Different criteria for joining the library may apply to specific memberships. Select the category for further information:

Adults and over 16s

You can join at any library and someone will be available to help you.

Library membership

  • To join the Milton Keynes City Council libraries you only need some ID with your name on it (like a bank card). You'll be signed up straight away, given your library card to sign and a PIN.
  • You can join online if you prefer but you'll need to visit a library with ID before you can borrow items.
  • If you're between 16 and 18 years old you'll need your own ID/proof of address and proof of your age.

Once you've registered, you'll be given your library card and PIN and you can borrow items, download eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines and access online resources from your home computer straight away. Please remember that you will need to have your card with you for any transaction. 

Remember to tell your local library if any of your personal details change like your address, telephone number or email address.

Children under 16

We welcome new members and anyone can join the Milton Keynes libraries. There is no age limit and you can join for FREE at any library in Milton Keynes. Someone will be available to help you.

Under 16s can join the library online but will need to complete the guarantor/parent contact details during registration to acknowledge permission.

Junior membership

  • There is no lower age limit - parents are encouraged to join their babies early.
  • Visit a library to register and if you're under 16 years old, you'll need an adult guarantor (aged 16+ and preferably your parent/carer) with you to show their ID/proof of their address.
  • If you can't make it to a library, your adult guarantor can visit and register you to join. They'll need to bring ID/proof of address for themselves.
  • If you're between 16 and 18 years old you'll need your own ID/proof of address.
  • Parents will need to provide parental consent for children to access the public computers.

You'll be given your library card and PIN and you can borrow items, download eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines and access online resources from your home computer straight away. Please remember that you will need to have your card with you for any transaction. 

Remember to tell your local library if any personal details change like your address, telephone number or email address.

Basic skills and ESOL students

You can join at any library in Milton Keynes and someone will be available to help.

If you are attending a Community Learning MK (CLMK) basic skills or English for speakers of other languages course you can join the library in the following way:

  • Go to your local library accompanied by your Community Learning MK tutor, we will not ask for any proof of identity or address from you as Community Learning MK already has your contact details on file.
  • Go to your local library on your own and take a letter which includes your name and address from Community Learning MK and confirms that you are booked on to a basic skills course such as literacy or ESOL. We will use this as your ID.

You'll be given your library card and PIN and you can borrow items, download eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines and access online resources from your home computer straight away. Please remember that you will need to have your card with you for any transaction. 

Remember to tell your local library if any of your personal details change like your address, telephone number or email address.

BookShare for foster carers

To help you support the children in your care, the Milton Keynes City Council libraries offer a special library card for foster carers. The items borrowed on this card are specifically to support the child/young person’s learning needs.

  • Library membership is free.
  • Your card entitles you to borrow up to 30 items.
  • Foster carers are not charged fines, but you should ensure that books are returned or renewed on time.
  • You can get a foster carer's library card from any library in Milton Keynes.
  • To register you must take your foster carer's identity letter and ID to the library.

You'll be given your library card and PIN and you can borrow items, download eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines and access online resources from your home computer straight away. Remember that you will need to have your card with you for any transaction. 

Please remember:

  • To tell your local library if any of your personal details change like your address, telephone number or email address.
  • If your library card is lost or stolen you must notify the library as soon as possible because until we are notified you remain responsible for any items borrowed on your card.
  • You and the children can still have your own personal library cards entitling each of you to borrow 30 items on each card. This can include books for leisure reading and audiobooks - there is a charge to borrow audiobooks.
  • This service is provided by Milton Keynes libraries and the education department working in partnership with foster carers/parents and looked after children to encourage families to learn together.

Pre school playgroups

Choose from a fantastic range of board books, colourful picture books, enchanting story books and amazing fact books for children, and we have a wide range of childcare information books.

  • Membership is free.
  • Playgroup leaders can enrol the playgroup at any library in Milton Keynes.
  • You must visit a library with proof that you work for a playgroup, such as a letter, and take proof of your own identity.

You'll be given your library card and PIN and you'll be able to borrow up to 30 books. Please remember that you will need to have your card with you for any transaction. 

Remember to tell your local library if any of your personal details change like your address, telephone number or email address.

