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  THE LIBRARY

KWUST Library is a modern working university library, providing a full range of high quality services based on both print and electronic media to university students, faculty staff and external readers from other universities in Kenya. It operates within the vision of making “KWUST the premier institution of academic excellence with a global perspective in the world.”

Library holdings consisting of books (circulation and reference), periodicals, newspapers, indexing and abstracting journals, audiovisual materials, research   papers and pamphlets.  Formal inter-library loan agreement with major libraries is currently being sought.

Library Vision

To provide exceptional services to the needs of Kiriri Women's University of Science and Technology scholarly community by building and maintaining a reliable collection in electronic format in order to support the university programmes. The library is developing user instruction and aims to provide adequate and appropriate physical and technological facilities to enable maximum utilisation of information resources. KWUST library will be a model for client-centred service excellence, providing information resources that enhance learning and teaching in an environment both physical and virtual that is inviting and user-friendly. The library will hold itself to high standards of expertise, performance and contribution to the larger effort, in an organization that will enable and reward achievement of these high standards.

Library Mission

1. To support the teaching, learning, research in the KWUST community by using the new technology in information retrieval. Providing access to the use of the scholarly information resources required to meet the education, research and service missions of the University. The library will support this effort by building, organizing, maintaining and preserving these resources;
2. Providing assistance in the use of the scholarly information resources required to meet the education, research and service missions of the University. The Library will support this effort through interpreting, instructing and educating in the use of these resources.
3. Operating within a multicultural and rapidly developing environment, the library and its staff are committed to being active and creative partners in the teaching , research and other knowledge application activities of the university through service to the community by selecting, organizing, presenting and preserving information resources for present and future scholarly community.

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Library Tour

The KWUST library consist of one floor. The services located on this floor include Issue desk, Short Loan, Course Text collection, Information Desk. General circulation books (A-Z), Course Texts and reference books are housed here. This floor also provides office accommodation for the Senior Librarian. The technical room is also located here where the processing and photocopying of materials is done.

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OPENING HOURS

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COLLECTIONS AND SERVICES

Library Collections
Books and other library materials are located in different collections. Items within these collections are organized and shelved according to the Library of Congress Classification Scheme. The Library, for various reasons, maintains open and closed collections.

Open Collections
Open Shelf collection: This is the main collection of books, which are distributed on the different levels of the library. Material from this collection may be borrowed for the normal loan period.
Reference Collection: Encyclopaedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and other reference books are available.

Closed Collection
Short Loan Collection: Recommended books, periodical articles in high demand, magazines, journals and newspapers are placed in the short loan collection. Periodical articles in heavy demand are placed in the Short Loan Collection. Also in this collection are staff papers, graduate student projects, national newspapers and press cuttings. Materials are loaned for a limited period of time ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Audio-visual Collection: The library has a variety of different types of audio visual materials which can be used in the library or borrowed for a limited period of time.

Photocopying Services
Photocopying facilities are available in the library at a fee of (Ksh.3) Please observe the copyright law.

Reservation / Recall Service
Reservation of library materials that are on loan can be done at the Issue Desk. As soon as a reserved item is returned, the awaiting user will be notified. Such users should keep constant checks at the Issue Desk. Items placed on reserve/hold will be held for 1 day after which they may be returned to the shelves or given to the next person on the waiting. Items required by another reader may be recalled and must be returned within 3 days.

Inter-library Loan
Materials not available in the library can be obtained through an inter-library loan service from other local libraries. Requests should be handed to the Senior Librarian. A charge may be made to meet photocopying expenses, if any. Users who wish to use another library may request for a letter of introduction from the Senior Librarian.

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RULES AND REGULATIONS

Admission

The following persons are allowed to use the library:

1. All registered students of the university.
2. All members of faculty, administrative, technical and other staff.
3. All persons registered to use the library are required to abide by the regulations of the Library.
4. The University Librarian may suspend any person from the library because of not complying with Library Regulations.

Discipline

1. Order and silence shall be maintained in the Library at all times.
2. Smoking, eating, drinking or sleeping in the Library is prohibited.
3. Briefcases, bags, overcoats and umbrellas shall be kept at the Luggage area.
4. The marking defacing or mutilation of any Library material is strictly prohibited. Any materials such as ink bottles, paints that may accidentally damage library property will not be brought into the library.
5. All readers leaving the library in possession of books and papers must show them to a member of the library staff at the exit point.
6. Reshelving of materials used within the library is prohibited. Hence materials should be left on the reading tables.

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BORROWING (GENERAL)

• All library materials may be borrowed including audio visual materials with the exception of reference works, periodicals, press cuttings, material in great demand placed temporarily on short loan.
• Loaned items may not be transferred from one borrower to another but must be returned to the library and formally re-issued.
• Borrowers are held personally responsible for the custody of any material on loan to them. They shall be required to pay the cost of replacement of any item, which is lost while on loan to them.
• Borrowers shall also be liable to pay compensation as may be fixed by the University Librarian for any damage or loss of items while on loan to them.
• Loans of any library material to other libraries may be allowed at the discretion of the University Librarian.
• Library material borrowed from other libraries is subject to the conditions of the lending library.
• The Senior Librarian, User services, is empowered to decline to issue any particular item or items to restrict their circulation.
  

Period of Loan

• Students may borrow (3) circulating books for a period of two (2) weeks.
• Teaching staff may borrow six (5) books for two (4) weeks.
• All registered members of the library may borrow audio-visual materials for a period of three (3) days.
• Non teaching staff may borrow (2) books for a period of (2) weeks.

Penalties & Fines

The Senior Librarian is empowered to levy a fine for overdue loans in addition to recommending suspension as a result of infringing the Library Regulations or for any other misdemeanour relating to the library, including the removal, or attempted removal of material from the library without record at the issue desk.

1. Those who have overdue items or lost material shall not be allowed to borrow.
2. Library users wishing to take materials out of the library for photo copying purpose must surrender their National /Students ID cards.
3. Library users who loose materials will be charged for them at the current market price.
4. Fines
   
   a) Circulating books
   Books required by another reader will be recalled and must be returned within seven (7) days. Failure to do so will necessitate fines being charged at a rate of Kshs. 20.00 per day
   
   b) Short Loan Collection
   · Fines of Kshs. 25.00 per hour shall be levied on any borrower in the case of items returned late to Short Loan Collection.
   · Fines of Kshs. 50.00 per day per audio-visual material such as CDs shall be levied on borrowers who delay with such items.
   · Replacement value for lost manual accompanying an audio-visual item shall be at double the cost of the hard copy.

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SERVICE NOTICE
Any notice will be sent to the last known address registered by the University Library. Failure to receive such a notice will not invalidate any subsequent action.

COPYRIGHT
Most library material is protected by the copyright law, which makes deliberate infringements, such as unauthorised copying a criminal offence. Permissible copying limits of less than 10% of a book shall be made for academic purposes. All users of library materials and equipment shall observe these limits, whether on library premises or elsewhere.

GENERAL
The library management staffs has power to modify the Regulations as it may seem advisable and notice of any such modifications shall be posted on the library notice boards and at appropriate points in the library.

INTER LIBRARY LOAN

a) Items not returned within two days of date due or recall shall be subject to fines:-

• Audio visual material Kshs 100 per day
• Others Kshs 20 per day
• If lost or damaged item has to be replaced, the ch