Nine Locks, Brierley Hill
01384 812345 
What Library Services Are Available ?
There are a range of services that customers of Dudley Libraries can take advantage of, for example you can take out a book or a DVD, CD or video. Or you could use one of our computers, to access the Internet or one of our many online services. You can access a variety of Journals and Magazines, get a photocopy, send a fax or even hire one of our rooms. We also offer a service to visitors to the area, giving information on local attractions as well as selling a range of range of publications and souvenirs related to Dudley and the Black Country.
Access to the Library Service from home
If you have Internet access at home you can access Dudley’s online resources, check the catalogue, reserve and renew books 24/7. All you need is a library ticket and a PIN number. If you do not know your PIN then contact your local library.
There are over 600,000 books available for loan, ranging from popular fiction for adults and children to postgraduate study material. All holdings are listed in the library catalogue.
Adults can borrow up to 15 books on each visit, with children being able to take up to 10 books at a time; all are loaned for 4 weeks.
There are also Asian language books (Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi and Gujerati) available for loan at Dudley, Halesowen, Long Lane, Lye and Stourbridge, together with a collection of French, Spanish, German and Italian novels at Brierley Hill, Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge libraries.
Should you wish to extend the loan of any item this can be done by post, phone, fax, e-mail or in person at any library, provided the items have not been reserved by other users. Items returned late will be subject to an overdue charge of 12p per book per day (adults only) up to a maximum of £4.32. Adults over 60 and children are exempt from paying overdue charges.
There are over 30,000 audio items available from Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge libraries. These include CDs ranging from pop music to the classics. A wide range of talking books on cassette and CD are available from all libraries and can be loaned for 4 weeks free of charge.
DVDs and Videos are also available from Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge libraries, with over 3,000 titles in stock the collections include feature films, instructional videos and videos for children, T.V series, humour and classics (e.g Shakespeare/Dickens).
Adults can borrow up to 8 audio items and 4 videos and 5 DVD's on each visit. Audio items are loaned for 2 weeks, talking books for 4 weeks and videos and DVD's for 1 week.
Children can borrow up to 3 books on tape at a time together with up to 3 books on tape for 4 weeks.
As with the books should you wish to extend the loan of any item this can be done by post, phone, fax, e-mail or in person at any library, provided the items have not been reserved by other users. Items returned late will be subject to an overdue charge of 50p per video per day and £2 per DVD per day.
All libraries are equipped with computers which have High-speed internet connections and Microsoft Office applications for the public to use. Computers can be booked in advance either online or in person.
Jaws and Zoomtext are available at all libraries to help people with sight difficulties. Libraries have also got a range of alternative mice and keyboards for customers who find it hard or painful to use their arms, hands and wrists. Recently added to Stourbridge, Dudley, Halesowen and Brierley Hill libraries you will find a workstation with an adjustable desk along with a large screen monitor and Text Read and Write Help Software. If you would like more information please ask the staff at your library.
Classes teaching people how to use the computers are available in a number of libraries around the Borough and it is even possible to gain a nationally recognised qualification in ICT (CLAiT) should you wish. For more information on classes contact Debbi Walcott on 01384 818156.
Dudley Libraries offers free access to the following online resources Ancestry.com, CREDO reference (formerly Xreferplus), Encyclopedia Britannica including junior and student edition, NewsUK, Oxford Online including English Dictionary, Grover Art and Music online, schlorarship online and the Dictionary of National Biography.
Talking books can also be downloaded so you can listen to your favourite stories on the move on your MP3 player.
Dudley Libraries subscribes to over 75 journals, newspapers and magazines for adults and children in several languages ranging from Which magazine to the Radio Times. For more details search our online Journals and Magazines database.
Photocopying is charged at 10p per A4 sheet and 15p per A3 sheet. The copying of documents is subject to copyright rules and regulations:
- The copy must be required by the user for research or private study
- Only one copy of a periodical or part of a book can be made
- Copies of complete periodicals/books, or the whole of a copyright document cannot be made
- Only one article from an individual issue of a periodical can be copied
- Ordnance Survey maps can only be copied in accordance with the Ordnance Survey guidelines
A fax service is available at Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge libraries, prices are available on request.
Meeting rooms of varying capacities are available for hire at Dudley, Brierley Hill and Halesowen libraries. Hire rates are very reasonable and the rooms are often available in the evenings as well as during the day.
Stourbridge Library and Halesowen Library are both Tourist Information Centres and have a wide selection of material of interest to visitors. Also, all libraries have some leaflets on local attractions as well as Borough Guides and street plans.
Libraries sell a range of publications, postcards and souvenirs relating to Dudley and the Black Country. The largest selection can be found at Stourbridge Library.
© 2005 - 2008 Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Council House, Priory Road, Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 1HF