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Hertfordshire County Council

Books and reading

Reserve and collect a book

When you use our online catalogue you can reserve books from any library, including books already on loan or soon to be released.

When you reserve, choose a library to collect it from and we'll let you know when it's ready. If we have your email we'll send you a reminder. If not, we'll send you a letter or you can check your account for when it's ready to collect.

 

What can I borrow?

Search the catalogue


As a member of the library you can get a full range of books, magazines, ebooks and audiobooks. Not a member? Join now.

You can:

  • borrow up to 30 items at a time
  • keep books for up to 3 weeks or 6 weeks if you are a carer, have a disability or are on a low income
  • renew your books up to 4 times.


If you can't find what you're looking for in the library catalogue, send us a request and we'll try to borrow a copy from a library outside Hertfordshire or purchase a new copy. Please note that charges may apply for this service.

 

Not sure what to read next?

If you're looking for a new book, try searching our library catalogue.

If you need inspiration, use your library card number to log in to 'Who else writes like...?'  You'll find authors similar to your favourites.

 

What if I lose an item?

If you lose something you've borrowed from a library, let us know as soon as you can and we'll see if it has been handed in. Otherwise we will ask you to pay for a replacement.

 

Donating books

We currently have limited capacity to deal with donations so the following guidelines apply:

  • We cannot guarantee that donated items will be added to stock as they are subject to the same guidelines as all library items.
  • Donations not added to stock may be sold or disposed of sustainably. Any proceeds will be used to improve our services.
  • Books should be less than 5 years old and in nearly new condition.
  • We cannot guarantee that an item will stay at a particular library.
  • We are unable to inform donors of the outcome of donations.
  • We cannot return unwanted donations to the donor.

 We reserve the right not to accept donations.

Self-published and hybrid published authors

We appreciate the time and effort involved in creating any written or illustrated work. However, we are unable to accept books that are self-published. By this, we mean titles where the author has full control over the content and where no established publisher has provided independent editorial oversight. We’re also unable to accept hybrid- or partnership-published books, where the author pays for publishing services and takes on the financial risk.

Libraries rely on recognised publishing houses to carry out essential editorial, legal, and quality-assurance checks. While our librarians apply their professional judgement when selecting stock, we do not have the capacity or specialist expertise to undertake this level of assessment for individual submissions.

This policy is not a reflection on the quality or value of self-published or hybrid-published work.

Please note that we are unable to enter into individual correspondence about submitted titles and cannot return any copies sent to us.

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