Library fees and charges

All charges apply from 1 April 2025.

Payments can be made in person at your library.

You may be eligible for a Cheshire Leisure Card (CLC) if you are receiving certain benefits. Ask your library for details or check online.

Reservation charges

You can make reservations online or in person at a library.

A hold fee will be applied when you collect your items. The appropriate charges will also be applied if you do not collect your holds. Your holds can be cancelled by contacting your local library or by e-mailing us.

• items obtained within Cheshire -  £1.20 (90p Cheshire Leisure Card), no charge for children under 19
• items obtained from a UK lending library outside Cheshire - £4.00
• items obtained from the British Library -  £18.85, renewals £6.25 and replacement £185.50
• print copies of journal articles - £13.20 (copyright charge may also apply).
• electronic journal articles by email -  £6.70 (copyright charge may also apply)
• scanned journal articles by email - £11.70 (copyright charge may also apply)
• Talking books, language courses and large print books for borrowers who have difficulty reading print or handling books - no reservation charge
• Memory Box loans - £10.00 for 3 weeks
• Play set reservations  -  £1.20 per copy
• Reading Group collection - £100.00 a year

Multimedia loan charges

Visually impaired borrowers and those who have difficulty in handling books are not charged for the loan of talking books, language courses and large print books.

For items borrowed for children on an adult ticket, you pay the adult rate.

Charges for overdue items

If you have set an alert for email reminders of items due back but do not get an email you must still pay any overdue charge.

Overdue book charges

Overdue multimedia charges

For children's items borrowed on an adult ticket, you pay the adult rate.

Lost and damaged items

There is a sliding scale based on the age of the item:

• Up to 2 years in stock - full purchase price
• 2-4 years in stock - 75% of purchase price
• 4-6 years in stock - 50% of purchase price
• 6 years and over - 25% of purchase price

Minimum charge for any one item  -  £5.00.

Administrative charge deducted from any refunds given when you find and return a lost item -  £5.00.

Contact your library to report a lost or damaged item, in person or by phone.

Computer bookings

Photocopies

Black and white: 30p per side of A4 or 60p per side of A3 (where available). 

Colour: £1.00 per side of A4 (50p with CLC) or £2.00 per side (£1.00 with CLC) of A3 (where available). 

Lost library cards

Adult cards - £3.00

Child and Cheshire Leisure cards - £1.50

Meeting room hire

Library meeting rooms for hire are banded from A to C. Please contact the individual library in person, by phone or email to book their meeting room.

Band A is our largest room, the Cheshire Suite at Macclesfield Library. Band B meeting rooms have a dedicated kitchen area and equipment such as a projection screen. Band C meeting rooms are smaller spaces with less equipment.

The following hourly rates apply for each band at times when the library is fully open:

• Band A £40.00 per hour
• Band B £20.00 per hour
• Band C £15.00 per hour

There is a premium charge for bookings outside our published opening hours on weekdays, up to 10.00pm where staffing allows:

• Band A premium rate £40.00 per hour
• Band B premium rate £25.00 per hour
• Band C premium rate £15.00 per hour

We give a discount of 15% for block bookings of 6 or more meetings paid in advance.

The IT Suite at Macclesfield Library is  £20.00 per hour.

For bookings cancelled with less than 48 hours notice, the full hire charge is payable.