Please remember:

  • The loan period is 4 weeks.
  • Books can be renewed for a further period if not requested by other readers.
  • Reservations for children's books are FREE.
  • You remain responsible for any items borrowed on your card up to the point that you notify the library that your card has been lost or stolen.

Storytelling, holiday activities and help with choosing children's books are available at Milton Keynes libraries. Visits by groups of children to the library are welcomed. Please contact us for more details.

We have a collection of over 250 large format picture books held at the Central Library and can be viewed on request. These books can be borrowed by playgroups and pre-schools for storytelling. The collection is restricted to 2 loans per group at one time and requests can be made for specific titles.

Reading group co-ordinators

These guidelines on borrowing book sets are for reading group co-ordinators.

Why should I register my group with the library?

Your Milton Keynes Reading Group card entitles you to:

The reading group card ensures that your individual entitlement is not used for reading group purposes.

How do I get a reading group card?

  • One person will need to act as guarantor for the group and be responsible for all items borrowed using the group’s card.
  • They'll need to complete membership registration and show some current ID/proof of address.
  • They can join at any library in Milton Keynes and someone will be available to help.

Please remember to tell your local library if any of your personal details change like your address, telephone number or email address.

How do we borrow books?

Once they have completed an application form, the reading group co-ordinator is given the group’s library card. This card is then used to borrow sets from the reading group book collectionPlease remember that you will need to have your card with you for any transaction. 

  • We currently have over 100 sets of reading group titles. Each set contains 10 copies of the same title. A large print and audiobook title may also be available on request.
  • There is a hire charge for each set of books borrowed.
  • We serve over 30 reading groups so you'll need to book titles well in advance.
  • Please try to return all copies together.
  • Reading group book collection titles can be viewed online or requested from your nearest library.
  • We can try to obtain multiple copies of a title from normal library stock but we won't be able to do this for new and popular titles.

What if somebody doesn’t return a book?

  • Missing and damaged items will need to be replaced or paid for and the guarantor will be responsible for this.
  • For new groups or groups with members who don’t know each other very well it may be a good idea to have some sort of deposit scheme. For example the average cost of a paperback book is approximately £7. Members of a group could pay a deposit of £7 to be held by the guarantor. This would be refunded when they leave the group providing they had returned all items borrowed.

What if I leave the group?

  • If you are the guarantor and you leave the group, you'll need to let the library know that you're no longer responsible for the library card.
  • If you pass the card to someone else without informing us, you'll still be held responsible for the items borrowed on that card.
  • The new guarantor for the group will need to come into the library, fill out a group membership form and provide ID.
  • Once the library has been informed of a change, the group card can be passed on.
  • We'll put a stop on the card until the new guarantor has been in and registered.

Registered childminders

As a registered childminder, you can borrow from a fantastic range of board books, picture books, story books and fact books for children. We also have a wide range of childcare information books.

Joining the library is free. Registered childminders can enrol at any library in Milton Keynes. When you visit, bring proof that you are a registered childminder, such as a letter together with your ID/proof of address.

You'll be given your library card and PIN. You can borrow up to 30 books straight away. Please remember that you will need to have your card with you for any transaction. 

  • Books are loaned for 4 weeks.
  • Books may be renewed for a further period if not requested by other readers.
  • Reservations for children's books are FREE.
  • If you lose or damage a borrowed item, please report this to the library as soon as possible.
  • You remain responsible for any items borrowed on your card up to the point that you notify the library that your card has been lost or stolen.
  • Details of storytelling and holiday activities at libraries in Milton Keynes can be found on our library events and activities webpage.
  • Visits by groups of children to the library are welcomed. Please fill in the online enquiry form for more details.

Remember to tell your local library if any of your personal details change like your address, telephone number or email address.

Visually impaired

  • You must join the library before you can borrow items.
  • Visually impaired members are exempt from most hire charges. We need to see a registration card or supporting letter from your doctor.
  • You'll need to visit a library to register and show some ID/proof of address with your name on it.
  • You can join at any library and someone will be available to help.

You'll be given your library membership card and PIN and you can borrow library items, download eAudiobooks or access online databases from your home computer straight away. Please remember that you will need to have your card with you for any transaction.

Milton Keynes City Council Libraries contact information

Milton Keynes Central Library, 555 Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9 3HL