Q. Can I join the library if I don’t live in Reading?
A. Yes you can if you live anywhere within England and Wales. |
Q. How do I join the library?
A. Just visit your nearest Reading Borough Library with two proofs
of identity. We will need one item showing your current address
(for example, a driving licence or a current bank statement)
and a second item showing your signature. For more information
about joining Reading Libraries and the service, see the Using
the Library. |
Q. How can I get a Your Reading Passport?
A. If you live within Reading Borough, you can join the library as
a Your Reading Passport member. This gives you access to other
facilities such as leisure centres, and gives discounts on the
hire of audio-visual items from Reading Libraries and offers in
some Reading shops. Please see the Council’s
Your Reading Passport site for more details on how and
where to apply. This is only available to residents of Reading
Borough. |
Q. What type of stock do you hold?
A. Reading Libraries holds a wide variety of material. We have
fiction and non-fiction books, audio books, newspapers and
magazines, foreign language material, children's stock, music
CD’s and DVD’s. We also have a collection of music scores,
plays and a local and family history section. To find out more
about the type of stock and the services we offer, please see
our Services page. |
Q. How can I find out if you have a particular item in stock?
A. You can search our online catalogue to find out if we have a
particular item. The catalogue will tell which library it is
located in, if it is a reference or lending copy and whether or
not it is currently on loan. If you know your pin number, it is
possible to reserve books online and also renew them. |
Q. Is it possible to request an item not in stock?
A. If you can't find the book you need, please ask for help. For a
small non-refundable charge of £2.50, books that we do not
stock can be requested from other libraries via an interlibrary
loan. Further charges may apply if it is only available from
the British Library. To request an interlibrary loan you will
need to visit your local library. Unfortunately, we cannot take
interlibrary loan requests for Audio Visual items or children’s
books. |
Q. Can I borrow a book from Remand Centre/Darwin Close/Mobile stock?
A. Yes you can. Darwin Close books are kept at a separate site so they may take
a little longer to arrive. Requests from Mobile stock or Remand
Centre can also
take a while longer to arrive. It is free to request books from
these locations but you will need to request from these sites
by telephone or in person as they cannot be ordered
online. |
Q. Why can’t I renew my books online?
A. You are not able to renew stock online if it is overdue or if
you owe any charges. Unfortunately, only books can
be renewed online. For all audio-visual items (e.g. videos)
please either telephone us or come into one of our libraries to
renew. Stock cannot be renewed if another customer has
requested it. |
Q. What services does my local library offer?
A. To find out what services your local branch library
offers,
please see the About Us page and follow the links to find out
about a particular library. |
Q. Do I have to pay to use the Internet in the library?
A. It is free to use the Internet within the library. You can have
a maximum of an hour and a half per day. It is possible to book in
advance either in person or over the phone on 0118 901 5941 for
access in the Central Library. You must bring your library card
with you in order to use the Internet. Printing is charged at
15p a page. |
Q. Do you still have business information?
A. At Reading Central Library, it is possible to
access Corporate Research (a company information database), COBRA (a
database of factsheets for small businesses) and Mintel
reports (market research reports). These are free to use,
but charges apply when downloading or printing material
from them. The business collection also includes trade
directories as well as a wide range of
lending stock which covers accountancy, management and
personnel management, personal finance, marketing and
advertising as well as job hunting and writing CVs. Please
see our online catalogue for details. |
