Joining the library

Visit a library

Go to any Suffolk library or mobile library:

• If you live in Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire or Essex, please bring proof of address
• If your home address isn’t in these counties, bring proof of your address and proof that you visit Suffolk regularly or are temporarily staying in Suffolk.

If you don’t have proof of address, you can get an Instant Access card instead.

Apply for a card online

You can only apply for a card online if you live in Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire or Essex. When you apply online, you’ll be taken to a different website. Apply online
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We will email your library card number once we have processed your application so you can start using the eLibrary. We will also send your card in the post.

If you are under 16, you will need a guarantor.

You can purchase a replacement card by visiting with ID and proof of address. There is a £1.50 charge for a replacement card.

If you have a Suffolk Community Libraries card you can log in online with the card number and 4 digit PIN.

When you login you can:

• Make reservations for collection from any Suffolk library
• Update your library account
• Renew titles
• Sign up for email notifications when reservations arrive, titles are due back or when they’re overdue.

If you don’t know your PIN, you can reset this online using your Borrower ID and surname. Your Borrower ID is the long number found on the back of your library card. This is the quickest and easiest way to reset your PIN.

If you don’t have your Borrower ID or your PIN, visit any Suffolk library with a form of ID.

If you are an existing Cambridgeshire or Peterborough library customer, you can activate your library card to use with Suffolk Community Libraries without having to sign up for a separate card.

• Visit your local Cambridgeshire or Peterborough library and speak to a staff member about sharing your account data with other institutions
• After you have done this, visit Suffolk and a staff member can activate your Cambridgeshire or Peterborough library card
• Alternatively, you can log in to the Suffolk Community Libraries online catalogue and activate your library card online
• Once this is set up, you will have full access to the Suffolk Community Libraries catalogue and the benefits that come with our library cards.

Please note that you will not be able to use our eLibrary services using your Cambridgeshire or Peterborough library card. To access our eLibrary, you will need to contact us to apply for a Suffolk Community Libraries card, which you can do online or by speaking with a member of staff at any of our libraries.

If you are a Suffolk Community Libraries customer and would like access to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough libraries, this process is the same. Visit your site to get started.

All children in care aged 0-18 are eligible for a free Suffolk Community Libraries card.

This looks exactly the same as an ordinary library card, but they won’t incur charges for overdue or lost items, and they won’t have to pay for a replacement card if they lose it. Find out more about library cards for children in care.

For £50 a year, schools can borrow up to 35 books for 17 weeks at a time. For more information and to apply, call 0345 60 630 60 or email library.help@suffolk.gov.uk.

A free additional card that allows you to borrow up to 20 books for 12 weeks at a time if you teach your children at home. For more information and to apply, visit your local library.