Library Policy & Regulations

Working at Hogwarts as a library technician has its advantages and disadvantages. Although Madam Pince loves nothing so much as haranguing misbehaving students; I also often have to intervene to reinforce library guidelines in the event of students causing mayhem – thus, producing the disadvantages of my job. This brings to me to the point of my blog post today: Hogwarts Library regulations & policy! 

Regrettably, neither you nor I possess the ability to sit and read the endless list of tedious library regulations (made considerably longer and stricter when Madam Pince took her position as head librarian.) Nevertheless, I’ll skim over some of my favourite general guidelines, solely because I have some humorous stories to share about them.

Hogwarts Library Regulation 1 Section 2.5: Our library has standards for noise, (obviously.) Given that we are an Academic library, Madam Pince is adamant in keeping traditional library values and policies in check. Quiet collaboration among students is expected and therefore tolerated. However, if your noise level becomes too loud, you can expect the wrath of Madam Pince! Like, perhaps, being inflicted by the infamous leek jinx. (A jinx which causes a great production of leeks to come out of the victim’s ears,) Ridiculous, I know, but pretty handy. 

Hogwarts Library Regulation 2 Section 1: Stealing. You can assume that the library has a strict policy on stealing, given the fact that the policy on noise was quite strict. Stealing is highly prohibited. Students attempting to run off with the intention of keeping a library book have been known to suffer from finger-removing jinxes! A punishment as old as dawn, Madam Pomfrey can mend up your missing finger straight away – but then the guilty student will likely face suspension from the library. (Who would ever want that?) 

Hogwarts Library Regulation 3 Section 1: As I mentioned above, Pince sticks to old library policy. This means: (to my dismay,) all food and drinks apart from water must be consumed outside the library. Heck, before I came along, Madam Pince wouldn’t even allow water! – That’s an advantage of working as a Hogwarts library technician; you possess the capability to persuade Madam Pince to relax rules a little bit here and there. Despite this, I’m not even allowed to eat my bag of Doritos in the library during my break without Pince berating me; not only for eating in a book environment, but she also goes off mumbling under her breath about “malodorous muggle foods!” I know what you’re thinking, “if food or drink was spilled onto a book, couldn’t there be a spell just to clean up the mess and fix the book?” Well, dear reader, yes and no. Some of our ancient books in the restricted section are highly sensitive; any spells used on them can seriously distress them and even injure the witch or wizard attempting to clean it! Books in the magical world are largely different from those in the muggle world and are better to just be read and not fiddled around with. Trust me.

Hogwarts Library Regulation 4 Section 4: Prank paraphernalia. Now, if I was in charge and worked here as the head Hogwarts librarian, I would be totally cool with the odd prank here and there. However, back in the day, Fred and George Weasley decided to pursue their passion and found their joke shop, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. Thus, leading to almost half of the school population releasing pygmy puffs to wander throughout the campus – or throwing up on each other as a result of skiving snackboxes. Wizard Wheezes products are largely prohibited in the classroom and the castle halls, allowing it to be less difficult to keep out of the library. This isn’t a new regulation, though. Before the Weasley prank products, were Zonko’s Joke Shop products, founded centuries ago! This means that prank paraphernalia has been forbidden from our library for centuries – but if you’re sneaky, you might be able to get in a few love potions or participate in some innocent espionage with the notorious extendable ears. 

Hogwarts Library Regulation 5 Section 8: Student conflict. Keeping fights and conflicts under control for the most part is relatively easy here.  It is common knowledge in the wizarding world that the use of spells outside classrooms for underage wizards is actually illegal. Thankfully, this eliminates frequent spell duels among aggressive students. Nevertheless, this does not prevent them from occasionally throwing punches or yelling minor threats at each other (which reminds me of my muggle childhood!) Actually, my favorite conflict management story comes from last May, When James Sirius Potter (yes, the oldest son of the famous Harry James Potter,) initiated a fight with the Slytherin quidditch chaser, Cadmus Finnigan. Next thing I knew, Cadmus was on top of James, beating him with his History of Magic textbook! I handled this one, shooing Madam Pince away and ordering the two boys to report to the Headmistress, Professor McGonagall.  It was a big day for me, handling my first student conflict without the help of Madam Pince!

                My spiel on Hogwarts library policy has come to an end. I hope you feel learned in the art of assertiveness; it’s a highly useful quality in a wizarding school library. My current endeavour is to aid Madam Pince in lessening her forcefulness of heeding every rule. I know this might be far-fetched, but I even hope to help her conquer her abhorrence of loud, rambunctious students! Wish me luck on this mission – I’ll keep you all updated.