Borrow, renew and reserve library items

Use our online catalogue or visit a library to find, reserve and renew books and other items. You can also renew items by phone on 0303 123 0035.

What you can borrow from Brighton & Hove Libraries

For free: 

  • Books  
  • Graphic novels 
  • Music scores 
  • Books in other languages 
  • E-books, e-audiobooks and e-magazines 
  • Toys (from Whitehawk Library

For a small charge: 

  • DVDs  
  • Audiobooks 
  • Language courses 

Find out more about fees for our library items and services. 

How to find library items

To find library items, like books and talking books, you'll need to register for a library card.

Once you're a member, you can:

How many items you can borrow

You can borrow all these items at the same time: 

How long you can borrow items for

You can borrow: 

  • books and audiobooks for up to 3 weeks 
  • language courses for up to 3 weeks 
  • DVDs for up to 1 week 
  • toys for up to 3 weeks 

How to renew books and other items

You can renew items up to four times if someone else hasn't reserved them. If you renew an item that we charge for, you’ll have to pay a fee every time you renew it. 

You can: 

  • renew by phoning  0303 123 0035 - this is an automated 24 hour phone renewals service, and you’ll need your membership card number and PIN 
  • renew library items online - you’ll need your membership number and PIN, if you have problems renewing an item, please phone 01273 290 800  
  • visit your local library to renew items in person - please bring your membership card          

What happens if your items are overdue

If you borrow an item and don’t return it on time, you’ll have to pay a fee. These fees are different depending on the item, and how long it's overdue.

Find out more about our fees for overdue items.

How to reserve items

The reservation service is available for anyone looking to reserve a specific book or item. Go to our library catalogue, search for the title you want and then click ‘Place reservation’.   

You will need your membership number and PIN to do this.   

How to suggest a title

Go to our library catalogue and click the ‘Suggest a title’ link on the right-hand side and complete the form.  

You will need your membership number and PIN to do this.   

We will consider your stock suggestions carefully. Details of the item will be displayed on our catalogue if purchased. We we cannot reply to stock suggestions. If you would like to be kept informed, you can place a reservation for the item, or we can try to obtain it for you through our SELMS reservation service or our Inter-Library Loans service