Borrow, reserve and renew

Borrowing

You can borrow:

• books and talking books - three week loan
• music CDs - three week loan (hire fee applies)
• DVDs - one week loan (hire fee applies)
• books for childminder and pre-school groups - six week loan

You can reserve books, DVDs and CDs online on the LibrariesWest website and collect them in your local library or your nearest mobile library stop. You don’t have to pay anything to reserve them. You need your library card and PIN.

You can renew your books up to 10 times online on the LibrariesWest website, unless someone else has requested them. 

A daily overdue fee applies if books, DVDs or CDs are returned late.

A reading group card allows your group to borrow up to 20 copies of the same title for up to eight weeks. Talking book or large print versions of titles can be supplied as part of this, if available on the library catalogue. We charge a flat fee for each book group request.

Requests must be made with a member of library staff at least six weeks before a title is required, to make sure we can source enough copies. Reading groups cannot request any title first published in the last 12 months, or any other title with a large reservation queue (regardless of publication date). This is to maximise availability for wider library users.

Overdue fees are payable for late returns and replacement item costs apply if items are lost or damaged.

A group can have a total of 40 items on loan at any one time to allow for changeover of titles.

Titles may also be available in eBook or eAudio through the LibrariesWest BorrowBox service. This includes featured 'Read Now' and 'Listen Now' titles, which allow multiple simultaneous loans. BorrowBox titles are free to reserve.

Somerset County Council's performing arts library offers resources for music and drama study, recreation and performance as well as an advice and reference service. You can borrow copies of music scores, sets of performance material, play sets, single copies and books.