What you can borrow and renewing

Latest

3-for-2 DVDs offer: When you join the library we'll give you a voucher to borrow three great films for the price of two up to Saturday 31 March 2012. See Films and TV shows.

Get email notifications: Go paperless and get notices about reservations and late loans by email – it's quicker than post and helps reduce waste. You'll need to sign into the E-library to Change reservations contact method and Change overdues contact method.

Joining the library
Joining the library

Full library members can borrow:

  • 20 books for 3 weeks
  • 6 ebooks and e-audiobooks for 3 weeks
  • 6 audiobooks on CD, cassette and MP3 Playaway for 3 weeks
  • 6 CDs for 1 week
  • 6 DVDs for 1 week
  • 2 language courses for 6 weeks
  • 1 home electricity monitor for 3 weeks – see Energy saving at home.

Standard members are limited to four items in total. If you are over 16, one of the items can be a CD, DVD or audiobook.

All books and children's stories on CD and tape are free to borrow, and ebooks and e-audiobooks are free for a trial period. There is a small charge for CDs and DVDs – see our fees and charges.

You can search and reserve these items on our E-library online catalogue.

Renewing your library loans

You can renew any items – except DVDs – if they haven't been reserved by another borrower or reached the maximum renewals limit. A further hire charge may be made on some items when you renew them.

You can't renew ebooks or e-audiobooks – after three weeks they stop working and you will need to download them again from the website.

To renew your loans, please:

  • visit any library in East Sussex
  • phone 0345 60 80 195
  • use your library card and PIN to renew online.

Using the E-library

Overdue items and fines

Please renew or return your items as soon as possible. You may be charged a fine or further hire charge for late items.

Overdue charges vary according to the type of item borrowed and the type of library card you have. For example, children under 16 don't pay fines and there are no fines for overdue ebooks and e-audiobooks – they simply stop working after three weeks.

Please ask your local library about concessions.

How to pay

You can pay fines and other charges by cash, cheque or credit card – see our fees and charges.

What if something you want isn't available?

If we don't have what you want, fill in a reservation card at your local library to:

  • request items already published or due to be released soon – we will consider buying them in line with our stock policy
  • ask us to try obtaining specialised items using the national inter-library loan system.

You may be charged a small non-refundable fee for reserving items.

Suggest items for us to buy: