Membership & Fees

If you’d rather join in person, please visit Upper Norwood Library. Please bring an official document which has your name and your current address printed on it e.g. utility or council tax bill, bank or building society letter/statement, pension or benefit book/letter, rent book or tenancy agreement, letter from tax office, driving licence.

If you are under 18 your parent/carer will be required to sign as your guarantor. Parent/carers can register their babies and children at any age. Members and guarantors will be asked to sign a membership card. By signing your membership card you are agreeing to abide by the library regulations, to pay any charges for late return or damage of library materials borrowed on your membership and to notify us of any change of address.

Lost membership cards

If you lose your membership card please go to the Librarian Desk to have it replaced. Replacement cards are £2 for adults and 50p for exemptions: adults over 60, children under 18 and concessions.

Borrowing Information

Items for loan

• Books, DVDs (TV, film & non-fiction)

• Story CDs (Talking Books)

NB: We cannot guarantee that all media items will play on all machines. Please remember to unlock the DVD cases before leaving the library.

Items are issued for the loan periods listed below and can be renewed as long as they have not been reserved by another library member. Please have your library membership card with you as you will need to use the self-service machines.There is a hire charge for DVDs, adult audiobooks and language courses (not English, these are free). Loans

Books: Three weeks; Audiobooks: Three weeks for 50p; Childrens’ DVDs: one week for £1; Adult’s DVDs: 3Three days for £1.50; Boxsets: One week for £2.50; Language courses: Six weeks for £2.

Returns

When returning items please return them properly via the self-service machines as all items are your responsibility until they are deleted from your membership.

We send overdue reminders by email when items are late but it is advisable to keep a close eye on each item’s due date to avoid fines being incurred. They can be renewed online (so long as you have a 4-digit PIN given to you by the library staff), via the self-service machines or by phone.

Renewals

Please have your library membership card with you when renewing in person or by telephone.

Telephone renewals are not always possible on memberships with outstanding charges so please come in person to the library to renew your items and pay any outstanding charges. Fines will also be charged if an item is overdue before it is renewed.

Renewals are not possible for items that have been reserved by another library member and must be returned by the due date otherwise a daily fine will be charged.

DVDs can be renewed as many times as needed, a hire charge will incur at each renewal so it is advisable to calculate the fine before asking to renew these items. Loan charges for renewed visual items are payable when the items are returned to the library.

Holiday loan extensions

Books may be given an extended loan if you will be away on holiday when they are due for return. Please ask at the counter when borrowing your books, or bring them in for renewal before you go, as these extensions cannot be given over the telephone. Unfortunately, loan extensions cannot be given for any purpose other than holidays, or on audio/visual media.

Reservations

All lending books in stock may be reserved via the Lambeth Library catalogue online or ask at the Librarian Desk. We charge 50p for items in stock and £2 for us to order or borrow from another library outside of Lambeth such as the British Library.

Library of Things

Why buy when you can borrow?

We’re proud to work in partnership with the Library of Things at the Upper Norwood Library Hub and contribute to building a circular economy.

Borrow useful household items for DIY, cleaning, gardening, events, entertainment and more for a few pounds per day. Save money, cut clutter and reduce waste.

Since opening at Crystal Palace the total Things borrowed now exceeds 7,000! This equates to over £230,000 that has now been saved by residents having the opportunity to borrow rather than buy.