Library fees and charges
All charges apply from 1st September 2023.
Payments can be made in person at your library.
You may be eligible for a Cheshire Leisure Card. If not, you can get the same discounts with a Library Discount Card. 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 - £1.00 (65p Cheshire Leisure Card/Discount Card), no charge for children under 18
- items obtained from a UK lending library outside Cheshire - £3.60
- 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 are visually impaired or have difficulty handling books - no reservation charge
- Memory Box loans - £10.00 for 3 weeks
- Play set reservations - £1.00 per item (55p Cheshire Leisure Card/Discount Card)
- Reading Group collection - £80.00 a year
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.
Multimedia Loan Charges
| Item | Standard charge | Charge with Cheshire Leisure Card/Discount Card |
|---|
| DVDs |
£1.00 a week |
50p a week |
| Talking books and language courses - adult |
£2.00 - 3 week loan
Free if you are visually impaired or find it hard to handle books
|
£1.00 - 3 week loan |
| Talking books and language courses - child under 19 (if using child ticket) |
50p - 3 week loan |
30p - 3 week loan |
| Music scores and choral sets (for up to 4 months) - charges will sometimes be higher (for example, for loans exceeding 4 months, or where necessary to cover additional costs) but only by prior agreement |
£1 per vocal score or £30 per orchestral set
|
No discount
|
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 book charges
| Borrower | Standard charge for each item for each day overdue | Charge with Cheshire Leisure Card/Discount Card |
|---|
| Adult |
25p, up to a maximum of £10.00 |
10p, up to a maximum of £5 |
| Child under 5 (if using child ticket) |
No charge |
Not applicable |
| Child aged 5 or over and under 19 (if using child ticket) |
5p, up to a maximum of £1.00 |
Not applicable |
For children's books borrowed on an adult ticket, you pay the adult rate.
Overdue multimedia charges
| Borrower | Standard charge for each item for each day overdue | Charge with Cheshire Leisure Card/Discount Card |
|---|
| Adult |
50p, up to a maximum of £10.00 |
40p, up to a maximum of £5 |
| Child under 19 (if using child ticket) |
25p, up to a maximum of £5.00 |
Not applicable |
For children's items borrowed on an adult ticket, you pay the adult rate.
Lost and damaged items
Minimum charge for any one item - £3.00.
Administrative charge deducted from any refunds given when you find and return a lost item - £3.00.
Computer bookings
Computer bookings charges
| Item | Standard charge | Charge with Cheshire Leisure Card/Discount card |
|---|
| Computer bookings for Cheshire Library members |
Free for first hour each day.
£2.50 for adults and £1.25 for children (under 19) for each further hour (or part of an hour)
£1.00 for an additional 15 minutes on any session
|
Free for first hour each day. £1.25 for each additional hour |
| Computer bookings for non-members |
£2.50 for each hour or part of an hour for adults, £1.25 for children (under 19) |
Not applicable |
| Headphones |
£2.75 |
Not applicable |
| Printing per page (black and white) |
20p |
10p |
| Printing per page (colour) |
80p |
40p |
Photocopies
Black and white: 20p per side of A4 or 50p per side of A3 (where available)
Colour: 80p side of A4 or £2.00 per side of A3 (where available)
Lost library cards
Adult cards - £2.00
Child cards - £1.00
Cheshire Leisure Card and Discount Card holders - £1.00
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 on weekdays before 10.00pm:
- Band A £40.00 per hour
- Band B £20.00 per hour
- Band C £10.00 per hour
There will be a premium charge for bookings outside our published opening hours at weekends and on weekdays after 10.00pm:
- Band A premium rate £60.00 per hour
- Band B premium rate £30.00 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.
Page last reviewed: 01 September 2023
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