Libraries Charter

What your charter provides

1 All libraries offer you a welcoming, safe, clean and pleasant environment.

2 All library staff are trained, and will be polite, helpful and sensitive to your needs.

3 Library services 24 hours a day

• You can find information about library stock (books, spoken word, music and film), services, activities and events on our webpages.
• You can renew and reserve items online (with a personal identification number).
• You can renew items at any time through a 24-hour automated phone service on 0115 929 3388 for the cost of a national call
• You can look up information in encyclopaedias, dictionaries and newspapers online at libraries online services

4 Library services in your area
99.8% of Wandsworth residents live within one mile of a branch library. The level of service varies at each library and is based on:

• the size of each building;
• particular needs of each catchment area;
• special services at some libraries; and 
• how many people use each library

Town Centre Libraries
The town centre libraries of Balham, Battersea and Putney have longer opening hours and more choice of stock, including books for adults, students and children, music and film. They open from 9am-8pm on four weekdays, 9am-5pm (10am-6pm at Balham) on Saturdays and 1pm-5pm on Sundays.

Reference and Information Service
The borough's Reference Library is close to Clapham Junction town centre at 121 Altenburg Gardens, just off Lavender Hill. It has 80 study spaces and provides a specialist information service. It is open 9am-9pm Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm on Saturdays and 1pm-5pm on Sundays.

Neighbourhood libraries
Neighbourhood libraries have a smaller selection of books for all ages for popular reading, and some audio-visual items. They open from 9am-7pm on three weekdays, and 9am-5pm on Fridays (9am to 6pm at Southfields) and Saturdays. Tooting Library also opens from 1pm-5pm on Sundays.

Community Library
York Gardens Library provides a small collection of books and films for adults and children. It opens from 12 noon until 7pm Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 9.30am-7pm on Wednesday and Thursday, and 12 noon until 5pm on Saturdays.

Library services for the African Caribbean community
The African Caribbean Community Library is at Battersea Library, close to Clapham Junction town centre. It has 9,000 books and audio-visual stock about the Black Diaspora, history, different cultures and fiction by Black writers, including books in Arabic, Somali, Twi and Yoruba, with music and videos.

Library services for the Asian Community
The Asian Community Library is at Tooting Library and has 20,000 books in different languages including Bengali, Cantonese, Gujerati, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu, with music and videos.

5 Every library gives access to a wide range of materials and services.

• Choose from a wide range of books, daily newspapers and magazines for adults and children in English and other languages. You can borrow some books in different formats such as in large print and as talking books.
• Choose materials for adults and children about African, Asian and Caribbean cultures, and books in French, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish or dual-language texts (where the text is written in two languages) for children.
• Use any library computer or the internet to find out what is in stock in all Wandsworth libraries or to check your personal membership details and reserved items.
• You can book free one-hour sessions on computers for library members (you can join on the day) to search the internet. You must book sessions in advance.
• Hire DVDs at most libraries.
• Borrow compact discs from some libraries. Balham, Battersea and Putney libraries also have a wide range of music scores, books and magazines.
• Use a self-service photocopier for a small charge.
• Send and receive faxes for a small charge.
• Hire halls from 8am to 11pm for meetings, classes and social events at Balham, Earlsfield, Putney, Southfields and York Gardens Libraries.
• Use free phone helplines to contact other council services, including the Housing Department and Children's Services Department.
• Join or start a reading group at your library. Library staff will help you and find books for your group.
• Ask the staff to answer your questions - we will respond to most enquiries immediately. If not, we will answer all enquiries within five working days.
• Email your questions to libraries@wandsworth.gov.uk

6 Every children's library in every branch library provides the following.

• A friendly, welcoming and helpful service to children, their parents, carers and teachers.
• A large collection of story and information books, films and talking books in English and community languages for children and young people, in a separate staffed section.
• Access to the internet, but please remember that parents and carers are responsible for their child's use of the internet.
• A qualified children's librarian, available most of the time to help children use the library and to find information for their personal interests and for homework.
• Baby rhyme and story time sessions for children under five.
• Places where children can study and a collection of reference books for children.
• Books and other information for parents and teachers, including lists of local schools, playgroups and nurseries.
• Contact with local schools and playgroups to encourage classes to visit libraries regularly.
• Children's activities and events throughout the year.

7 How we will provide the books and other materials you want

• If the book you asked for is not in stock, we will see if it is available from another library and will keep you informed of progress.
• Current bestsellers will be available in at least one library within six weeks of them appearing in the Bookseller Top 15 list.

8 We aim to make it easy for everyone to use our services, including people with disabilities, people with young children and elderly people.

• Every library has level access to the ground floor. Most libraries have lifts to upper floors, except Tooting and Battersea libraries.
• If you cannot visit a branch library we can arrange a monthly delivery from the Home Delivery Library Service between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday (phone (020) 8871 6350).
• If you belong to a community group, live in sheltered housing or a residential unit, we can arrange to deliver books for you to borrow locally (phone (020) 8871 6350).
• Every library has at least one public toilet that people in wheelchairs can use. The public toilets are cleaned every day. Baby-changing facilities are available at every library.
• A hearing loop is available at all libraries.
• You can borrow talking books from any library without charge if you are aged under 16, are 60 or over, or if you have difficulty reading for any reason.
• Libraries have parking bays nearby specifically for people with 'disability parking' permits.
• All libraries have a range of hardware and software to help people use computers:
  • A trackerball, for people who find using a mouse difficult
  • A screenreader that converts text to sound
  • A screen magnifier
  • A colour-coded keyboard with extra-large keys

What you can do to help us

1 Always take care of anything you borrow from your library and bring everything back on time. Please encourage your children to do the same.

2 Please pay late-return fees and any outstanding charges before you borrow or reserve another item.

3 Whenever you make an enquiry, please give the staff as much information as possible.

4 You don't have to be silent in the libraries, but please respect the rights of other people, especially people who are studying or reading, and please turn off or silence your mobile phone.

The library staff will be happy to help you.

Who to contact if you have a complaint

1 Please contact the branch librarian, or you can email libraries@wandsworth.gov.uk.

2 If you are still not satisfied, please contact Peter Brennan, Director of Leisure and Amenity Services, at the Town Hall.

Click on the library name for opening times and contact details

Alvering Library
Balham Library
Battersea Library
Battersea Park Library
Earlsfield Library
Home Delivery Library Service
Local History Service
Northcote Library
Putney Library
Reference Library
Roehampton Library
Southfields Library
Tooting Library
York Library