Bibliographic Services
11.2.1
National
Bibliography
11.2.2
Press Cuttings
11.2.3
Cataloguing-In-Publication
Data
11.2.4
Consultancy Service
- Agency for
the ISSN
- Outreach
Programme
13.1
Publications
13.2
Visits to the National Library
13.3
Essay Writing Competitions
- Preservation
& Conservation
- What the
Customer Should Know
15.1
Conditions for Membership
15.2
Registration
15.3
Access to the Search Room
15.4
Discipline in the Search Room
15.5
Care of Documents
15.6
Use of
Writing Materials
15.7
Accident
15.8
Use of
the Internet
15.9
Use of
Laptop & Scanner
15.10
Lending
Service
15.11
Requests
in Advance
15.12
Bags &
Satchels
15.13
Valuables
15.14
Non-Permissible
Objects
15.15
Misuse
of Library Facilities
15.16
Removal
from the Library Premises
15.17
Public
Telephone
15.18
Your Responsibility
as a Customer
15.19
Finding
Help
15.20
Your Views
on Our Service
15.21
Opening
Hours
15.22
How to
Contact Us
1.Our
Vision
The National
Library of the Republic of Mauritius aims to be a top class library in the
provision of information services to the nation, thus contributing to its
development.
2.Our Mission
The National
Library would provide equal access to information to all Mauritian nationals,
thus leveling educational opportunities and deepening the democratization
process.
3. Our
Goal
Mauritians to
have access, through the National Library to a comprehensive collection of
materials relating to Mauritius and to international documentary resources
whether in print or electronic formats.
4.Our
Key Priorities
Ensure that a comprehensive record of Mauritiana and a
selected record of universal human knowledge is collected and catered for
v
Collect
Mauritiana publications and support cooperative ventures to ensure
comprehensive national coverage
v
Take up the
challenge of collecting and preserving significant Mauritiana electronic
information resources
v
Preserve for
current and future use all Mauritiana and other library materials
Ensure that
the National Library provides effective
and efficient access to its own collections, and to documentary sources found
elsewhere
v
Ensure that
the library’s collections are classified, catalogued and indexed and are easily
identifiable through online catalogues.
v
Tap the vast
potential of the Internet with a view to provide a timely and quality reference
and information services to users throughout the nation.
Ensure that
Mauritians, wherever they reside or work, have access to information resources
in Mauritius and overseas.
v
Endeavour to establish formal resource sharing among
libraries
v
Devise strategies to harness emerging technological
developments
Ensure a
better understanding of the importance of libraries in general, and the
National Library particularly in the intellectual and cultural life.
v
Promote knowledge and use of the Library’s resources
v
Demonstrate the National Library’s role supporting
scholarship, creative and intellectual initiatives
v
Show that information can be democratized through
libraries.
v
Promote the richness and diversity of the National
Library’s collection and its on-going role of collecting, preserving and
disseminating same.
v
Represent Mauritian libraries in international
forums.
5. Our
Collection
The
collection of the National Library is made up of:
v
The
Mauritania section of the Mauritius Institute Library;
v
The
Mauritania printed materials of the Archives Department;
v
Donations
from various Ministries, institutions and generous individuals;
v
Documents
related to Mauritius which are published and printed abroad;
v
The Reference
collection of Non–Mauritiana documents.
TYPES OF LIBRARY MATERIALS
Our
collection comprises Library materials in various formats relating to any
subject and produced in Mauritius or relating to Mauritius and produced
overseas, such as:
v
Books
v
Newspapers
v
Periodicals
v
Music Scores
v
Maps
v
Photographs
v
CDs
v
CD–Roms
v
Audio
Cassettes
v
Video
Cassettes
v
Manuscripts
v
Theses and
dissertations
6. Our
Service Standard
When
you use the Library service, you can expect:
v
that we
will, as far as possible, answer information enquiries on the same working- day
and that we will inform users of any likely delay;
v
to find
study facilities in a spacious and air conditioned Search Room;
v
to be served
by knowledgeable, skilled and friendly staff who can deal effectively with
enquiries;
v
to find
library materials in a variety of formats;
v
that our
books, and other materials will be in reasonable physical condition and reflect
the widest possible range of opinions;
v
to refer you
to other more appropriate sources of information, should the need arise;
v
that we will
guide you in your search strategy;
v
to find our
library open at least 38 hours per week;
v
to find free
Internet access for genuine academic search;
v
to have
access to the catalogue;
v
to benefit
from confidential treatment of personal information.
7.
Our Customer Promise
v
We will not
keep you waiting for service for more than fifteen minutes.
v
We will
answer your telephone calls, emails and correspondence promptly and in a
friendly way.
v
We will
listen to your suggestions and complaints about the service and will tell you
what we have done about them.
v
We will
carry out a customer satisfaction survey once a year and will use the data
collected for improving the service, whenever possible.
v
We will give
equitable access to materials in high demand.
v
We will
publicise our services and activities adequately.
8.
