Library fees and charges
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Go paperless and get notices about reservations and late loans by email – it's quicker than post and helps reduce waste.
You'll need your library card and PIN to change these details on our E-library:
It's free to join, borrow books and use our computers. We only charge for reserving items, hiring DVDs, videos and music,
fines for overdue items and costs for lost or damaged items. You will also have to pay a small charge for photocopying and printing.
How to pay
You can pay charges three ways:
- in cash at your local library
- by cheque at your local library, made payable to 'East Sussex County Council'
- by credit card over the phone for charges over £5.
Please phone 01273 481170 on Monday to Friday during office hours (9am-4.30pm). You will need your debit or credit card details and your membership number from your library card.
Please note, charges for items borrowed from mobile libraries cannot be paid by credit card. They must be paid on the mobile library.
Overdue charges
| What we charge for | How we charge | Amount |
|---|
| Books and audiobooks | per day | 17p |
| Books borrowed on a child's ticket | no charge |
| If we send a letter for overdue books borrowed
on a child's ticket | per letter | 30p |
There are no overdue charges for ebooks and audiobooks – they simply stop working after three weeks.
Overdue DVDs, videos and CDs will incur an additional weekly hire charge.
Reservation charges
| What we charge for | How we charge | Amount |
|---|
| Reserving an item | pay when you reserve | 80p |
| Reserving an item on the Internet | pay on your next visit to the library | 60p |
| If we get your item from outside the county | pay extra charge when you collect | £1.70 |
Reservation charges are not refundable.
Hire charges
| What we charge for | How we charge | Type of item | Amount |
|---|
| DVD | per week | adult | £3.00 |
| children's | £1.80 |
| Videos | per week | adult | £3.00 |
| children's | £1.80 |
| Music | per week | per CD | 90p |
| Ebooks | for 3 weeks | per ebook | no charge for a trial period |
| Audiobooks | for 3 weeks | each item up to 8 CDs or tapes | £1.30 |
| each item over 8 CDs or tapes | £1.70 |
| MP3 Playaways | £1.30 |
| MP3 downloads | no charge for a trial period |
| WMA downloads | no charge for a trial period |
| Playsets | for 6 weeks | per set | £1.50 |
| Scores | for 3 months | per set | £25 |
| for each extra month | per set | £25 |
Photocopier charges
| What we charge for | How we charge | Amount |
|---|
| A4 black and white | per sheet | 10p |
| A3 black and white | per sheet | 15p |
| A4 colour | per sheet | £1 |
| A3 colour | per sheet | £1.50 |
Lost/damaged items
| What we charge for | Amount |
|---|
| Books and other items | replacement cost |
| Library card replacement | £1.25 |
| Bus pass replacement – first card lost | £5 |
| Bus pass replacement – second card lost | £10 |
Miscellaneous charges
| What we charge for | How we charge | Amount |
|---|
| Research work | first half hour | free |
| for each extra half hour | £12.50 |
| Reader printer | per sheet | 20p |
| A4 printout from computer, Internet or CD-ROM (black and white) | per sheet | 20p |
| A4 printout from computer, Internet or CD-ROM (colour) | per sheet | 50p |
| Internet access | | free |
For information about concessions and other services that may be available – for example, fax, photographic reproduction and digital scans – please ask at your local library.
All prices include VAT (if applicable) but may be subject to variation should VAT rules and rates change. Exemptions apply in some cases.
East Sussex County Council