Reserve books from home and collect them safely bagged

In order to make book borrowing quicker and easier for our members, we are also introducing a new, free “Select and Collect” service.

Simply browse our Library catalogue, select the items that you wish to borrow and place your requests as normal. Alternatively, you can telephone the library and reserve your items that way.

The service is free. All reservation charges will be waived by staff. DVDs and audio books are reservable too, but with the usual hiring cost. Please pay for those items when you come to collect your selection - exact change (for safety reasons) or credit/debit card.

At present you can only collect from Bracknell and Crowthorne Libraries.

Bracknell Library  –  01344 423149

A member of staff will contact you by telephone when your items are available in order to arrange a collection date. Your reserved items will be ready for you to take away, as they will have already been issued to you ahead of your visit and will be securely bagged.

Crowthorne Library – 01344 776431

You will receive notification via email when your reservations are available. You have then ten days to come to the library and collect them. Your reserved items will be ready for you to take away, as they will have already been issued to you ahead of your visit and will be securely bagged. If there are DVDs in the reservation, please collect discs from staff.

Instructions for the online library catalogue

Library members can reserve any item we have in stock that is available for loan (reference books are not for loan - the system will tell you if this is the case).  If you know somebody who may be interested in the "Select and Collect" service, but who is not a library member, we are currently offering temporary membership to access both our physical and our online books, magazines and newspapers. Just email Bracknell Library your full name, date of birth, address and phone number.

To reserve items:

• go to our online library catalogue
• search for the item by author or title or just keywords (anything you know or remember that can be part of the book description, e.g. the topic if it is a non-fiction book)
• click on 'Reserve this item'
• log in with your library membership card number and enter your PIN
• select the library where you want to pick up your item - only Bracknell and Crowthorne are available at the moment
• confirm your request.

Don't worry about the charge the system will show you, it will be waived by staff. 

If you don't remember your PIN, please contact Bracknell Library via email or phone 01344 423149.

Pre-booking only for all IT facilities

A small number of public PCs will be available, together with printing and scanning services, at both Bracknell and Crowthorne Libraries.

In this first phase of re-opening, we are offering IT services on a booking only basis. You will need to book a public computer session (30 minute session per day) in advance.

For a booking on the same or following day, please phone:

• Bracknell Library –  01344 423149
• Crowthorne Library – 01344 776431

For bookings in 2 days or more, please email:

• Bracknell Library
• Crowthorne Library

Or use the enquiry form on our website.

Be aware that there is a 15 minutes break between the sessions to allow cleaning of the equipment. Sessions end 15 minutes before closing.

Scanning and printing are available. To pay for your printing, please be ready with the exact change (for safety reasons) or use a credit/debit card at the self service machine.

Printing costs 20 pence per A4 sheet for black and white copies and 50 pence per A4 sheet for colour copies. No double sided printing.

Services available in the first

re-opening phase

• The new and free “Select and Collect” service – to reserve books in advance and collect them from the library, already issued on your card and safely bagged. No reservation fees apply.
• Limited browsing of books – if you are touching a book you are not going to borrow please place it in the provided boxes for quarantine.
• A small number of public PCs will be available, including printing and scanning.
• Photocopying is available, but on a self-service basis only. For Crowthorne please come with 20p coins only.
• The Home Delivery Service for Bracknell Forest residents (free collection and delivery of books at your door, free of charge) is still available for over 70s and vulnerable people. We started the service during the closing period and it has proved to be a huge success. To register please contact Bracknell (Tel. 01344 423149), Crowthorne (Tel. 01344 776431) or Whitegrove (Tel. 01344 424211) Library, via email or phone.
• Our growing selection of online reading materials, including e-books, e-audio books, the NEW e-comics collection, e-newspapers and e-magazines. 
• Our digital library offer, from virtual storytimes to Summer Reading Challenge inspiration and challenges for children; from book recommendations to news and resources for adults. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Services currently paused

• Unfortunately, no events or clubs can resume until further notice. All social activities have been paused for the time being.
• Printed newspapers and magazines are not currently available for browsing in the library.
• Seating, study areas and meeting rooms are closed. 
• Open+ is still disabled.

How we protect you and the staff

• We are continuing to quarantine all returned stock for 72 hours before it is made available again to the public.
• We shall be controlling the number of people who can enter each library building at the same time.
• We will ask every customer to sanitise their hands before entering.
• Once inside the library, members of the public will be able to remain for a maximum stay of 30 minutes.
• Please follow the signage to queue outside the library and for moving around once inside the building.
• PCs will be cleaned by library staff after each use.

Test and Trace: following Government guidance, we will record who is present  inside the library at any given time. Members of the public will be asked for their name and phone number when they wish to enter the building. We may need to share these details with the NHS in case someone is tested positive for COVID-19. All details will be stored safely and destroyed after 21 days.

Failure to comply with these measure will mean you are unable to enter the library.