WT/INF/ 213 
 
12 April 2018  
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NOTE BY THE SECRETAR IAT 
LIBRARY POLICY  
1  PURPOSE  
1.1.  This policy establishes rules and conditions regarding the loan and circulation of books and 
other Library items.  
2  CLIENTS AFFECTED  
2.1.  All users of the Library.  
3  POLICY  
3.1.  The Library welcomes users with a professional or academic interest in promoting the 
understanding and practice of the multilateral trading system. Visits to the Library are regulated 
by the Secretariat policy governing access to the WTO premises.  
3.2.  The Library provides items on loan to Secretariat staff, Member and Observer delegates, and 
the libraries of the United Nations and UN -agencies and Swiss universities under the conditions 
detailed below.  
3.1 Loans  
3.3.  WTO Secretariat staff1, accredited Geneva based Member and Observer delegates and 
mission employees2 can normally borrow up to five items simultaneously directly through the 
Library for one month per loan.  
3.4.  Loans to WTO staff are made under the name of the staff member whereas tho se to 
delegates and mission employees are made under the name of the delegation.  
3.5.  United Nations and UN -agency staff based in Geneva can request items through their 
institutional library through inter -library loan. For practical reasons, requests cannot be accepted 
from United Nations and UN -agency libraries based outside Geneva.  
3.6.  Students and academic researchers studying or working at a Swiss university can request 
items through their university library through inter -library loan. Students and academic 
researchers not studying or working at a Swiss university may not borrow items from the WTO 
Library unless an arrangement can be found with their university library.  
3.7.  Categories of users not listed above may not borrow items from the WTO Library.  
3.8.  Transferring a  loan is not permitted.  
                                                
1 All those with a valid WTO picture ID ("badge"), including all regular staff, fixe d-term staff, short -term 
staff and interns with a contract extending more than  one month from the loan date  
2 For the purposes of loans, Mission based interns are NOT considered to be Mission staff  WT/INF/213  
 
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  3.2 Returns  
3.9.  Borrowed items need to be returned to the Library or  renewed by their established due date 
(i.e. one month after the initial loan or one month after each renewal). All items must be returned 
to the Library in person , except for United Nations, UN -agency and university libraries.  
3.3 Renewals  
3.10.   Renewals for loans to WTO staff and accredited Geneva -based delegates can be made as 
often as needed for additional periods of one month, although the borrowed item must be 
presented to the L ibrary at every third renewal.  Requesting renewals by phone or email will not 
reset the reminder counter; after renewing an item by email following the first reminder, the next 
reminder received will be the second reminder. To reset the reminder counter, t he borrowed item 
must be presented to the Library at the time of the renewal request . 
3.11.   Renewals for loans to United Nations and UN -agency  and Swiss university libraries can only 
be made once, after which the item must be returned.  
3.12.   A request for a renewal ca n be declined if the book has been placed on hold by another 
user.  
3.4 Overdue items  
3.13.   The Library will send reminders by e -mail for all items not returned or renewed by the 
established due date.  
3.14.   The first and second reminders will be sent directly to the resp onsible staff member or 
delegate. The third reminder will be sent to the staff member or delegate and to the responsible 
division's administrative assistant or to the responsible delegation coordinator.  
3.15.   The third reminder will clearly state that the item m ust be returned to the Library or 
replaced within two weeks of the date marked on the reminder notice, after which it will be 
declared lost. No renewals are possible after the third reminder. The replacement cost of 
purchasing the identical item or its equ ivalent and any associated delivery costs  based on the 
standard delivery option will also be included in the third reminder.   
3.16.   Users will not be charged for overdue items, unless the  items  become lost.  
3.5 Lost items  
3.17.   An item will be considered lost if it is dec lared lost by the user or if it is not returned to the 
Library within two weeks of the third reminder.  
3.6 Damaged items  
3.18.   An item will be considered damaged if it is declared so by a user or if the Library judges that 
there has been a  serious degradation of an  item from the state when it was borrowed by the user 
during the loan period, beyond that which could occur due to normal usage. Marking or 
highlighting words or sections of the item is considered to be damage . 
3.19.   The Library will inform the user in writing o f the damage.  
3.7 Replacement of lost or damaged items  
3.20.   A user who loses or damages an item may elect to replace this with the identical item rather 
than incurring the replacement cost. The user will have two weeks to replace the item after it has 
been declare d lost (in the case of user -declared loss) or following the date of sending the third 
reminder or the written assessment of damage . WT/INF/213  
 
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  3.21.   All items offered  to the Library with the purpose of replacing a lost item must be i n new 
condition to be accepted.  
3.22.   Where l ost or damage d items are not replace d, the Library will instruct the Budget and 
Finance Section in writing to issue an invoice to the staff member or Member delegation for the 
replacement cost of the item.  
3.23.   The Library engages to purchase the same item, if still available , or an equivalent if not.  
3.24.   The Library reserves the right to restrict loans to a staff member  or delegation if lost or 
damaged items are not replaced and invoices  are unpaid.  
3.8 Exceptional circumstances  
3.25.   There may be exceptional circumstances wh ereby items are lost or damaged which are 
beyond the control of the user. In such cases, a user must provide an explanation to the Library 
upon declaring the loss or damage.  
3.26.   If an item is stolen despite the necessary precautions having been taken by the us er, a 
report must be filed with either the WTO Security and Safety Section or the police department in 
the city in which the item was stolen.  
3.27.   The Head of the Library will use his or her discretion to judge the merit of the explanation 
and will have the fin al say on all exceptional cases.  
3.9 Recalls  
3.28.   The Library reserves the right to recall any item at any time after the first renewal. Items 
not returned to the Library within one week of a written recall will be considered overdue, and the 
normal procedures will  apply.  
3.10  Departing staff  
3.29.   Secretariat staff who leave the Organization must use the WTO Exit Form to obtain 
clearance from the Library stating that all items have been either returned or replaced and any 
login details have been communicated for use by remain ing staff prior to their departure. The 
Library will inform the Budget and Finance section of the clearance.  
3.30.   In the event that clearance cannot be given, the Library will instruct the Budget and Finance 
Section  in writing to issue an  invoice  to the staff m ember concerned for the replacement cost of 
overdue, lost or damaged items. In such cases, final clearance will be given by the Budget and 
Finance Section after receiving the necessary payment.  
4  RESPONSIBILITIES  
Person concerned  Responsibility  
Chief of Sec tion/Head of Library  Review the policy at least every two years  
Library staff  Record all loans and send all reminders  
Collect all items returned to the Library  
Implement the approved procedures and inform the user(s) and Budget 
and Finance Section of all replacement cost  
Administrative Assistants/  
Delegation coordinators  Upon receipt of the third reminder, ensure that staff return or renew 
overdue items  
Library users  Ensure all borrowed items are returned, renewed or replaced on time  
 
Josep Bonet  
Director  
Languages, Documentation and  
Information Management Division