GENERAL INFORMATION FOR LIBRARY USERS

Every year, there are about 14.000 active members in the National and University Library and we are committed to providing the best service to all. We aim to enable all visitors to enjoy use of the Library and to be as satisfied with our services as possible. Our policy is to meet the information needs of different audiences, even though we recognize that the existing facilities do not meet the current standards of a modern university library. The NUK building is one of the most important Slovenian cultural monuments, which attracts many international visitors and admirers of the architecture of Jožef Plečnik. During the period 1995-2000, the library interior renovation was carried out, so we have gained some new premises which have been equipped with the information communication technology.

In accordance with the Conditions of Use, we have prepared some useful information in order to serve our customers as effectively and courteously as possible. We ask you kindly to observe these guidelines for the use of the Library and its collections, and thus help us to provide the best service possible.

Information & Enquiry Centre (Ground Floor, Room 13):
this is the first service point where you can ask for help when visiting the Library. Our staff will have an introductory discussion with you about your need to use NUK and refer you to other points according to your need. The Centre provides access to electronic resources, the Internet, word-processing facilities, card catalogues, and the Library’s online catalogue (COBISS) used to request the material. Visitors with the more demanding enquiries will be referred to Information and Reference Centre (Room 008).

Registration & Circulation Desk (Ground Floor, Room 11):
the majority of our users use the circulation desk. There you can register, and order and check out the books which can be borrowed from the Library.

Information & Reference Centre (Ground Floor, Room 8):
information specialists will conduct a literature search in the Slovenian and international databases and e-journals. A printed reference collection (including encyclopaedias, dictionaries, lexicons) and a number of personal computers to use multimedia CD-ROMs and DVDs are also available in the Centre.

Interlibrary Loan (Ground Floor, Room 25):
this service is available to order and collect the professional material, which is not available in the NUK collection. The ordered material can be used for study and research purposes. The ILL service is not free of charge.

Cloakroom (Basement):
before entering any of the Reading Rooms, you must leave outer coats (including overcoats, waterproof clothing of any length, outdoor jackets), umbrellas and bigger bags at the cloakroom or in a locker. After paying a deposit to use a locker, the cloakroom staff will provide you with the key. You return the key when leaving the Library and then the deposit is returned.

The Main Reading Room (First Floor, Room 112):
there are 176 reader seats in the Main Reading Room. It is intended for individual study and research, and can only be used by our library members. You need the membership card to enter the Main Reading Room. You should register and select your seat in the cloakroom.
You should complete a paper application slip for the material you wish to use and then take the slip to a member of staff at the Issue Desk in the Main Reading Room. We ask you kindly to take the utmost care of the older material.
Mobile phones and any music players must be turned off when in the Reading Rooms.
No food or drink may be brought into the reading rooms. The only exception is bottled water.

In the cloakroom, you should reserve your Main Reading Room seat by your membership card. You must take the assigned seat in ten minutes after reservation. When entering the Main Reading Room, you first confirm your seat with one of the membership card readers. You should also confirm every exit from the Main Reading Room. You are asked not to leave your seat in the Reading Room unattended for more than 60 minutes (one exit), or for more than 100 minutes per day (more exits). Afterwards, your seat becomes available to other users. Certain seats are reserved for special purposes: seats numbers 1-8 are intended for consulting the material from the old prints collection, for the users with one-day ticket and for the university teachers. Seats numbers 57 - 72 are reserved for the users with laptop computers or for the use of wireless Internet system, respectively.

Special collections in NUK:
There are eight thematic special collections at different locations in NUK. The most of them only provide the in-library consultation of the material in their own reading rooms. They are open to users Monday to Friday between 9.00 and 14.00, on Wednesday between 9.00 and 18.00, and every first Saturday in a month between 9.00 and 14.00.

• Serials Collection (Ground Floor): it collects and preserves all Slovenian newspapers and journals. The current volumes are available in the Newspaper Reading Room (entrance through Information & Enquiry Centre). Older volumes are kept in the main stacks and in the Main Reading Room. Serial publications cannot be borrowed from the Library.
• Manuscript Collection (Second Floor, Room 204): it collects mediaeval manuscripts, incunabula, rare prints and manuscript material of the important Slovenian authors for research and study purposes.
• Slovenian Diaspora Publications Collection (Second Floor, Room 203): includes the printed matter published during the People‛s Liberation War and the primary national collection of Slovenian Diaspora material.
• Music Collection (Third Floor, Room 401): this is the largest music collection in Slovenia, and it is mainly intended for study and research work. There you can find printed music, the Slovenian composers‛ manuscripts, the Slovenian musical societies‛ archives, sound recordings etc. The Collection also provides individual listening facilities for different media.