Working with Others
In
maintaining these standards, the National Library will:
v
Preserve the
cultural heritage of Mauritius by collecting and making available materials
about all aspects of the area.
v
Work in
partnership with other agencies, such as libraries, printers, publishers,
organisations and individuals to systematically chase and acquire Mauritiana
documents needed by our customers.
v
Provide a
timely and quality reference and information services to our customers.
9.
Our Customers
The
National Library’s clients include:
v
The general
public
v
Secondary
school and university students
v
Professionals
v
Researchers
v
Libraries
and other institutions
v
The book
trade and related industries
v
The Nation
v
Foreign
researchers
10.
Our Customers’ Responsibilities
Customers
can assist the National Library provide better service by :
v
Providing
timely, honest, complete and ,above all, accurate information
v
Treating the
Library personnel with courtesy
v
Meeting any
reciprocal obligations of the service relationship
11. Services
11.1 Reference/Enquiry Service
v
Searching
specific documents for customers;
v
Looking for
specific information from library materials;
v
Answering
enquiries, whether in person or by telephone, facsimile or e-mail.
11.1.1 Search Room
The
National Library offers sitting accommodation for seventy five readers at a
time in a pleasant and air-conditioned environment for the purpose of research
and study.
11.1.2
Reprographic Service
Photocopies
of extracts from books, periodicals, newspaper articles can be made on request,
subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1997.
11.1.3 Electronic
Search
Free
Internet access is allowed in accordance with the stipulated rules and
regulations.
11.1.4 Reservation
Any
customer can make a request for documents before coming to the National
Library, either in person, by phone or by mail for future consultation.
11.2 Bibliographic Services
11.2.1 national bibliography
The
National Library compiles the National Bibliography of Mauritius using
international tools, such as the Dewey Decimal Classification (21st
edition), the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (2nd edition) and the Library of Congress
Subject Headings (22nd edition).
11.2.2 Press Cuttings
The
National Library maintains a collection of press cuttings on subjects of
interest to the Republic of Mauritius, such as education, health, villages and
sites, information technology, environment, Chagos, etc.
11.2.3 Cataloguing-In-Publication Data
This
is a free service involving the preparation of a catalogue entry for a book before
it is printed or published. This
abbreviated catalogue entry is derived from information on forthcoming
publications supplied in advance to the National Library by printers,
publishers or authors.
11.2.4 Consultancy Service
The
National Library provides consultancy services in Library and Information
Science to selected organizations such as ministries upon request. So far, the National Library has already
provided such a service to the Management Audit Bureau, the Mauritius Sports
Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce and
Cooperatives and the Ministry of Labour and Industrial Relations.
12. agency for the issn
The National
Library is now the official agency for the allocation of International Standard
Serial Number to any serial publication, such as newspapers, magazines,
newsletters, printed and published in Mauritius. Application for ISSN number must be made to the National Library.
13. outreach programme
13.1 publications
In addition to
the rules and regulations delineating customers’ rights and obligations, the
National Library has also published the following:
v Souvenir Magazine
v Directory of Libraries, Documentation
Centers and Bookshops in Mauritius & Rodrigues
v Strategic Plan 2000-2002
v Annual Reports
v Brochures on Legal Deposit,
Cataloguing-in-Publication, Disaster Plan and Copyright
v National Bibliography of Mauritius
(1996-2000)
v ‘Preserving the past to inform the future’
brochure
13.2 Visits to the National Library
The National
Library organises visits for primary and secondary school students on a regular
basis. These consist of a presentation
followed by a questions-answer session and a guided tour of the various
sections of the Library.
13.3 Essay writing competitions
Organising
essay writing competitions on issues related to the National Library has also
become a regular feature. The aim is to
create an awareness of the important role of a National Library in society.
14. preservation &
conservation
In pursuance of
one of its statutory objectives, namely ‘to collect, receive and preserve
all library materials required to be deposited in the Library’, the
National Library has embarked on an ambitious programme of microfilming,
laminating and binding current newspapers for present and future use.
15. what
the customer should know
15.1 Conditions for Membership
Mauritian Nationals
v The National Library is open to all users
aged 18 and above.
v Students from tertiary educational institutions are entitled to use the
National Library.
v Secondary school students of the upper
forms may be admitted upon presentation of an official recommendation from
their rectors each time they visit the library.
Foreign Visitors
v Foreigners may be admitted at the
discretion of the Director.
15.2 Registration
v
Any person
who desires to inspect library materials will have to register himself/herself
at the reception counter, Administration Section located on the 2nd floor of Fon Sing
Building, Edith Cavell street, Port Louis.
v
Identity card will have to be shown at the time of registration.
v
Signing the
request for consultation shall imply an agreement to comply with the rules and
regulations of the National Library and their infringement may render the user
liable to exclusion.
15.3 Access to the Search Room
v
Satisfactory
completion of registration by a user will entitle him/her to receive an Access
Card in order to proceed to the Search Room located on the 1st
floor.
