Changes to our loan periods, renewal times, and rental charges
Published on 04 July 2025
As part of our recent catalogue and computer system upgrade, we have introduced a change to our standard loan period and renewal times.
Most items from the Upper Hutt Libraries collections are now loaned for three weeks and can be renewed two times, for a maximum total borrowing time of nine weeks.
Why have we made this change?
With a standard three-week loan period for books, we achieve consistency across the breadth of our collection. eBooks and eAudio titles available through Libby have always had a three-week loan setting, and since many of our customers now enjoy a mix of both formats, it is a good time to standardise loan times across collections.
Another key reason behind this adjustment is to align our loan and renewal settings with other libraries across the wider Wellington region.
Besides bringing our customers a modern and much improved browsing experience, our new Spydus catalogue and computer system take us one step closer to joining the SMART libraries network in the future, with access to Hutt City, Porirua, Kāpiti Coast District, and Masterton Libraries, Wairarapa Library Service, as well as Whitireia and WelTec library resources.
Changes to rental charges
Following Council’s annual review of fees and charges, we have also increased our interloan fee to $13 per item, and our rental charge for board games to $6 per item. At the same time, the loan period for board games has been extended to three weeks.
Click here for a full overview of loan periods and charges.
When will we join the SMART network?
We know that our community is looking forward to this next chapter – and so are we!
There is no set timeline for joining SMART yet. Right now, our focus is on ensuring the new catalogue and computer system work smoothly, including introducing our customers to features and functions.
Once the roadmap for joining SMART is confirmed, we will share key details here on our website, on our Facebook page, and through FANMAIL, our bi-monthly newsletter.
Until then, we hope you enjoy the refreshed look and functionality of the new catalogue.
Happy browsing, and please contact us if you need any help getting started or finding your way around the new layout.