A special note for the users of the Music Collection:
We would like to inform you that pursuant to the Copyright and Related Rights Act reproduction of musical works‛ graphic editions is only allowed by transcription. Therefore, we ask you kindly that in case you would like to reproduce the material held in NUK by technical means you should acquire the written permission of the copyright holder for printed music. For any additional information, please contact the Society of Slovene Composers.

• Map and Pictorial Collections (First Floor, Rooms 105-107): they collect, process, preserve, represent and make available the primary national collections of cartographic and pictorial materials, including posters, calendars, works of art, portrait photographs, postcards etc.
• AV Collection (Third Floor, Room 303): it collects, processes, preserves and provides access to audio-visual material: video cassettes, DVDs, audio cassettes, CDs, and books and journals relating to films. The Collection provides individual listening and viewing facilities in its reading room, including two video recorders and television sets, a DVD player and hi-fi equipment.
• EU, Government and Non-Government Publications and Ephemera Collection (First Floor, Room 108): the EU Collection collects the material published by the official publisher of the European Union (EUR-OP), or by the EU individual institutions, official bodies and agencies. Holdings are supplemented by the Slovenian and international information sources related to the EU, UNESCO legal deposit publications, Slovenian official and government publications, and ephemera, including leaflets, brochures, invitations, prospects, catalogues, different newsletters, bulletins of societies and political parties etc.
• Library and Information Science Collection (Fourth Floor, Room 402): it holds materials in library science and other related fields and professions (information science, documentation, publishing, printing, etc.). Due to shortage of space, the majority of the material is stored in the main stacks, whereas the circulating and reference collection kept on the premises consists of 4.800 fundamental research-level and current monographs.

The use of laptop computers
is allowed in the Main Reading Room (seats 57-72), in the Newspaper Reading Room and in the café. Due to lack of sockets, we advise you that you fill your laptop battery in advance.

Wireless Internet Access (NeoWLAN - Slovenian Public Access Wireless Network):
in the Main Reading Room and in the Café a wireless Internet system may be used by those who want to bring their own laptops or PDAs. The recognition system provides easy access and signing in:

• Mobitel (the national mobile telecommunications operator) GSM/UMTS users should enter their GSM/UMTS number into the specified field and then they receive a text with a sign-in password for single use;
• other users can purchase a NeoWLAN prepaid card to sign in. The cards are available at all Mobitel centres and at Library‛s Registration Desk. For additional information, please contact: www. neowlan.net or the Mobitel help desk for subscribers: 041/700 700 or 080/70 70.

The use of mobile phones
is only allowed in the Cloakroom and in the Café.

Reproduction Services:
all reproductions from NUK library material will be made on the premises by the library staff using the library technical equipment. The Reproduction Services (basement, Room 602) provide a range of modern reproduction techniques (digital image or scanning).Staff reserves the right to select the duplication technique according to the age, physical condition and format of the material. For preservation reasons, the items published before 1900 are only suitable for digital copying.

You can use our self-service copy facilities to copy items in the collections, taking into account the provisions of Article 50 of Copyright and Related Rights Act, i.e. if you copy within the limits and in no more than three copies and only for private use. Self-service photocopier is available in the basement passage. Pre-charged self-service copy cards are sold in the facilities of Circulation and Reproduction Services. For preservation reasons, you are asked to use the reproduction services if the material is unsuitable for self-service copying.

Staff will advise on alternative forms of copying upon your written request, sent to: Srečko Bončina, Head, User Services Division (srecko.boncina@nuk.uni-lj.si) or call: +386 1 2001 197.

Food, drinks, and smokers area:
the premises in the basement are intended for a break and conversation, especially the Café. Smoking is allowed in the atrium. Food and drinks may not be consumed anywhere in the reading rooms.

Public toilet facilities
are located next to the cloakroom in the basement.

For further information please feel free to contact us via e-mail: izposoja@nuk.uni-lj.si