Organisation, Regulations and Forms
The University Library System (ULS) was founded in 2000 and reorganised into its current form in 2006, with a few minor changes in the following years.
The Presidency of the ULS is held by the Delegate Vice-Chancellor for the University Library System; the governance is structured into three Scientific Hub Councils, designated by the departments, and a Management Council chaired by the Delegate and made up of the Presidents of the Hub Councils and a student representative.
On an organisational level, the ULS is made up of a centralised management and process coordination structure, and library structures organised into hubs, which form the Libraries Division.
As of the 1st November 2016, the Libraries Division reports to the new Cultural Heritage Area.
2006 - 2016: 10 years of activities from the Library System download the brochure
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Bodies
President: Professor Alessandra Annoni
Management Board
The Management Board is chaired by the Vice-Chancellor for Libraries, and made up of the Presidents of the Scientific Hub Councils and a student representative. Also participating in the meetings are the Coordinator of the Libraries Division, as secretary, and the Managers of the Hub Libraries.
The Management Board has the following tasks:
- managing the general interest acquisitions policy.
- establishing the criteria for the allocation of funds available to the University Library System, and assigning resources for acquisitions of general interest and the needs of the hub libraries.
- proposing general guidelines for the organisation of the University Library System.
The Management Board for the three-year academic period 2021-2024 has the following members:
Professor Alessandra Annoni (President of the University Library System)
Professor Valentina Gritti (President of the Social and Human Sciences Hub)
Professor Raffaele Di Gregorio (President of the Science, Technology and Architecture Hub)
Professor Luisa Giari (President of the Biomedical and Mathematics Hub)
Mrs. Giorgia Oberdan (Student Representative)
Dr. Marina Contarini (Manager of the Libraries Division and Libraries Manager for the Science, Technology and Architecture Hub and Libraries Manager for the Social and Human Sciences Hub)
Dr. Giacomo Ciriago (Libraries Manager for the Biomedical and Mathematics Hub)
Scientific Hub Councils
The Scientific Hub Councils, which represent the university departments, coordinate the management of and policies for library acquisitions, in the relevant scientific or disciplinary fields.
The Scientific Hub Councils are organised for the three-year academic period 2021/24 in the following way:
Biomedical and Mathematics Hub Council
President: Professor Giorgio Bertorelle (Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology)
Professor Luciana Zaccagni (Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, formerly Department of Biomedical and Surgical-specialist Science)
Professor Valeria Bertagnolo (Department of Translational Medicine for Romagna, formerly Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine)
Professor Maurizio Remelli (Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Science, formerly Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science)
Professor Monica De Mattei (Department of Medical Science)
Professor Andrea Benazzo (Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology)
Professor Luisa Giari (Department of Environmental and Prevention Science)
Professor Maria Giulia Lugaresi (Department of Mathematics and Information Technology - only for aspects relating to library organisation)
Dr. Giacomo Ciriago (Libraries Manager for the Biomedical and Mathematics Hub)
Technological Science and Architecture Hub Council
President: Professor Raffaele Di Gregorio (Department of Engineering)
Professor Guido Zavattini (Department of Physics and Earth Science)
Professor Dario Scodeller (Department of Architecture)
Professor Maria Giulia Lugaresi (Department of Mathematics and Information Technology)
Dr. Marina Contarini (Libraries Manager for the Science, Technology and Architecture Hub)
Social and Human Sciences Hub Council
President: Professor Valentina Gritti (Department of Humanities)
Professor Caterina Colombo (Department of Economics and Management)
Professor Gianluca Gardini (Department of Law)
Dr. Marina Contarini (Libraries Manager for the Social and Human Sciences Hub)
ULS Evaluation (2005-2007)
The institutional resolution for the new University Library System (Board of Directors, 5 October 2005), involves a period of monitoring and assessment for the new system, inspired by the principle of a dynamic organisation that is under constant evaluation and development.
With this aim, a commission was established made up of internal and external members, which in March 2007, one year after the definitive launch of the ULS, presented a report to the Board of Directors with their assessment of the new organisational model and proposals for improvement. The Board of Directors (27/03/07) then extended the activities of the Commission with the goal of continuing to monitor the ULS, establishing the Commission on a permanent basis, until otherwise decided, as a supervisory group working for the Board of Directors.
Minutes
Consultation of the minutes is reserved for university staff.
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Hubs
Social and Human Sciences
The Social and Human Sciences Hub coordinates the centralised Economics, Law, and Literature and Philosophy Libraries, important points of support for research and teaching for the Departments of Economics and Management, Law and Humanities.
The Centre for Documentation and Study of European Communities is connected to the Hub for library activities, while remaining an independent facility as an inter-departmental centre that is part of the EU information network, regulated by an agreement signed by the university and the European Commission.
Hub Director
President of the Hub Council
Science, Technology and Architecture
The Science, Technology and Architecture Hub coordinates four library facilities: the centralised Science and Technology Library, which functions as a document centre for the areas of engineering (in particular, civil, environmental, mechanical, materials, electronic and communications engineering), physics and earth sciences; two smaller libraries which offer document services to support teaching and research in the areas of architecture and industrial design, and mathematics and information technology; and finally the library attached to the "Piero Leonardi" Paleo-Anthropology Museum, established to support the museum's exhibitions, teaching and research.
Hub Director
President of the Hub Council
Biomedical and Mathematics
The Biomedical and Mathematics Hub coordinates two library facilities: the centralised S. Maria delle Grazie Library, a point of reference for the teaching and research of the Chemistry, Biology, Pharmacy, Agriculture and Biomedical areas, and the Mathematics and Information Technology Library.
Hub Director
President of the Hub Council
ULS Regulations
Regulations for the activities and services of the libraries of the University of Ferrara
Rules for consulting special collections
Regulations for the activities and services of the University of Ferrara Libraries, art. 28
- The consultation of ancient or valuable documents must take place in a dedicated area, controlled by the library.
- Volumes that need restoring are excluded from consultation.
- Users can access only one document for consultation at a time, unless there is a proven need to compare it with other documents.
- Users must diligently comply with the following instructions:
- use the designated bookstands and other equipment in the room made available, in order to protect the documents;
- if the specialised staff consider it necessary, wear the cotton gloves provided;
- if the use of gloves is not considered necessary, handle the documents with clean, dry hands;
- bring only erasable pencils, note paper and a laptop without a case;
- do not make any mark or underline anything, even in pencil, on the documents;
- do not place writing paper or anything else on top of the documents;
- avoid putting pressure on the bindings in order not to damage them;
- do not trace any images (watermarks, drawings, miniatures, bindings);
- if needed, use only flexible tape measures and magnifying glasses;
- in the case of loose or miscellaneous papers, do not alter in any way the order of the documents;
- report any missing items, damages or discrepancies found in the documents consulted to the librarians as soon as possible.
- Users are responsible for the works they are consulting until the moment they are returned. If you are leaving the consultation area, even briefly, the document must be returned.