Rules for library use
Library opening hours:
10 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday, except for holidays
Users
- Researchers;
- Law professors and students enrolled in a law faculty;
- Judges and staff of both national and international courts and tribunals;
- Lawyers who plead before both national and international courts and tribunals;
- Guests of the Institute;
- Visitors upon presentation of identification documents and after having obtained from the service of the Arusha International Conference Center a visitor’s pass which they must carry at all times when they are on the premises of the Institute.
Other people who wish to use the library are required to request authorization to do so before coming. Insofar as it is possible to meet their research needs, this authorization may be granted for a specific period.
They must present their authorization letter to the security department of the Arusha International Conference Center when applying for a visitor’s pass.
Authorization is granted to people who demonstrate a legitimate need to use the library, but it can be refused if the resources they wish to consult are easily accessible elsewhere.
If the authorization is refused, the reasons for the refusal are communicated on request.
The African Institute of International Law reserves the right to refuse anyone access to the library as well as the right to expel any person whose conduct undermines the dignity of the Institute.
Visitors register
With the exception of Institute staff members, library users are requested to sign the register at the reception indicating the name of the organization to which they belong and the time of their arrival. They must also enter the time at which they leave the premises.
Loan policy and procedure
AIIL staff may borrow books from the library, subject to the following restrictions:
- Works marked “reference” must be returned the same day they are borrowed.
- Works kept at the reference desk – including recent periodicals and case reports, new acquisitions and a limited number of books in constant demand – can only be borrowed for a short period and must be returned when due.
- CD-ROMs cannot be taken out of the library.
AIIL close friends as well as certain other persons may, at the discretion of the Program Manager, borrow works for a period of twenty-four hours, with the exception of the works listed below, which must be consulted on the spot :
- Reference books,
- Rare books and those published before 1900,
- Recent periodicals and books reserved for library use,
- Loose-leaf books,
- CD-ROMs,
- Any other element of the collection if, in the opinion of the staff, such loan would have the effect of harming the activities of the Institute.
Any work borrowed from the library must be presented for registration, in accordance with the applicable procedure.
With the exception of AIIL staff, borrowers must provide the name of their employer and contact information.
The various documents of the library can be loaned to other libraries according to the following methods:
Document | Loan term | Renewal |
Laws and regulations | 1 week | none |
Case reports | 1 week | none |
General collection | 3 weeks | 1 week |
Periodicals | 1 week | none |
Microfiche | 1 week | none |
The following documents are not eligible for interlibrary loan:
- Reference books;
- Rare books and those published before 1900;
- Recent periodicals, books on the list of new acquisitions and books reserved for library use;
- Loose-leaf books;
- CD-ROMs;
- Any other item in the collection if, in the opinion of staff approved by the Program Manager, such loan would adversely affect the activities of the Institute.
The library of the Institute photocopies and sends by fax or by mail to the other library which requests it a certain number of pages, subject to the laws and regulations applicable to copyright.
Costs for shipments sent other than by post are the responsibility of the borrowing library.
Services
The services offered to external users by the library are limited to the assistance necessary to find and use its various resources, in particular the library catalog and a limited number of electronic research services.
The library staff is responsible for replacing books left on the tables on the shelves, unless they are accompanied by a note, signed and dated by the user, requesting that they not be replaced. Such a note is valid for 3 days.
There is a public photocopier at the library. The charge is $1 per photocopied page. Only library staff can use the photocopy machine.
With the exception of the fee mentioned above, library services are free. The library reserves the right to charge fees for its services from time to time, in which case it will give users sufficient notice of such action.
Miscellaneous
It is forbidden to eat and drink in the reading rooms and the library reserves.
Library users are requested to remain silent out of respect for other users.
Smoking is prohibited in the library, as in all other buildings of the Institute.
Adoption and review
These rules have been adopted by AIIL Management. They will be reviewed periodically for updating, and the Program Manager will submit recommended changes to the Institute’s Management for approval.