Library Guide & Policy

The goal of the Rothberg International School’s Judah L. Berger Memorial Library and Mekler-Benenson Families Reference Library is to serve the needs of RIS students and faculty. All other students and faculty of Hebrew University are entitled to use RIS library services, with various limitations.

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Opening Hours*

Sunday-Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. – 8:45 p.m.; Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 6:45 p.m.

*These hours are subject to change during summer & holidays.

Library Registration

Each new student must personally register at the front desk in the library with:

• A valid student card (that serves as his/her “library card”)
• A valid e-mail address

Open Stacks

Books on the open shelves may be borrowed for a week. They are automatically renewed (up to one year), as long as no one else requests them.   Should somebody else request a book that has been borrowed, the reader will be notified by e-mail.

Journals, dictionaries, and books with yellow labels are for use in the library only and cannot be borrowed.

Loans

Students must present a student card in order to borrow books from the library.

• RIS Undergraduate and Mechina students may borrow up to 15 books at a time + two books from the reserve section.
• RIS Graduate students may borrow up to 20 books at a time + two books from the reserve section.
• Summer Course students, and regular Hebrew University students may borrow up to 10 books at a time + one book from the reserve section.
• RIS Ulpan students may borrow two books at a time.

Returns

Students should check the due date of their books via the library’s website.  When returning books, it is the students’ responsibility to make sure that the books returned are no longer listed on his/her student account.

Fines for Late Returns

Students will be charged a daily fine for late returns on books from the open stacks, and an hourly fine for late returns of reserve books.

Reserve Section

Books required for courses are located in the reserve section, behind the librarian’s desk.

Folders with all the course syllabi are located at the front desk. Please refer to these files for a book’s call number before making a request. Reserve books are limited to use during the day in the reading room only, for two hours at a time. In addition, reserve books may be borrowed overnight:  Sunday-Wednesday 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 a.m. the following day, or Thursday 4:00 p.m. – Sunday 12:00 p.m.

E-Reserves and E-Journals

Most required readings for courses can be accessed as E-RESERVE full text online, both on and off campus via Moodle or the library’s catalog (ID and personal code are needed as username and password). Readings can then be saved on a personal K drive, disk-on-key (Flash-drive), cloud storage, or printed out.  Electronic books and journals may be viewed in full text off campus as well, after registration to Remote Access (SAMBA).

Library Privileges for Alumni

Rothberg International School Alumni are eligible for an additional year of access to HebrewU’s online databases. Additionally, Rothberg Alumni can pay a yearly fee of 480 NIS in order to borrow books from any of the university’s libraries. Rothberg’s library staff is happy to stay in touch, provide support, and answer any questions.

Tel. & Fax: +972 2 588 1634

Printers

Two printers (located inside the library) are operated either by personal credit card* or by printing card which can be purchased at the Humanities and Social Sciences Library (from a machine located near the entrance).

*We advise you consult a library staff member before first use.

Scanner

The library offers use of one scanner, free of charge. Scanned files will arrive straight to the student’s email.

Photocopying Services

Two photocopy machines are available for student use on the first floor of the Boyar Building, just outside the library. Either a credit card or a photocopy card (purchased at the Main Library or at the Forum Photocopy Center/Sherutei Misrad) are acceptable forms of payment.

Additional Photocopy Centers

• The Forum Photocopy Center/Sherutei Misrad (near the post-office). Colored printing is available.
•  Frank Sinatra Photocopy Center (entrance next to the Frank Sinatra Cafeteria). Colored printing is available.

Library Computers

The computers in the library are for research only. Personal use is limited to computer room 107 (entrance through the library), and other computer stations on campus. Laptops may be used in the library. Initial configuration can be done individually or by the computer support staff in room 106. Wireless connection (Wi-Fi) is available throughout the Boyar Building.

Attention

No food or drinks are allowed in the library.  Mobile phones must be kept on silent at all times.

No personal belongings (books, bags, laptop, etc.) may be left unattended in the library. Security will be called immediately.

A student’s library privileges may be blocked in the following cases: late return of books, loss of books on loan, or improper behavior in the library.

Other Libraries

*Bloomfield Library for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Mount Scopus Campus  

This library’s collections cover all departments in the faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences (except for Archaeology, Assyriology, and Egyptology, which are found in the Archaeology Library; and Education, which is found in the Education Library). It holds about 600,000 volumes and subscribes to numerous periodicals in many languages.

Lending service: All registered students may borrow 50 books from the general collection, with automatic renewal. Student cards serve as library cards.

Reserve Desk tel.: +972 2 588 1501
Reference Desk tel.: +972 2 588 1587 or 588 2133

**The National Library of Israel, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram  

This library, formerly called the Jewish National and University Library, contains over five million volumes, including rare manuscripts and the world’s largest collection of Judaica and Hebrew language texts.

It contains five reading rooms: General, Judaica, Asia-Africa, Manuscripts and Microfilmed Jewish Manuscripts, and Periodicals. It also houses special collections and archives. Bibliographic and photocopy services are available. A library card may be obtained by presenting a valid student card at the main desk of the catalog room.

Reference service: Sunday – Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.; Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; Tel.:+972 ( 74) 733 6400
Photocopy services: Sunday – Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.; Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; Tel.: + 972 (74) 733 6317

Reading Rooms

Jewish Studies, General, and Asia-Africa: Sunday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Archives: Sunday – Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Manuscripts and Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts: Sunday – Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Rare Books and Scholem Collection: Sunday – Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

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