As a library member you can access our electronic resources as well as a range of other library services.
Cardiff libraries offer a number of services including:
Computer and internet access
Public computers with free internet access and Microsoft Office applications are available to use at all of our libraries except Tongwynlais.
You can
book a PC online up to 8 days in advance.
You can also print from our computers, however we do charge for print outs. Please see our
library fines and charges for details. Wi-fi printing is now available using the Print a Document function on our
booking system. Send a document to a library printer directly from your phone or tablet either from home or when in the library.
Spoken word materials (talking books)
If you are a member of Cardiff libraries you can borrow eBooks and eAudiobooks from the comfort of your own home using our online
24 hour book service. You can find out more about electronic resources on this page.
Spoken word materials are available to borrow from all our libraries on CD.
If we do not have the title you want at your local library, you may be able to reserve it from another library and have it sent to your local branch for collection.
Reserving spoken word material is free. To find out what titles we have and how to reserve them, visit our
online catalogue or visit your local branch.
Please see our
library fines and charges for details on charges. If you have a visual disability you can borrow spoken word materials free of charge.
Rooms for hire
You can find information on the
hubs website about your local library or hub, and look for community rooms and meeting facilities available for hire.
National Library
The
National Library of Wales offers a wide range of subscribed electronic resources from scholarly journals to encyclopaedias and newspapers.
You can register to:
- Get a readers' ticket before visiting the National Library of Wales, and
- Get remote access to the Library's electronic resources as long as you live in Wales.
As this service is funded by the Welsh Government, you will not be able to register unless you have a home address in Wales.
Reading groups
If you belong to a reading group, are looking for one in your area, or are even thinking of setting one up, here's what we can do for you:
- help you find a reading group that meets at a time and place convenient for you
- advertise your group to new members
- recommend great books for you to read
- provide you with up to 15 copies of the same book, which you can keep for up to 6 weeks
- offer many activities throughout the year
For more details ask at your local hub or library.
Mobile Library
Our mobile library service is temporarily unavailable, but our home delivery service is still running.
If you are unable to access Library Services please contact the Outreach Library Home Delivery Service on 02920 871 333 or by emailing OutreachLibrary@cardiff.gov.uk
The mobile library takes a full library service out into the Cardiff community by visiting:
- Areas without easy access to a local library
- People who might otherwise struggle to reach their nearest library, for example due to mobility issues
- Day care centres, residential homes, care homes and schools
Our mobile has a wide selection of stock, and library staff will use their knowledge to secure the best reads for you.
We can order stock from our libraries across the city and will make every effort to secure the item you want by our next visit.
We are currently providing a delivery service with the mobile van, bringing books directly to customers’ doors. Deliveries will now be made every 3 weeks.
Residents can request books via our library line on 029 2087 1071.
Home Deliveries Service
We run a service that brings the library to your doorstep if you are incapacitated through:
- Illness
- Infirmity
- Disability
- Post Operative Recovery
- Long-term Isolation
and can no longer travel to your local library independently or carry books home.
We call every three weeks, delivering and collecting ordinary/large print books and/or audiobooks.
Our staff will contact you in the first instance to discuss your needs and reading tastes. After that you may either give the driver a list of books that you would like to read, or have the books chosen for you by our experienced and knowledgeable library staff.
You can also reserve your favourite books online, and have them delivered as soon as they become available.
This service is entirely free and covers the whole of Cardiff. However, please be aware that resources are limited and there is sometimes a waiting list.
To register or borrow books through our home delivery service, please contact our Mobile and Home Deliveries service on 029 20871333 or by emailing
OutreachLibrary@cardiff.gov.uk.
Electronic resources
You can also access:
- Ebooks,
- eAudiobooks,
- newspapers,
- and magazines.
You can borrow eBooks and eAudiobooks, newpapers and magazines from:
You can use these services on most devices, however Amazon kindle is not compatible.
To browse, borrow and reserve you will need your library card number and PIN. If you have forgotten your PIN please contact us.
Please include your library card number if you know it.
BorrowBox
BorrowBox makes it easy to browse, borrow and read the library's eBooks and eAudiobooks.
You can reserve or download up to 10 eBooks and eAudiobooks for free using BorrowBox. You can borrow books for up to 21 days.
If you are using a smart phone or tablet, you can download the BorrowBox app from the Apple App store or Google Play store.
If you are using a PC or laptop you can visit the BorrowBox website to download eBooks and eAudiobooks to your device. To read eBooks you will need Adobe Digital Editions. eAudiobooks can be imported to iTunes or Windows Media Player and transferred to an MP3 player or eReader.
Libby, by OverDrive
Libby, by OverDrive is a free app that lets you borrow eBooks, eAudiobooks, comics and magazines from the library.
You can reserve or download up to 16 eBooks, eAudiobooks and magazines using Libby. You can borrow books for up to 21 days.
If you are using a smart phone or tablet, you can download the Libby, by OverDrive app from the Apple App store or Google Play store.
If you are using a PC or laptop you can visit the OverDrive website. You can read magazines and eBooks in your browser. You can also download eBooks in EPUB format using Adobe Digital Editions. You can listen to eAudiobooks in your browser, or you can download them as an MP3 file.
PressReader
You can access digital newspapers and magazines using PressReader.
If you are using a smart phone or tablet, you can download the PressReader app from the Apple App Store or Google Play store.
If you are using a PC or laptop you can visit the PressReader website.
You can also access PressReader newspapers using the ‘extras’ tab on the Libby, by OverDrive app. PressReader magazines are not available using the Libby app.
eReference
eReference materials available include:
- IELTS
- Historical newspapers via Gale Primary Resources and British Newspaper Archive
- The Times Digital Newspaper Archive
- Life In The UK: The British Way of Life
If you are accessing these from home or using your own computer you may need to log in using your Library Card number and PIN.
The following resources are only accessible from a PC within the Hubs and Libraries:
- Find My Past
- Ancestry.com – Library Edition
Contact us
If you have any questions about library services, or if you have forgotten your PIN, you can contact us using this form.
Please include your library card number if you know it.
Contact us