Public Use of the Records (Management and Fees) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2009

Citation and commencement

1.  These Rules may be cited as the Public Use of the Records (Management and Fees) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2009 and shall come into operation on 13th April 2009.

Interpretation

2.  In these Rules:—

“Deputy Keeper” means the Deputy Keeper of the Records of Northern Ireland;

“designated officer” means a person appointed as such by the Deputy Keeper to act on his behalf;

“exhibition area” is an area in the premises of the Office where users may see exhibited material;

“issue desk” is an area of the Office where records are issued to a user, and where that user must return records to the Office;

“lecture theatre” is an area in the premises of the Office where staff may lecture groups of users;

“Office” means the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland;

“reading rooms” an area of the Office where users may inspect the records;

“reception area” an area of the Office where a user is required to sign his name in the book provided and to leave personal possessions;

“search room” an area of the Office where indexes, catalogues, calendars and such other finding aids as are provided for consultation are kept;

“user” in relation to the Office means a person other than a member of staff.

Payment of fees

3.  The fees, as numbered in the first column of the Schedule, payable for the items or use of the records which are prescribed in the second column thereof, shall be the amounts in the third column of the Schedule.

4.  Payment of fees may be dispensed with in cases where the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer is satisfied that it is in the best interest of the Office to do so.

Rules governing admission

5.  Every user seeking admission to the search room or the reading rooms, shall, on the first occasion of seeking such admission in any year:—

(a)produce evidence of identity;

(b)register, providing such details as the Office may require;

(c)sign a Reader’s Declaration Form giving an undertaking to read and adhere to these Rules; and

(d)receive a numbered reader’s ticket valid for the length of time specified therein.

6.  A user may be refused admittance to the Office unless he agrees in writing that he will produce for inspection his bag, papers and other personal possessions at any time.

7.  Every user visiting the lecture theatre or the exhibition area shall have his name and registration number placed in the attendance book provided and shall sign that book or have it signed on his behalf.

8.  Every user seeking admission to the search room or reading rooms on the first occasion shall be required to undertake appropriate induction.

9.  Every user seeking admission to the search room or the reading rooms shall produce for checking his reader’s ticket for inspection on request by a member of staff.

Use of Lockers

10.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) every user shall leave in the lockers provided such items as the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer may specify.

(2) Folders, files, envelopes, ring binders, pencil cases or notepad wallets may be brought into the search room.

(3) The contents of one folder or file only may be brought into the reading rooms.

Use of Equipment

11.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) recording equipment, laptop computers or any other electrically or battery-operated device may be used in any part of the Office open to the public.

(2) Such equipment shall not be used in the search room without the permission of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer.

(3) Such equipment shall not be used in the reading rooms without the permission of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer and may only be used in areas allocated for the purpose.

12.  A user shall not make any mark on, fold, lean upon, try to separate pages that are stuck together or add or amend any record or finding aid and shall make use of any support or any other protective device provided for that purpose.

13.  A user shall not use any writing material other than pencils in the reading rooms.

14.  A user shall not use any erasers, ink, typing correcting fluid, sharp object or any other item or material which in the opinion of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer would be likely to cause harm to the documents or prejudice their security.

15.  A user shall not make tracings of records without the prior permission of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer.

16.  A user shall access only internet sites approved by the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer and shall not download any software from the internet using computer facilities provided by the Office.

Behaviour

17.  A user shall not consume any food or drink in the Office except in an area designated for that purpose.

18.  A user inspecting records in the reading rooms shall avoid making unnecessary noise or engaging in behaviour likely to distract other persons there.

19.  A user may be excluded from the Office for any of the following reasons:—

(a)breach of these Rules;

(b)damage to any record, index, catalogue, calendar or other searching aid or other article in the Office; or

(c)conduct or language likely to be offensive to persons in the Office.

Issue of Records

20.  For records ordered manually the relevant dockets, one for each record or item required, shall be completed by or on behalf of any user wishing to inspect any record in the reading room and those dockets must be submitted to the issue desk. Where those documents are ordered on a computer the requisitioning details must be completed in full on that computer.

21.  A user shall not have more than five records issued to him at a time except by permission of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer.

22.  Records which in the opinion of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer are in a fragile state will not be issued to the public or copied.

23.  The Deputy Keeper or a designated officer may issue specific directions as to the handling or copying of records for the purpose of ensuring their preservation.

24.  Records which are not yet described in the indexes, catalogues, calendars or such other finding aids as may be provided for public use shall only be produced at the discretion of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer.

Return of Records

25.  A user inspecting records shall sign on receipt of those records and if he leaves the reading room he shall return the records to the issue desk or a member of staff in the reading room. Records shall not be passed on to any other user, or removed from the reading rooms except by a member of staff.

26.  Any user in a reading room who leaves his table for a period of one hour or more or his microfilm reader/carrel for twenty minutes or more may have all his personal property removed and his seat may be reallocated.

27.  On completion of a search or inspection of the records a user shall:—

(a)return such records to the issue desk;

(b)sign an undertaking that all documents issued to him have been returned to the issue desk; and

(c)notify the reception area that he is leaving the Office.

28.  A user consulting the indexes, catalogues, calendars or other finding aids shall, after use, replace them on the shelves or other places where they are normally located.

Revocation

29.  The Public Use of the Records (Management and Fees) Rules (Northern Ireland) 1996(1) are revoked.