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Using the Service

 

Everyone can use the library and most of our services are free - you can join as a member, borrow books, reserve items from our stock, search the Internet or find information, all without charge. For more details see the sections below.

How to join - How many items can I borrow? 
Renewing your loans - Charges - Reservations


How to Join

No-one is too young or old to use the library, and there is no cost. Just visit your nearest Reading Borough Library with two official proofs of identity. We will need to see one of the following items showing your current address:

Driving licence, Medical card, Bank statement*, Building Society book,  Family Allowance book, Pension book, Rent book, Council tax book, Tenancy agreement, Gas bill*, Electricity bill*, Telephone bill*, Water bill*, Credit card bill*, TV licence. (Items marked with * must be no more than two months old)

and also one of the following items showing your signature

Credit card, Bank card, Store card, Passport. 

If you are a student or other temporary resident please ask staff for details.

If you live within Reading Borough, you will be able to join as a Your Reading Passport member, which gives you access to other facilities such as leisure centres, and gives discounts on hire of audio-visual items with Reading Libraries and offers in some Reading shops. Please ask for more details.


How Many Items Can I Borrow?

Adults can borrow up to 20 books, ten videos or DVDs, and ten cassettes / CDs / talking books.

Under 18s can borrow up to 20 books and 10 cassettes or CDs.

Most books, CDs and cassettes can be borrowed for 3 weeks at a time. Videos and DVDs can be borrowed for a week at a time.


Renewing Your Loans

Avoid any overdue charges by making sure you renew items before they are late back. You can do this in 3 ways:

Visit your local library

Bring your items to renew to any of our libraries and ask a member of staff to renew them for you. You can also renew items twice without bringing them in - just show your library card to staff who will do this for you. We will need to see the items if you wish to renew them a third time.

Ring the library

Call us on 0118 901 5950, with details of your library card and what you wish to renew. You can ring us twice to do this. We will need to see the items if you wish to renew them a third time.

Renew online

Go to the library catalogue and click on Renew Items. You will need to know your library barcode and 4 digit PIN number for this. Please ask staff if you do not know your PIN number. You can login twice to do this. We will need to see the items if you wish to renew them a third time. You will not be able to renew stock online if it is overdue or if you owe more than £5 in 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 by any of these ways if another customer has requested it.


Charges

A full list of current charges is here

Books

All books are free to borrow. Overdue charges are 15p per book per day.

Spoken Word Cassettes

All branches have spoken word cassettes. People registered as blind or partially sighted can borrow these free of charge. Charges otherwise are:

Sets with 1-2 tapes...... 60p for 3 weeks
Sets with 3-6 tapes...... 90p for 3 weeks
Sets with 7 plus tapes.. £1.80 for 3 weeks

Overdue charges are:
25p per day late (maximum of £12 per item)

Spoken Word CDs

Reading Central Library also has a collection of audiobooks on CD. Charges to borrow these are:
Books with 1 CD........... £1.00 for 3 weeks
Books with 2-6 CDs...... £2.00 for 3 weeks
Books with 7 plus CDs.. £2.50 for 3 weeks
Overdue charges are:
40p per day (maximum of £15.00)

Videos

All branches have video collections, mostly feature films and children's videos. Some TV, drama and general interest videos are also available. Central Library also has a collection of music videos.

The hire charge for videos is £1.60 per week each. If they are late back the overdue charge is 75p per day (maximum £15 per item)

DVDs

All branches also have DVD collections.

The loan charge is £2.60 per DVD for a one-week loan. Overdue items are charged at 75p per day per DVD (maximum £15 per item).

Music CDs

Music CDs can be borrowed from Reading Central, Caversham and Tilehurst Libraries.

The loan charge for CDs with one disc is £1.00 each for 3 weeks. Boxed sets containing 2 or more CDs have a charge of £2.00 for 3 weeks.

Performance Sets

Performance sets of up to 60 copies held in Reading Libraries can be borrowed for free by groups within Reading Borough.

For those living outside the area there is a charge of £2.50 per vocal set (up to 20 copies) per set per calendar month, or £5 per play set for 12 weeks.

If we do not stock the title we can request it via interlibrary loan. There is an additional charge of £2.50 per set (up to 20 copies).


Reservations

If you can't find the book you need, please ask for help. For a small non-refundable charge of £2.50 books which we do not stock can be requested from other libraries via interlibrary loan. Reservations for items in stock in our libraries are FREE.


 

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