Borrowing, renewals and charges
You may use your library card at all three libraries and borrow up to 35 items. Please bring your card with you every time you visit the library.
Borrowing items
| Item type | Loan period | Rental fee |
|---|---|---|
| Books and talking books | 4 weeks | Free |
| Magazines | 2 weeks | Free |
| DVDs | 2 weeks | $2.50 |
| Children's DVDs | 2 weeks | Free |
| CDs - music | 2 weeks | Free |
| Bestseller collection | 1 week | $3.00 |
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.
Ways to renew
- Online by logging into the online catalogue
- On the go by using our mobile app
- By phone on 03 546 8100, please have your library card number handy
- In person at one of our three branch libraries
How renewals work
- Items may be renewed once
- Items are renewed from the day you renew them
- Items cannot be renewed if they have a reservation on them
- If there is a rental fee for borrowing the item, that charge will be re-applied for a renewal (e.g. a $2.50 DVD renewed will cost an extra $2.50)
Fees and charges
Overdue charges
As of 1 July 2021 Nelson Public Libraries no longer charge overdue fees on items returned late. We haven’t charged overdue fees on items from our children’s collection for some time now so extending this to our adult collections is an exciting initiative that we hope will encourage more of the Nelson community to use our wonderful library service. We recognise that it can be very easy to return books one or two days late without meaning to, and we 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. This fee is waived on return of the item.
Hold fees (reserves)
- $2.00 per item
- Children's and Young Adults' items are exempt from this charge
Replacement library card
- $3.00
Interlibrary loan
- $5.00 — $20.00 per item
- National Library of New Zealand CD: $5.00 per item
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
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.