Membership FAQs

  • General Questions

    Anyone who lives in the Christchurch City Council area can join Christchurch City Libraries for free. There are also non-city membership options for people living outside the Christchurch area.

    To join, you need to bring ID and proof of your address into one of our libraries and speak to a staff member - they will assist you through the process and give you information about library services. If you can't visit the library to change your temporary membership to full membership, contact the library by ringing 941-7923 or emailing library@ccc.govt.nz. This will enable you to borrow items from the library as well as using our online resources.

    Please see the Join the Library page for details of membership types, the membership form (including an online option) and conditions of membership.

    Subscription members cannot access BorrowBox due to licensing restrictions.

    We do have many other eResources you can use.

    Non-residents and non-rate payers who comply with the conditions of membership are eligible to join the library as subscription members.

    Anyone under 19 years of age and living in Selwyn, Hurunui or Waimakariri District Council areas is not required to pay a subscription as youth borrowing in these areas is subsidised by The Gammack Trust.

    To change your details please contact us by email, telephone, or LiveOnline, or advise us on your next library visit.

    You can also use the Update your contact details form.

     

    Yes. You can pick up someone else's items and collect their holds if you present their library card.

    You may also pick up someone's holds on their behalf by presenting the notification letter for those items. This notice is sent via post or email.

    Yes, library charges can be paid over the phone. This service is for debit or credit card (Visa and Mastercard) payments.

    You may be entitled to a concession membership.

    Please visit your local library or contact us to find out more.

    Concession membership is available to customers who

    • have a condition that restricts their use of the library. A medical certificate, letter from a specialist or other verification of the condition may be required in order to obtain this membership category.

    As a concession member you will be able to:

    • Borrow books, magazines, talking books, DVDs and CDs from the general collection free of charge,
    • Borrow most items for up to six weeks,
    • Place holds on items free of charge,
    • You will pay to borrow items from the Bestseller collections and for interloans.
  • Your Sustainable Library Card

    The keyring card feature is not available in a sustainable material. We encourage you to use the CCL mobile app as a handy alternative to using your physical card.

  • Your Library Card

    Ask at one of our libraries, phone us or use our Live Online chat service. Please have your library card ready.
    Once you have a password or PIN, you can change it in the Personal Information settings once you have logged in.

    You can't use special characters when you make your password/PIN. Special characters include the following:
    ; & " / ` % + ? ' + : $ ^ # * ( ) - = { } [ ] < > . , ~  +

    To get a library card simply join the library.

    Youth Membership is available to anyone aged under 19. A guarantor (parent or legal guardian) is required for those up to and including 17 years of age. 18-year-olds do not need a guarantor.

    For children less than 16 years old a parent or legal guardian is required to sign the membership application and take responsibility for borrowing.

    To join the library you need

    • Either your passport or two (2) forms of ID, preferably one with a photo-ID.
    • Proof of address (no more than 30 days old). This can be a letter (physical or digital) from your bank, school, power or telephone company.

    It can be hard work if you have to manage other people's library cards as well as your own. You can use CCL Mobile - the Library App to easily borrow and place holds for more than one library account. 

    CCL Mobile Apps allows you to add multiple accounts, making it easy to manage individual accounts within the app. Find out how this feature works and get started setting up more than one account on your Android or iOS device.

    This is useful if:

    • You are looking after the library cards of your children and borrowing books for them;
    • You borrow books for elderly relatives, or people in your care.

    CCL Mobile - the Library App

    Download from:

    Android devices - Google Play Store

    iOs devices - App Store


    Multi-Accounts User Experience

    The multi-accounts feature makes it easy for you to add multiple accounts to the app, switch between them from within the app, and remove accounts. The user avatar, as well as home screen personalization, provides visual identification for which account is the currently active one.

    The home screen is personalized to display the active user’s full name or username (depending on the user’s display preferences).

    Users can add and access multiple library cards from the My Library Cards screen. Cards are added by tapping on the ‘Add card’ button and logging in with that account.

    The dot indicators correspond with the number of accounts that have been added. In the example on the left, there are two accounts. The card with the label ‘In use’ is the currently active account, and the active account is always in the first position.

    An avatar at the top of the screen indicates which account is the currently active one. The avatar can be found on the following screens:

    • My Borrowing
    • My Shelves
    • Unregistering account
    • Bib page

    In addition to the user avatar, the bib page displays the active user’s information in the availability panel.

    Tapping on the avatar activates the account switcher, which allows the user to switch to a different account. The ‘YOU’ label is displayed for the currently active account.

    User information for the active account is also displayed in the Settings screen. Tapping on this takes you to the My Library Cards screen.


    How to Add an Account

    It is easy to add more than one account. This is done by adding cards from the My Library Cards screen.

