Library service regulations

Library account

To be able to borrow items from the library you need to have a library account at KIB. Anyone with a Swedish ID who is 16 years or older can get a library account. A person without a Swedish personal identity number can in some cases apply for a library account for a limited period of time, for example, guest researchers / students can obtain a library account during the time they are affiliated with a Swedish university.

If you are an employee or student at KI, your library account is valid for the duration of the employment / course and your KI card works as a library card. For other patrons, the library account is usually valid for two years at a time and can be connected to a library card. A library card should be treated as a valuable document and the holder is responsible that it is not used by an unauthorized person. If the card is lost or stolen, the library must be notified at once so it can be blocked. A charge is made for replacing a lost library card.

It is the patron’s responsibility to ensure that information about their address and e-mail is correct. Students update their contact information in Ladok, while other patrons report changes directly to the library or update through My Loans.

Processing of personal data

The Karolinska Institute (KI) is responsible for the personal data that is sent to and processed by the Karolinska Institutet University Library (KIB). All personal data is processed according to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and information about our patrons' personal data, loans, requests and reservations are classified according to the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act and will never be disclosed.

KIB only processes personal data necessary for conducting library activities, e.g manage loan activities and provide access to information resources. The patrons’ name, social security number, address, e-mail address, telephone number, loan card number and user category are registered in the KIB's library register.  The processing of this data is an essential prerequisite for the operation of the library and thus of public interest. The personal information will be stored as long as the patron is active. Patrons are regarded as active for as long as they have possession over library books or unpaid library fees. If the patron is not active for a period of two calendar years, this is interpreted as if the patron has no further use of the library's services whereupon the patron's account is blocked and the patron's personal data deleted.

All registered patrons have the right to access the data being processed. Patrons have the right to, under certain circumstances, have their personal data erased, corrected or restricted, as well as the right to raise objections to the processing. Patrons have the right to request an extraction from the library system registers regarding their personal data. To learn more about how KI processes personal data, see KI's privacy policy.

If you have questions about KIB's activities and processing of personal data, please contact the university library by e-mail: kib@ki.se or telephone: +46 8 52 48 40 00. You can also contact KI's Data Protection Officer or the Data Inspectorate who is responsible supervisory authority.

Loan and lending periods

The loan period for course books is 7 days. For course books sent by post, the loan period is 11 days. The loan period for other books is 21 days.

KIB offers automatic renewal, which means that books will be renewed automatically two days before the last loan date - if no one else is queuing for the book (if so, you will be notified by email). The maximum renewal time for course books is 26 weeks, and 52 weeks for 21 days loans. It is always your responsibility to keep track of returning dates.

Requested books are available for pick up on our request shelf for three days.

Fine for overdue book

A fine is charged for overdue books. The fine is 10 SEK per book and day.

If you have a fine of 100 SEK or over your library account is blocked until the fine is paid.

If the material is not returned after a certain period of time, the patrons right to borrow materials from the library is withdrawn and an invoice for the replacement fee is sent. If the material that has been borrowed is returned after this invoice has been sent, the invoice will be cancelled.

For as long as an invoice remains unpaid, patrons may not make further loans.

The patron is liable for the cost of repairing damage to material on loan. All repairs are carried out by the library. Damaged material will remain the property of the library even after payment.

Material subject to special loan conditions

Periodicals / journals may not be borrowed.

Literature older than 100 years is available as a reference-only material and may not be removed from the library.

Certain other material, such as for example dictionaries and whiteboard pens, can be borrowed for the day.

Postal loans

Loans are sent free of charge to libraries in the Nordic countries. Material published by Karolinska Institutet is also lent free of charge to libraries outside the Nordic countries.

KI students with a Swedish address outside of the Stockholm area (Postal code area 1) can get books, including course books, sent to them.

KI employees can get books, including course books, sent to them even within the Stockholm area.

The University Library pays the cost of postage for sending out loans, while the patron pays the return postage.

The patron is responsible for the material until the return is registered in the library system.

Borrowing books from other libraries

Material for research and study that is not held by the University Library may be obtained via another library. This service is for employees and students of Karolinska Institutet. Loans within the Nordic countries are free for both students and employees, while students are charged for loans from libraries outside the Nordic countries, (see the price list).

Please note that students cannot get books that are available at a library in the Stockholm area.

Loan periods and other rules connected with loans are decided by the lending library.

Electronic media

Visitors are welcome to use all the electronic media at the library, such as databases and full-text periodicals. Access to these from outside the library requires you to be a member of Karolinska Institutet. Users are obliged to respect the licensing terms.

Print outs and downloads of articles from periodicals and other sources are allowed for personal, non-commercial, study or research purposes only.

Obligations

Patrons are obliged to keep track of when their loan periods expire and to ensure that items are returned on time. Patrons return items in the library's book drops at their own risk and are responsible for the material until the return is registered in the library system. This also applies to material sent by post and in case of illness or travel. The fine may be annulled in case of documented hospitalization.

The University Library does not undertake to send out reminders, but only does this as a service. This service is only provided for users that have supplied the library with their e-mail address.

As a visitor, you should be familiar with the library’s rules of conduct. Anyone who disrupts activities inside the library may be barred from the library according to ch.10 s.1 of the Higher Education Ordinance.

A patron that is unsatisfied with decisions made in accordance with the library regulations has the right to have the matter reviewed. If you have such an issue, please send it to us by e-mail to kib@ki.se.

The library service regulations are subject to revision.