Services of PMU library

1. Users

Users of the library may be registered or not registered in PMU information system.

Groups of users listed below may register as PMU library users:

·         students and employees of PMU,

·         students of other public universities located in Szczecin,

·         healthcare staff of the West Pomeranian province.

All above-mentioned groups of users aside from PMU students need to fill a proper registration form to create a library user account and subsequently acquire a library card issued by PMU library.

The student ID serves as a library card, therefore PMU students don’t need any additional documents to borrow library materials.

Only users having access to library user account are eligible for borrowing the library items.

Services provided by PMU library to its users are:

·         loans

·         interlibrary loans

·         scientific information services

Registered users have access to all services provided by PMU library, while not registered users may use facilities and library items on site only.

2. Using non-lending collection

Reading room

The reading room is PMU library department responsible for providing access to variety of library materials. All items located in the reading room are available for on site use only and are placed on bookshelves ordered by specific collections (Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, English Program) and further by subject.

Library materials kept on bookshelves located in reading room:

·         current issues of scientific journals

·         current issues of magazines and newspapers,

·         books,

·         teaching aids.

The library materials cannot be taken outside the reading room.

All library materials located in the reading room are protected against theft by an electronic book detection system.

The reading room is one and only library department accessible to not registered users interested in medical literature.

Materials held in the storeroom

The archival issues of scientific journals and a substantial part of the reading room collection are kept in the library storeroom and may be delivered to the reading room upon request. Orders for items held in storeroom made 30 minutes before closing of the reading room are completed at the next working day.

Library materials kept in the storeroom and available in the reading room upon request:

·         Ph.D theses,

·         books published before 1945,

·         archival journal issues,

·         valuable and rare library items.

3. Loans

Lending room is the PMU library department responsible for managing library loans.

Detailed rules of using the lending room are included in the regulations.

Students may join other university libraries in Szczecin by obtaining free interlibrary card issued by the lending room.

Borrowing library materials

Only registered users are eligible to borrow library materials available in the lending room.

The maximum number of books available to borrow varies according to user type:

·         students – 15

·         academic staff – 20

·         other entitled users – 5

Library materials available to borrow are divided into two categories – materials placed on the bookshelves in the lending room and storeroom materials.

To borrow a library material placed on the bookshelves in the lending room user needs to register it at the circulation desk or use self-check.

Library materials available to borrow held in the storeroom need to be ordered first. Users may order these items by using their library user account and searching for the requested materials or at the circulation desk. Any issues regarding loans and library user account should be reported to the lending room librarian.

Item status visible in online catalogue determines for how long a library material may be lent. Due dates are shown in library user account.

PMU students can borrow the textbooks for the upcoming academic year after clearing his/her library account in current academic year.

Returning and damaging library materials

Borrowed items may be returned directly to the lending room or using the bookdrop available near to the library entrance.

The user is obliged to return undamaged items. All issues regarding condition of the library materials should be reported to a lending room librarians. For damaging or destroying an item a fine will be applied according to the price list.

In case of losing a borrowed item the user is obliged to:

·         buy back the same item or its newest edition,

·         buy another item suggested by lending room librarians,

·         pay replacement cost suggested by lending room librarians,

·         return a bound copy of an item at user's expense.

Fines

Overdue fines are automatically applied by the library system for each overdue material regarding its item status.

Fine values differ depending on the item status:

·         1 month or longer – 0,20zł per each day

·         1 week or shorter – 5zł per each day

If the fine applied exceeds 20zł, the user library account will be blocked.

4. Interlibrary loans

The interlibrary loan is a service provided by PMU library involving ordering and delivering library materials not available in the PMU library collections from other libraries and scientific institutions.

The reading room is a PMU library department responsible for making requests, payments and getting receipt for the interlibrary loans services.

Interlibrary loans are accessible for registered library users, i.e.:

·         PMU students

·         PMU Ph.D. students

·         PMU employees

·         staff of PMU clinical hospitals

·         students of other universities located in Szczecin (based on interlibrary card)

Ph.D. theses brought via interlibrary loans service cannot be taken outside the reading room.

5. Scientific information services

Scientific information and bibliography department is responsible for services associated with searching and browsing for library materials, teaching information skills and processing bibliographic and bibliometric data.

Scientific information services consist of:

·         providing catalogue and bibliographic information,

·         providing access to electronic resources,

·         assisting in database searching and browsing,

·         processing bibliographic and bibliometric data,

·         providing access to printer and scanner,

·         managing tutorials and classes for individuals and groups of students (library training and scientific medical information).

Scientific information department provides access to study area with 7 computers for registered library users, 4 individual study rooms and separate computer room.

Computers located in PMU library are protected by password given to registered users by librarian on duty.

Computers located in the PMU library are connected to PMU network, therefore may be used to access all digital resources managed by PMU library.

PMU students, Ph.D. students and employees can join PMU network using their own devices via  FortiClient VPN. To do so, registered student or employee needs to install the app on a selected device and  enter proper proxy settings following this guide.

In case of any issues regarding databases, online resources or information skills – librarian on duty is at users’ disposal.