    1. On the Home Screen, tap on the library card icon.
    2. From the My Library Cards screen tap ‘Add a card’.
    3. Enter the login credentials for the card you would like to add. Logging in requires:
      • Library barcode (this is the 7- to 14-digit number on the library card) OR username.
      • PIN (personal identification number).
    4. Upon successful login, the library card will be added, but will default to an “inactive” state. If you would like to switch to this account immediately, then tap “Use this card” (see How to Switch an Account).

    Some additional notes:

    • There is a maximum limit of 8 cards that can be added.
    • When you log in with a new account from the login screen, that card is automatically added and will become the active account.
    • Added accounts do not persist across multiple devices you might have BiblioApps installed on. Accounts need to be added for each device separately.

    How to Switch an Account

    The active account can be switched from multiple places in BiblioApps.

    Switching accounts from My Library Cards

    1. Swipe to the card that you’d like to activate. (The currently active account is always the first card in the collection of cards).
    2. To activate a card, tap on the Use this card button.
    3. Alternatively, tap on the ellipsis on the card to be activated, then tap on the Use this card button from the bottom sheet.
    4. Upon successful activation, a success message will be presented, and the activated card will take the first position.

    Additional notes:

    • A library card is still scannable when in an “inactive” state, so switching the account is not necessary for the purposes of scanning.
    • You can also switch accounts from the Setting screen. Tapping on ‘Manage cards' will take you to the My Library Cards screen.

    Switching Accounts Using the Avatar

    Tapping on the user avatar brings up the account switcher. The avatar is visible on the following screens:

    • My Borrowing
    • My Shelves
    • Unregistering account
    • Bib page

    To switch accounts using the avatar:

    1. Tap on the avatar located at the top right of the screen.
    2. The account switcher will display from the bottom of the screen. Select the account you’d like to activate. (The currently active account is the first one presented, and displays the ‘YOU' label.)
    3. Upon successful activation, a success message will be presented. The avatar will be updated to the newly active account.

    How to Remove an Account

    Removing accounts from BiblioApps is done from the My Library Cards screen.

    1. On the Home Screen, tap on the library card icon.
    2. Swipe to the card that is to be removed.
    3. Tap on the ellipsis, then tap on the Remove card button.
    4. The user will be asked to confirm removing the card. 
    5. Tapping on Confirm removes the card, and a success message is displayed.

    Additional notes:

    • The currently active account cannot be removed. To remove the card for the active account, activate a different card first.
    • Logging out of the app does not remove cards. Cards are removed explicitly by following the steps above. However, deleting the app does remove all the stored accounts. Upon reinstalling the app, cards will need to be added again.
    • Unregistering an account removes the card from the app.

    Opting Out of Multi-Accounts

    Currently, individuals do not have the option to opt out of multi-accounts. If a user does not want anyone adding or switching to their account, a user can change their PIN. This will mean any other user attempting to switch to the account will need to remove and re-add the account with updated credentials.  Note: adding an account requires both the barcode and the PIN for the account.  A user cannot add an account with only the barcode.

    If your card wears out but you are satisfied using the CCL Mobile App rather than a physical card then just keep on using the app. If you still need a physical card, we will replace it free of charge. The new card will have a new membership number. Lost cards still incur a $5 administration fee to issue a new card.

    We will email you 3 days before an item is due, and:

    • We will send you an email or letter 7 and 21 days after an item becomes overdue
    • We will send you an email or letter 7 days after a bill of $2 or more is owed in charges
    • If we have your cellphone number, we will text you 14 days after a bill is created if the amount owing reaches a certain level
    • We will post you an invoice 21 days after a bill is created, if the amount owing is $20 or more
    • Any outstanding bills will be sent to debt collection 42 days after a bill is created, and if the amount owing is over $25. At this time, the cost of sending the bill to debt collection will be added to the bill.

    Blocked cards

    A blocked or barred card means you won’t be able to borrow items, place holds, or use eResources. It will be blocked until the overdue items are returned and any charges are paid.
    Your library card will be blocked if:

    • Some of your items were returned 28 days or more overdue. When you returned the items, the system automatically reversed the charges. However, the bar needs to be removed manually by a library staff member.
    • You have some items that are 28 days or more overdue.
    • You owe $30 or more in unpaid charges.
    • You owe any unpaid charges for 21 days or longer.
    • Your card has not been used for some years.
    • Your contact details are no longer correct or are incomplete and we are unable to contact you.Contact us

    If you have any queries about any unpaid bills, please phone the library at 941-7923.

    You must report the loss or theft of your library card immediately. You are liable for replacing materials borrowed with your card until it is reported lost or stolen.

    Please visit your local library to replace your card. You'll need personal identification with you that has your name printed on it, such as your current driver licence or passport.
    The parent or guardian provides the ID, and signature, for children aged under 16 years.

    There is a small charge for replacement cards.

    You can choose a new Password / PIN when you visit the library or by phoning us.
    You can also change your Password / PIN when you access your account information through our website.