Membership of the library is free

To join the library, please provide two (2) forms of identification with your name and current address

• If you are under the age of 18, you are required to have a parent or guardian sign a completed registration form
• For your protection and ours, we require you to bring your card with you every time you wish to borrow.

Your library card

• A card lasts as long as it is physically useable
• We re-register your card every two years so that we can keep up to date with any changes to your registration information
• If you move house or change your name, please let us know so we can keep our records current
• There is a $7.35 charge for replacing a lost card (GST inclusive). Lost cards can be replaced at any of our Branches. You will be issued with a new library card which you must sign. The card remains the property of Randwick City Library Service
• If your library card has been stolen inform the library as soon as possible. By doing this we can place a stop on your card so no one else can use it. Please remember that unless you report your card as lost or stolen, someone else may use your card to borrow items, and you will be liable for these items.

Borrowing information

A maximum of twenty items can be borrowed on a library card at any one time. There are different limits and loan periods for different types of items. Please refer to the table below.

Toys and Game library card

To borrow toys and games you will need to have a Toy and Game library card. The membership has an annual fee of $45.00, you may have one card per family and you may borrow up to five items on your card. A two-week borrowing limit still applies and items may be renewed twice. You may also borrow one toy on your regular library card at a cost of $7.75.

Returning borrowed items

• Toys must be returned to the library branch they were borrowed from, i.e. Bowen Library, Margaret Martin Library (formerly the Randwick Branch Library) or Malabar Community Library.
• All other items can be returned to any Randwick City Library branch.

Returning items when the library is closed

• Use the after-hours return chute
• There is an after-hours return chute at all of our branches
• Place items into the book chute one at a time
• Please do not put audiovisual material into the book chute as damage may occur and you will be liable
• If the return chute is full, please do not return items. Ring and tell the library as soon as possible.

Renewing items

All items, except HSC material and Red Hot Reads, may be renewed three (3) times before the due date, provided no one has reserved the item. You can renew either:

• in person
• by telephone
• via the Library catalogue
• or by email
• Voice activated renewals are now available 24/7 by calling either of the following numbers: (02) 9314 4759 or (02) 9314 4705
• If the item is on reserve for someone else you will be asked to return it

Reserving a library item

Reservations can be made either:

• in person
• by telephone
• via the Library catalogue
• or by email

If the item is held by the library service there is a charge of $1.20. You will be notified when the item becomes available for pickup at your preferred location.

Having an item sent from one branch to another

Ask one of the staff to arrange this for you. If the item is on the shelf, there is no charge and the delivery time is usually 24 hours. If the item is on loan, normal reservations apply.

If Randwick City Library Service does not own the book you need, we may be able to get it for you from another library

• Material not held in the library's collection may be requested from Inter-library loans for a fee of $2.20 per item
• If the item is only available from an academic library there may be further charges.

Overdue, lost and damaged items

• Penalties are incurred for the late return, loss or damage of items
• Penalties include overdue fines, billing for full replacement costs including processing charges, or the withdrawal of borrowing privileges
• Overdue items must be returned before you can borrow again
• Remember, if you borrow items from the library they are your responsibility until they are returned

Fines charged for overdue items

• 30c per item per day for adult members
• 20c per item per day for junior members
• $1.00 per day per item for DVDs, items from the HSC collection and Red Hot Reads.

If you believe you have returned an item on your card

• Any claims should be made as soon as possible to library staff
• When an item is still on your card and you report it as returned, library staff will check the shelves of all branch libraries and you will be asked to check all possibilities again
• The item will stay on your card until located
• You are responsible for the item until the situation is resolved.