Libraries Frequently Asked Questions

Membership of Fingal Libraries is FREE for everyone.

You can register online at Libraries Ireland

Full details can be found on our Membership Terms and Conditions Document 

Membership of Fingal Libraries is FREE for everyone.

You can register online at Libraries Ireland

Full details can be found on our Membership Terms and Conditions Document 

Members can view their library accounts online including renewing and requesting items.

To access your account you will need:

14-digit membership card number and

4-digit PIN (Personal Identification Number)

To register a PIN, present your library card in person to a member of staff at your local library.

You can search the Online Catalogue from home. You can also request and renew books online.  If the title you are looking for is not on our catalogue contact your local library

You can borrow books, DVDs, Energy Saving Toolkits and Music CDs.

You can borrow up to 12 items on your library card.

Most items can be borrowed for a loan period of 3 weeks.

In person, at your local library by bringing your library card to library desk or on the self-service kiosks.

By phoning, your local library (please have your membership card ready).

Online, by logging into your library account.

You cannot renew an item that is reserved by someone else, or where its renewal limit has already been reached.

From January 2019, there are no fines on overdue / late items. Overdue notifications by text and email will still be sent as reminders. 

You will be asked to pay a replacement charge if the item which has been lost or damaged is an adult item. This cost will be calculated as the purchase price of the item.  Replacement charges can be paid at any library branch, regardless of where the item originated from. Alternatively, you can provide us with a replacement copy.

There is no replacement charge for children’s items which have been lost or damaged.

Please note, if you have not notified the library of the loss or damage, your card will be temporarily blocked from borrowing or renewing items, including e-books and e-audio books until you inform a library staff member.

Library members can request (or place a ‘hold’ on) books or other items by following these instructions.

To borrow an eBook or eAudiobook all you need is library card and a PIN number – all available from your local library.

Log in to our eBook service here.

You can then download eBooks for free to your tablet, smart phone or eBook reader including Kindle Fire but not Kindle.

All libraries in Fingal have Public PCs and / or Tablets available for public use. It is FREE to use a computer, the internet and WIFI.  Please note you require a PIN no. in order to access WIFI.

More information about computers and Internet can be found at the Internet Policy section of our website.

Tablet devices are also available to use in some of our branch libraries.  Please go to our website for more information on our Tablet Lending Policy.

Borrowers are also welcome to use their own laptops, tablets etc. in our libraries.

Black and White A4 prints and photocopies cost .20c per page

Colour A4 prints and photocopies cost .60c per page

Scanning documents costs .20c for up to 10 pages.

Download our Library App, eAudiobooks, eBooks, Music, Magazines and Newspapers from a wide range on offer.

We also offer hundreds of courses free of charge to all Fingal library members.

Find out more information here

Current issues of newspapers (national and local) in hardcopy are available for browsing at your local library. 

The Irish Times Digital Archive is also available online and free of charge at your local library. The digital archive contains the entire Irish Times from its first edition in 1859 to the present.

All Fingal branch libraries house a collection of local history books.

Please see the Local Studies and Archives Service Section for more detailed information regarding local history collections held by Fingal libraries.

For event listings in all of our branch libraries please refer to our website here

The contact and collect library service will begin on Monday the 8th June.

Seven of our libraries are participating in the contact and collect service.  Those libraries are at Blanchardstown, Baldoyle, Garristown, Howth, Rush, Skerries and Swords.

You can contact our participating libraries by phone or email here.

Within our normal opening hours, we will endeavour to offer you a collection time that suits.

No. We’ve had to switch off online reserves while the libraries are closed, and we don’t know yet when we will be able to switch them on again. You can however check our catalogue for what’s available in Fingal and contact us to request that item. If it’s available for lending in any of the seven participating Fingal libraries, we will get it for you.

Yes, just contact one of the seven participating libraries.

If the particular book you want is not available, you can ask for books or other authors in the same genre or ask the library staff to make a selection for you.

Yes, we’ll be taking books back but only at those participating libraries and during normal opening hours of service.  Please contact the branch you wish to drop your items to in advance. Times for service may vary and we need to make sure that all material is handled safely.

No. For the moment we can only supply books from our own participating Fingal libraries.