Introduction
Your library card gives you access to all East Sussex County Council libraries. You can borrow items from and return them to any of our libraries.
With library membership you can:
- Borrow a range of books for adults, children and young people free of charge, including books in Large Print and books in other languages
- Borrow eBooks and audiobooks and eMagazines and newspapers
- Borrow DVDs, music CDs and audiobooks for a small charge
- Borrow reading group sets, play reading sets and music score sets for a small charge. Music scores and play sets cannot be reserved online. Please ask a member of staff at your local library
- Renew your items up to 5 times if no one else has requested them
- Reserve items for pick up from your local library
- Access subscription websites for free in the online reference library
- Get free access to computers and wifi
Full members can borrow the maximum number of items:
- Up to 20 books
- 6 CDs
- 6 audio books
- 6 DVDs
Loan periods for items are determined by the type of membership you have. All membership types feature book loan times of a minimum 3 weeks.
Reading Well (formerly Books on Prescription)
Reading Well
Reading Well are collections of books for people who would like to improve their wellbeing and their mental or physical health.
There are five topics covered in the book collections:
- Mental health support and advice
- Children
- Young People
- Families
- Dementia
Reading Well information from the Reading Agency
You can look for and reserve a range of health and wellbeing books, including the Reading Well books, by visiting a library or searching the library catalogue.
Further help
These books might not be able to completely resolve your problems, so if feel you need more help contact your GP.
You can also find information on the library wellbeing pages:
- Where to find further help
- Library groups and events
- Wellbeing resources to borrow from your library
- Community resources
- Period poverty
Sets of books and scores
Music scores and play sets cannot be reserved online. Please ask a member of staff at your local library.
Find out more about reading groups.
Free books for children - Bookstart
Bookstart is a national scheme offering free books to children under 5 years old and advice to their parents on sharing books with children from a very early age.
Details about each pack are below. To order special packs or ask questions, contact the Bookstart Librarian for East Sussex.
Bookstart Baby Pack
Parents are given a baby pack by your health visitor at your baby’s 3 to 6 month assessment.
It includes 2 board books, guidance for parents and carers, information about libraries and an invitation to join your local library.
Books in other languages
Families, health visitors and early years providers can ask our Bookstart Librarian to include books written in English and a second language.
We offer Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Kurdish, Mandarin, Lithuanian, Nepali, Panjabi, Polish, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese.
Bookstart packs for children with additional needs
Parents and carers can ask our Bookstart Librarian if you need one of our special packs for children with additional needs.
- Bookshine pack for deaf or hearing impaired children up to 4 years old. It includes touch and feel book with signing, a signing rhymetime place mat and guidance for parents and carers.
- Booktouch packs for blind or partially sighted children up to 4 years old. It includes touch and feel and Braille books, advice about reading with blind and partially sighted children and lists of recommended books.
- Bookstart Star packs are for children aged 3 to 5 who have disabilities affecting their fine motor skills. It includes a touch and feel book, board book, animal finger puppets and resources to help parents and carers enjoy reading with their children.
