Excursion Service Regulations

GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. The excursion services regulations (hereinafter referred to as the Regulations) are developed in accordance with the existing legislation of the Republic of Belarus, the Charter of the state institution "National Library of Belarus" and regulate the procedure for excursion services for visitors of the National Library of Belarus (hereinafter referred to as the Library) within an excursion group.
2. The Regulations must be read, studied, applied, and implemented by employees who conduct guided tours of the library.
3. Employees, within the limits of their competence, are responsible for non-compliance with the requirements of these Regulations.
4. The right to visit the library within an excursion group is granted to citizens of the Republic of Belarus, foreign citizens and stateless persons.
Children under 14 years of age are allowed on the tour only when accompanied by capable adults. The number of accompanying persons is calculated from 1 to 14 persons. In case of excursions designed for 10 people – 1 to 9 persons.
Adults should inform children about the regulations of behavior in the library and be responsible for their implementation by children. 
5. Excursion services are provided on a paid basis (for cash and by bank transfer).
6. Excursion services are provided free of charge (subject to the availability of supporting documents) for:
children under 6 years of age;
orphans;
disabled people of groups I and II;
veterans of the Great Patriotic War.
7. In order to promote the library's information resources and services, and to share best practices, it is possible to provide guided tours free of charge for:
employees of organizations and institutions of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus;
employees of libraries of the Republic of Belarus;
participants of events in which the library is an organizer or co-organizer.
8. Documents that give the right to an organized group for excursion services are a pass for a visitor to the socio-cultural center and a cash receipt.
9. Excursions that require the preparation of additional materials and facilities are carried out only by appointment.
10. Excursions to the Round Hall of the President Center are carried out by appointment after sending an application letter to the library with a list of people who plan to visit the library during the tour.
11. Excursion groups are formed according to the requests of individual visitors and collective requests.
12. Excursion services are provided only by the staff of the National Library of Belarus.
13. Excursion services in the library are coordinated by the department of excursion and methodological work. Employees of the department accept applications for conducting excursions around the library, distribute the order of movement of excursion groups, including visiting the observation platform, and develop new texts for excursions.
14. Employees are allowed to conduct excursions only after listening to and accepting an individual excursion by the head of the socio-cultural center, the head of the excursion and methodological work department and the head of the excursion work sector of the excursion and methodological work department.
An employee who is considered authorized to conduct guided tours of the library must familiarize himself with these Regulations in the department of excursion and methodological work and certify his consent to their implementation with a personal signature.
15. Excursion services are provided according to technological maps and agreed routes.

CHAPTER 2
ORGANIZATION OF EXCURSION SERVICES

17. Collective applications from groups of the following categories of population are accepted for excursion services:
pupils from institutions of general secondary education (from the age of 6);
students of vocational schools, secondary specialized educational institutions, students of higher educational institutions;
employees of enterprises, organizations and other institutions;
groups of foreign citizens;
tourist groups.
18. Preliminary recording of collective applications is carried out from the 5th day of each month to the next month. If this day falls on a Sunday or public holiday, the entry is made on the next day of that month.
The date and time of the tour can be changed no later than 7 days before the tour and only if an employee is available at that time.
19. Collective applications for excursions are accepted in the following mode:
Tuesday-Sunday (1 September to 31 May) from 10 am to 6.00 pm;
Monday-Saturday (1 June to 31 August) from 10 am to 6.00 pm.
20. Excursion services for groups based on collective requests are carried out in the following mode:
Daily (from 1 September to 31 May):
Tuesday–Friday: from 10 am to 6.00 pm;
Saturday, Sunday: from 10 am to 5.00 pm;
Monday – day off;
During the summer period (from 1 June to 31 August):
Tuesday–Friday: from 10 am to 6.00 pm;
Saturday, Monday: from 10 am to 5.00 pm;
Sunday – day off.
21. The number of members of the excursion group is up to 15 people including 1 (one) accompanying person for groups of pupils and students.
The size of the group for interactive excursions "Revived books", "Birthday in the Library" – up to 10 persons including 1 (one) accompanying person.
22. In exceptional cases, it is permissible to exceed the size of the group by no more than 4 persons (for an excursion quest – no more than 3 persons). In this case, tourists who exceed the number of members of the group purchase individual visitor tickets.
If the group size exceeds by more than 4 persons, an additional excursion is issued, provided that an employee is available at this time.
23. If:
23.1. arrival of the group earlier than a certain time, early service is carried out if there is an employee available at this time;
23.2. group delays for less than 30 minutes, the tour time is reduced in proportion to the time of delay;
23.3. group delays for more than 30 minutes, service is canceled unilaterally.
24. Excursion groups based on individual visitors' requests are formed by appointment from the 20th day of each month to the next month.
Applications for excursions are accepted in the following mode:
Tuesday–Sunday (1 September to 31 May): from 10.00 to 18.00;
Monday–Saturday (from June 1 to August 31): from 10.00 to 18.00.
25. Registration of excursion groups formed at the request of individual visitors is terminated 5 minutes before the start of the tour.
26. If less than 5 persons have signed up for the tour at the request of individual visitors, the tour can be canceled unilaterally.
27. Guided tour services for groups formed at the request of individual visitors are carried out in the following mode:
Daily (from 1 September to 31 May):
Tuesday–Friday: 12.00, 3.00 pm, 6.00 pm;
Saturday, Sunday: 12.00, 3.00 pm, 5.00 pm;
Monday – a day off;
During the summer period (from 1 June to 31 August):
Tuesday–Friday: 12.00, 3.00 pm, 6.00 pm;
Saturday, Monday: 12.00, 3.00 pm, 5.00 pm;
Sunday – day off.
28. In exceptional cases, the library has the right to make changes to the mode of excursion services. Visitors are informed in advance through the Internet portal and information stands of the library.
29. Excursions with access to the library observation deck are regulated by these Regulations and the regulations for using the observation deck.
Access to the observation deck is provided from the library's reading area.
30. In order to ensure fire safety and avoid crowding of people in the elevator lobby, all excursions with a visit to the observation deck must be pre-approved and recorded in the tour log at the "Excursions" point in the lobby of the central entrance of the library.