15.4 Discipline in the Search Room
v Complete silence should be observed in the
Search Room. No group discussion is
allowed.
v Users will not be allowed to eat,
drink, smoke, use cellular phones and bring in any pet animal inside the Search
Room.
v Documents shall not be taken out of the
Search Room. Users must hand them back
to the library staff before leaving.
15.5 Care of Documents
v Where documents are too fragile for
consultation, the National Library reserves the right to withhold them.
v The greatest care must be exercised in
handling library materials.
15.6 Use of Writing Materials
v
Users shall
not use any writing material which, in
the opinion of the library staff might damage the documents being consulted.
v
Only pencils
may be used.
v
No mark
shall be made on any document.
v
No person
shall lean upon a document or place on it the paper on which he/she is writing.
15.7 Accident
v Any defect in or accident to a document
must be reported immediately to the library staff.
15.8 Use of the Internet
v Internet facilities are available to
users:-
From
9.00 a.m to 3.30 p.m on weekdays,
From
9.00 a.m to 11.30 a.m. on Saturdays.
v Application for permission to use the
Internet shall be made to the library staff at the Reception Counter.
v Surfing the net for the first sixty
minutes is free, after which, a nominal fee will be charged per minute.
v Downloading may be allowed. Only formatted
disks purchased from the National Library may be used to guard against viruses.
v Surfing of obscene sites is prohibited.
v The National Library will not be
responsible for the speed and quality of the response line.
v Theft of any of the computer peripherals
is liable to prosecution.
v It is illegal to make or distribute
copyright materials without the authorisation of the owner.
v E-Mail facilities will not be
provided.
15.9 Use of Laptop & Scanner
v Users may be allowed to use their personal
laptop and scanner in the Search Room provided other users are not disturbed
and that prior authorisation has been obtained from the library staff.
15.10 Lending Service
v
The National
Library shall not lend books and non-book materials to the public. It may lend to other libraries in case the
latter do not possess the required materials.
15.11 Requests in advance
v Any customer is entitled to make a request
for a document before coming to the library, either in person or by phone for
future consultation during the library opening hours.
15.12 Bags & Satchels
v Customers shall leave their bags and
satchels in lockers specifically set aside at the entrance of the Search
Room. The National Library will not be
responsible for the loss of their belongings.
15.13 Valuables
v Specific valuables such as important
documents, money, ID/Credit Cards may be allowed inside the Search Room.
v Library customers who choose to leave
their valuables in their bags do so at their own risks.
15.14 Non-Permissible Objects
v A customer must not bring into, or
possess inside the library building:
(i)
a
projectile,
(ii)
a weapon,
including firearm,
(iii)
an
inflammable or explosive article or substance,
(iv)
any pet
animal.
15.15 Misuse of Library Facilities
A
customer must not, on library property:
(i)
intentionally
damage or interfere with an exhibit, plant, structure or object, or
(ii)
intentionally
obstruct, disturb or annoy another person from properly using the premises; or
(iii)
intentionally
and without authority or lawful excuse, destroy, alter, or erase a computer
program on a computer, computer system or part of a computer system; or
(iv)
without
reasonable excuse, affix any article to, write on, or otherwise deface, any
structure; or
(v)
Without the
written consent of the Director, expose or cause to be exposed for show, sale
or hire any article for use or consumption by a member of the public; or
(vi)
Contravene a
reasonable directive of an authorised library staff.
15.16 Removal from the Library Premises
v If a user refuses to obey any of the
above-mentioned regulations, the library staff may, using such force as is
reasonable and necessary, remove the person from library premises.
v A person will not be granted access to the
National Library premises if he or she is under the influence of liquor and
drugs.
15.17 Public Telephone
v A public telephone facility is available
outside the Search Room.
15.18 Your responsibility as a Customer
The National
Library considers the safety and
security of its collection to be of paramount importance. Most of our
collection are irreplaceable. We
therefore, kindly request you to take great care of the library materials put
at your disposal. The library staff
will react promptly to any misuse of the collection. You are asked not to behave in any way likely to disturb other
users. We expect you to treat the staff
with the same courtesy and respect you like to be shown to yourself.
15.19 Finding Help
The staff at
the Reception Counter on the second floor will assist you regarding
registration and for making a request for information. You will then be directed to the Search Room on the first
floor, where you can consult the appropriate library materials. The staff in the Search Room is here to help
you in your information search. Please
do not hesitate to contact him/her.
15.20 Your views on our Service
The National
Library would like to know what its customers think of the services, in order
that we can develop them to meet your needs.
We therefore welcome your views, comments and suggestions, whether
verbal or written.
15.21 Opening Hours
Mondays
to Fridays : 9.00 a.m – 16.00 hours
Saturdays : 9.00 a.m – 12.00 hours
Public
Holidays : Closed
15.22 How to contact us
Postal Address:
1st & 2nd Floors, Fon Sing Building, 12 Edith Cavell
Street, Port-Louis.
211
9891, 211 9896, 210 7121.
Facsimile:
(230) 210 7173
E-Mail: natlib@intnet.mu
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For more information visit our website:
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