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Books and reading

Get reading

Search the library catalogue and request

We have around one million books for you to borrow: hardbacks, paperbacks, e-books, large print, tape and CD.

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New and forthcoming

Reading groups and collections

Library reading groups

Search the Community Information Database for reading groups in Warwickshire

Reading group book collection

Thinking of starting a reading group?

The reading pack (pdf, 293Kb)

Our reading group collection – what you get:

  • a copy of our Reading Pack with advice, tips and suggestions for starting and running a reading group;
  • a group ticket;
  • tailored collections of books, consisting of multiple copies of the same title;
  • up to 20 copies per title;
  • stationery to help you set up a system for issuing books within your group;
  • a local contact at every library who will liaise with you.

How to get a ticket:

  • one person needs to be the named contact – responsible for what is borrowed on the group card, and who will also provide details of the titles required;
  • the named person should bring their own library card when enrolling the group
  • if you are not already a library member, bring one form of identification: preferably your driving licence
  • the library ticket will be given to the named contact.

What happens next?

  • tell us which week of the month your group meets. This information helps us to prioritise our work;
  • choose a selection of titles from our Reading Group Collection;
  • however, for your first meeting you will be given one of our starter packs to allow time for staff to book and deliver a title from your selection ready for your second meeting
  • give your library contact the list of titles. We will then book these titles for your group when they are next available. Please book as far in advance as possible as the service is very popular! – if those titles are not available we will try to provide a substitute, but this may not always be possible;
  • you can book a title up to 12 months in advance.

Collecting books:

  • we’ll tell you when your latest title is ready for collection;
  • the named contact should collect the books which will already have been issued to the group card. Any one else who collects the books should bring a letter of authorisation from the named contact;
  • the named contact or authorised person should show some identification when collecting books e.g. the group ticket.

How you can help us:

  • please return items on time as another group will almost certainly be waiting for the title;
  • order titles well in advance and be flexible with your dates - some titles are very popular and have a waiting list;
  • provide us with a list of alternative titles in case your original selection is unavailable
  • give us feedback on the titles. This is useful to us when we consider new titles for the collection
  • suggest new titles for the collection - each year we add new titles and we welcome your suggestions

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Digital texts and e-books

E-books - three e-books for three weeks for free

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Special collections

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Asian reading collection

Books, newspapers and magazines in Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu as well as in English are at Nuneaton, Rugby and Leamington Spa.

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For visually impaired readers

We have a large collection of large print titles. Audio books are free to people registered blind and partially sighted.

De Montfort Talking Books Service

Through the De Montfort Talking Books Service a free postal tape service is provided for registered blind and partially sighted people. The service has over 4,000 books on tape

Contact: De Montfort Talking Books Service, c/o Kenilworth Library, Smalley Place, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1QG, 01926 850 749

Bee Aware

The Bee Aware Scheme is a national initiative to promote the inter library loan of alternative format material on behalf of visually impaired and print disabled people.

Use our Bee Aware service to request items in different formats from other libraries outside Warwickshire. We have access to the libraries at the RNIB, Calibre and TNAUK (Talking Newspaper Association U K.)

If you would like to use this service, please ask at your local library.

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