CHAPTER 3
USER RIGHTS

31. Visitors have the right to:
get the necessary information about excursion services;
use the services of guides;
use photo and video equipment (in the Museum of Books and the Round Hall of the President Center without flash);
reach out the Library management to questions related to the organization of excursion services.

CHAPTER 4
USER RESPONSIBILITIES

32. Users must:

comply with these Regulations and other local legal acts of the library;
hand over outerwear, hats, laptop bags to the cloakroom;
in the autumn–winter period, it is allowed to provide excursion services to visitors in outerwear, hats when conducting an excursion with a visit to the observation deck;
leave umbrellas, bags, briefcases, backpacks and others in the storage room items larger than 30x30x20 cm;
present bags, notebooks, packages, musical instrument cases and other items allowed for entry into the library for viewing at the checkpoint;
take care of the library's property;
observe silence, order, cleanliness in the premises and on the territory of the library;
treat guides and visitors to the library politely;
use shoe covers when visiting the Round Hall of the Presidential Center;
in emergency situations (technical failure, fire, accident, threat of a terrorist act, etc. comply with the requirements of library employees, internal affairs agencies, and emergency management agencies and departments.

33. Visitors are prohibited from:

take out documents from the library;
bring printed materials (books, magazines, newspapers, teaching materials, visual documents, sheet music and other documents), piercing and cutting objects to the library;
go to the library in an untidy appearance;
visit the library in a state of alcoholic intoxication, under the influence of narcotic, psychotropic, toxic substances;
enter the library with animals, with the exception of visually impaired users and persons who have lost their sight, accompanied by a guide dog;
perform actions that cause damage to the library equipment;
take documents without permission;
use mobile communication devices with the sound signal turned on;
place ads, posters and other materials in the library premises without permission, engage in business activities conduct propaganda and advertising activities;
violate public order;
smoke in the library premises, except in places specially designated for this purpose;
take food and drinks during the tour.

CHAPTER 5
USER RESPONSIBILITY

34. Library visitors who have caused damage to documents or library property (computers, office equipment, furniture, electrical equipment, etc.), cover the loss in accordance with the legislation.
35. Visitors who violate public order, humiliate employees and other library visitors, are liable in accordance with the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Belarus.
36. For violating these Regulations, visitors may be temporarily restricted or completely denied access to the library's services for a period of no more than one year.

CHAPTER 6
RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE LIBRARY

37. The library has the right to:

make additions and changes to these Regulations in accordance with the established procedure;
determine the terms of excursion services;
determine, in accordance with the legislation, the types and amounts of compensation for damage caused by visitors;
determine the period of restriction (no more than one year) of access to Library services for visitors who have violated these regulations;
require visitors to leave the Library premises in case of non-compliance with ethical standards and regulations of behavior in the Library.

38. The library must:

ensure a high culture of customer service;
maintain confidentiality of information about visitors;
inform visitors about:
additions and changes made to these Regulations;
changes in the Library's operating mode;
types of services provided by the Library.