Wits Alumni & Convocation Member s Library Privileges
Alumni who have registered with the Alumni Office and obtained an alumni card will have access to the library, provided they have not previously defaulted in returning borrowed books.
Alumni cards will be renewed annually, provided that the alumnus/alumnae has not defaulted on a library loan.
Alumni who are members of Convocation (ie. who hold a degree qualification from the University) and who have been issued with an alumni card will have borrowing rights from the library on payment of the required fee.
An annual borrower?s fee of R200 in 2008, increasing by 10%pa, will be charged and paid into a Wits Foundation alumni relations account.
The Director of Alumni Relations will issue Convocation members who have registered as a member with the Alumni Office and paid the library borrowers fee with a letter to take to the library with all relevant contact details, and undertakes on behalf of the Office of Alumni Affairs to make good any losses through an internal requisition to the library.
A defaulting Convocation member will be required to pay the replacement cost to the alumni office for any borrowed books not returned or lost or stolen whilst in their possession. The full cost of replacing the book will be charged unless, in the case of theft, a police case number is presented, in which case only the historic replacement cost will be charged.
The Alumni Office will ensure that Convocation members who wish to borrow books sign an undertaking to abide by library rules and which stipulates that they are directly liable to the library for the payment of any fines levied for late return.
The library will generate a list of defaulters at regular intervals and submit to the Alumni Office for further attention.
The Alumni Office will cancel the alumni access card of any Convocation member who defaults as a borrower (i.e. fails to return a book or fails to pay monies owing to the Library).
Convocation members will be limited to borrowing two books at a time and books may only be borrowed for a period of one week at a time (or less, depending on the loan status of the book).
Convocation members will be liable to pay normal library fines directly to the library for late return of books, and may be blocked from borrowing until outstanding fines are paid.
Members of Convocation are subject to normal Library access, loan and administrative procedures and should comply with any Library, Computer and University Codes of Conduct, as published on the Library website or elsewhere.
License agreements with vendors of electronic resources preclude alumni from remote(ie. off campus) access to the libraries commercial electronic resources. Access to the library?s public website and catalogue is however freely available.
Students who have completed their final examinations at the end of an academic year, allowing them to graduate within the first few months of the next year, may apply for card access only to the Library but, as they are not yet formally members of Convocation, they will not have borrowing rights until their graduation ceremony has taken place.
This agreement will be subject to ongoing assessment and will be implemented during 2008. In January 2009 it will be reviewed, modified if necessary and reviewed annually thereafter. Replacement costs for books will be as determined by the Library from time to time, and borrowers fees for members of Convocation will be set by discussion and agreement between the Office of Alumni Relations and the Library.
