Borrowing, renewals and charges
Stay up to date with your checkouts, renewals and holds by logging into your account online using your library card number and PIN.
Borrowing items
| Item type | Loan period | Until June 30 2026 | From 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Books and talking books | 4 weeks | Free | Free |
| Magazines | 2 weeks | Free | Free |
| DVDs | 2 weeks | $3.10 | Free |
| Children's DVDs | 2 weeks | Free | Free |
| CDs - music | 2 weeks | Free | Free |
| Bestseller collection | 1 week | $3.00 | $4.00 |
| Library of Things (Kobos and Discover Me kits) | 2 weeks | $3.10 | $4.00 |
| Board Games | 2 weeks | $3.10 | $4.00 |
| Sewing machines | 2 weeks | $3.10 | $5.00 |
| Book Club Sets | 6 weeks | $3.10 | $5.00 |
Renewals
Renewing an item extends the due date by the loan period, e.g. a 4-week loan will renew for an extra 4-weeks.
- Items may be renewed once and cannot be renewed if they have a reservation on them.
- Items are renewed from the day you renew them
- If there is a rental fee for borrowing the item, that charge will be re-applied for a renewal (e.g. a $4.00 bestseller is renewed for a further week for another $4.00)
You can renew in our app, the online catalogue, a self-checkout, by contacting us on 03 546 8100, or in person at one of our three branch libraries.
Fees and charges
Overdue Fees
There are no overdue charges on items returned late. We recognise that it can be very easy to return books one or two days late without meaning to, and trust that the majority of our books will still be returned within their regular borrowing period.
Lost Items
A full item replacement fee is applied when items are not returned 21 days past the due date or 10 days for items with shorter loan periods.
Damaged Items
You are responsible for any items that you borrow and may be charged at the libraries discretion in the event of damage.
Hold Fees (reservations)
- $2.00 per item
- Children's and Young Adults' items are exempt from this charge.
Replacement Library Card
- $4.00
Interloans
- $7.60, $20.00, or $20.00+ per item (dependent on owning library and shipping)
- National Library of New Zealand CD: $5.00 per item.
Printing, photocopying and scanning
- A4 black and white - 20c
- A4 colour - $1.00
- A3 black and white - 40c
- A3 colour - $2.00
- Scanning - Free
- 3D printing - $0.40 per gram
Meeting Rooms
There are three meeting rooms available for hire.
| Meeting Room | Rental Rate (per hour) | Library |
| Rūma Mānuka (Activity Room) | $20.00 | Elma Turner Library |
| Pokapū Akoako (Learning Centre) | $10.00 | Elma Turner Library |
| Nightingale Meeting Room | $15.00 | Nightingale Library Memorial |
Book a Librarian
From 1 July 2026, there may be a charge associated with Book a Librarians that are recurrent or exceed the 45 minutes free booked time. This will be charged at $50 per hour. Your librarian will advise you prior to your being charged and give you the option to discontinue the session.
Outstanding Unpaid Accounts
If you owe the library $10 or more your account will be blocked and you may not borrow any more items until this amount is cleared.
Outstanding debts of $10 or more may be referred to a debt collection agency. All costs incurred in the recovery of outstanding accounts will be paid by the customer.
How to pay your fees and charges online
Internet Banking
The Nelson City Council Westpac account number is: 03-0703-0325055-00.
Please include your details into the following fields when using internet banking.
- Code: Last four digits of your Library card number
- Particulars: Name: surname then your initials
- Reference: Library
Please note that internet banking payments can take 2-3 working days to process.
Credit Card
You can pay online by credit card through the Nelson City Council online payments form. Enter your library card number in the reference number field.
