Torfaen Library and Information Service Standards

Our libraries are free to join and open to all members of our communities.

We will ensure that friendly, knowledgeable and qualified staff are on hand to help you.

We will ensure that our libraries are safe, attractive and accessible physical spaces for people of all ages with dedicated areas for children and young people. Download a copy of the Anti-Bullying Charter here.

We lend books for free and provide materials in formats to suit people with a diversity of reading needs. These include large print books, talking books, e books and e magazines. Charges apply for some overdue items. A full list of library charges is available here.

If you are a carer we will issue you with a Carer’s membership card. This will entitle you to borrow double the usual entitlement of loan items so that both you and the person you care for can make full use of the library. Charges apply for some overdue items. A full list of library charges is available here.

Wherever possible we will ensure that our stock reflects changing forms of publication.

We provide Welsh language resources for adults and children and to support Welsh learners.

We will ensure that you have access to up-to-date reading material and that our information stock is accurate and suitably sourced.

We will publish our annual, total materials expenditure

We will work in partnership wherever possible to ensure that the stock you have access to represents the best available value for the residents of Torfaen. Download a copy of the Resource Selection and Management Policy here.

Our customers will have access to a request service, which will be free for all items acquired within Wales.

Library users will have free access to our public computers and to the Internet, including via wi-fi. We will provide dedicated computer access for young people in addition to for adults.

Our customers will have access to the free use of online resources 24 hours a day.

All customers using our public access computers/devices will abide by the acceptable use policy. Download a copy of the Acceptable Usage Policy for Using Public Access PCs here.

We reserve the right to place a block on use by customers who are in contravention of the acceptable use policy.

We offer our customers basic support in the use of ICT infrastructure. This means that we will endeavour to have staff on hand with appropriate expertise to assist customers to use the library’s computers, to access electronic resources, and to access the wi-fi network.

If we cannot offer immediate help, we will give you information about the drop-in IT Skills development sessions, which we run every week in all our libraries, so that you may receive help there. This includes help with commonly used tablets, e-readers.

We will support job seekers by providing access to Universal Jobmatch, assisting their IT Skills and by offering free printouts and copying for job searching related activities (within reasonable use)

We will support benefit claimants by providing access to relevant websites, assisting their IT Skills, decoding into plain English and by offering free copying/printouts for items that relate to claims/payments (within reasonable use). We will not offer advice re benefits and customers need to be aware that we are not qualified to do so.

We offer support to customers in developing the ability to identify and access appropriate information, to evaluate information and to apply this ability in all areas of life - like education, employment and health and well being.

This support may be informal with individuals or may be through group activities like class visits to learn library skills.

We will deliver free access to information and help with your enquiries.

Our information services include signposting and referral to appropriate agencies, organisations, websites, council services etc. Download a copy of the Poster and Leaflet Policy here.

We offer our customers an information and support service in relation to health and well-being, which is free, professional, non-judgemental, confidential and customer-focussed.

We provide a dedicated Library@Home service to cater for the needs of customers who are confined to their home or are unable to access library services by conventional means. The provision of this service is subject to an initial assessment of need

We will regularly consult users to gather their views on the service and information about their changing needs.

We offer events and activities for adults and children, which increase the individual’s confidence and enjoyment of reading and which open up their reading choices. We offer opportunities for people to share their reading experiences and seek to raise the status of reading as a creative activity. Our offer will change over time according to prevailing circumstances and we will endeavour to keep customers aware of whatever the current offer is.

We offer children of primary school age the opportunity to participate in the Summer Reading Challenge. This helps pupils avoid the summer reading dip and ensures that they are able to make an advantageous start to their school year.

Last Modified: 21/08/2023 Back to top