Library membership

As a member of Upper Hutt Libraries (also referred to here as 'Libraries'), you agree to the following:

• To return all items in good condition and on time.

• To pay for any damaged or lost items. 

• To notify the Libraries immediately if your card is lost or stolen.

• From time to time, the Libraries may contact you with information on its products and services.

• As a parent or guardian, you are required to take full responsibility for a child's use of the Libraries. 

• You allow your personal information to be used in accordance with the Upper Hutt City Council's Privacy Statement, so that we can provide library services to you.

• The Libraries and Upper Hutt City Council collects your personal information and you have the right to access and correct that information by emailing us.

• When we join the SMART libraries network at the end of May 2026, we will also share and collect your personal information with other SMART libraries in the network/region, including your name, home address, email address, date of birth, and telephone number.

• When you borrow or reserve an item from a SMART library, you are opting in to the SMART service and agree to share your data with that library so they can provide library services to you.

• We share and collect the above-listed personal information for the purpose of providing library services to you including to follow-up on overdue items. We may provide your information to a debt collection agency who acts on behalf of the Upper Hutt City Council in the event that attempts to settle outstanding charges are unsuccessful. We will not share or collect your personal information with anyone else, except for other libraries in the SMART network.

Adults aged 16 and over can register for a full library membership by completing our online registration form and visiting one of our library branches to collect their Library Card.

Please bring:

• Photo ID (such as a driver licence or passport)

Full adult membership allows borrowing of our physical collections such as books, magazine, board games, and more, as well as full access to our Digital Library.

Children under 16 can join the library with the support of a parent or guardian, giving them access to books, digital resources, and library services designed for young people.

To register, complete the online form and visit one of our branches together with your child.

Please bring:

• Identification showing the name and signature of the parent or guardian
• The parent or guardian attending with the child

If a child visits the library without a parent or guardian, they can sign up for a Junior Starter card, which allows them to:

• Borrow up to two (2) books at a time
• Use free library computers (Chromebooks)
• Access the Digital Library

This option helps young library users get started while keeping things simple and safe.

If you only need online access, you can sign up for a digital membership. 

This membership option gives you access to the full Digital Library, including eBooks, audiobooks, films, magazines, and online learning resources.

Simply complete the online registration form. If you’re unable to visit a library branch to collect a physical card, please contact us and our team will help you get set up.

If you don't have photo identification, we offer a restricted membership.

This membership allows you to:

• Borrow up to two (2) books at a time
• Access the Digital Library

To set up a restricted membership, visit one of our library branches and talk to our friendly team who will help you get set up.

If your Library Card is lost or stolen, please contact us as soon as possible so we can deactivate it and issue a replacement.

You can replace your Library Card free of charge.

Anyone can join Upper Hutt Libraries, whether you live in Upper Hutt, nearby, or are new to the area.

Membership is open to all, and many people join to access our collections and digital resources.

No, library membership at Upper Hutt Libraries is free.

We are also a fines-free library, which means we don’t charge overdue fines on borrowed items.

If your address, phone number, or email address changes, you can do one of the following to help us keep your membership information up to date:

• Update your details online through your library account; or
• Contact us using our online website form.

Library Cards are for individual use only. Parents and guardians are responsible for items borrowed on a child’s card, and lost cards should be reported as soon as possible.

Borrowing is unlimited on full memberships.

Junior Starter and adult restricted memberships can borrow up to two (2) items at a time.

You can borrow books, magazines, DVDs, board games, jigsaw puzzles, ukuleles, and more. View our full list of collections here.

Your Upper Hutt Libraries membership also includes access to the Digital Library with free eResources, such as film streaming, coding tutorials, professional development courses, and research databases.