Policies

How many books can I borrow? What are the fines if they're overdue? Why do we have a library? Answers to the bigger questions are in our policies.

Most items have no restrictions on the number you can borrow.

Some collections do have restricted borrowing:

Books, music CDs, audio books, posters and puzzles are issued for three weeks.
Magazines, ebooks and bestseller books are issued for two weeks.
Most DVDs are issued for one week.
Multi-disc DVD sets (over 360 minutes running time) are issued for two weeks.
If you require items for longer than the normal time, we can issue books for 42 days.
Interloans are usually issued for four to six weeks; the exact date is determined by the library it comes from.

Books can be renewed twice, unless they've been requested by another borrower.
Magazines cannot be renewed.
Items issued for an extended loan period may be renewed only once.
Some items borrowed from other SMART libraries may not be able to be renewed.
When renewing a chargeable item (DVD, audio book, etc), a further charge will apply.
Most interloans can be renewed for a further three to four weeks - just ask the Interloans Librarian.

Item type	Issuing charges	Overdue charges
DVDs	$2.00 each for 1 week	$0.20 per item per day
DVDs 360 minutes or more	$3.00 each for 2 weeks	$0.20 per item per day
Audio Books	Free for 3 weeks	$0.20 per item per day
Bestseller books	$4.00 each for 2 weeks	$1.00 per item per day
Interloans (New Zealand)	$10.00 each for 4-6 weeks (from 1 May 2021)	$0.50 per item per day
Interloans (Australia)	$15.00 each for 4-6 weeks	$0.50 per item per day
Books, posters and puzzles	Free for 3 weeks	$0.20 per item per day
Music CDs	Free for 3 weeks	$0.20 per item per day
Magazines	Free for 2 weeks	$0.20 per item per day
Book Club in a Bag	Free for 6 weeks	$2.00 per bag per day
Book Club in a Bag lost, damaged or not all the books and resources returned	Maximum charge of $200
Book Club in a Bag, lost or damaged carrier bags	$25

👉Library Policy (30 KB PDF)
This policy replaces the Library Bylaw and covers membership, conditions of use, conditions of borrowing, fees and charges, and standards of behaviour.
👉Collection Development Policy (409 KB PDF)
Outlines how items are selected for Porirua Library's collection.
👉Housebound Policy (138 KB PDF) for all the details of our Housebound Service
👉Porirua Library Competitions – General Terms (268 KB PDF)
Are you eligible? Did you win? Check the terms and conditions before you enter a competition.