Public library......false advertising if you ask me!!!!!

[Harryhayley]

So our local/nearest library is closed on Wednesday afternoon/evenings. Our plush new library another 7 mins walk away is open till 10pm every day but because it's in another borough my son 12 years old was refused the right to use the facilities of a PUBLIC library. Is that right?!? Are libraries for the borough residents only? I would understand if he wanted to take home a book but he just want to use one of their computers. There were 5 computers that he could see available but he was told he couldn't use one as he was not a resident of that borough.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing

In the library where I work anyone can join no matter where they live (I actually joined someone who lives in Australia once!) We do now charge visitors to use the computers but it is only really people who are on holiday here that pay, as anyone else can just join and not have to pay.
I would have thought that most libraries would be happy to have customers thought the door no matter where they live.

Yes. Residents of that borough pays taxes to run the library. Some libraries have agreements outside their area to allow those residents access to computers snd check out books.

Some library staff at local level can get quite narky. I'd drop an email to the Head Librarian of the plush library to check what the real policy is.

I have 3 library cards: one where I live, one near work, and one from the town I went to uni in (probably out of date now!). You should be able to become a member of any public library. I applied online for the one near work and even though I technically live in a different county it wasn't an issue.

I couldn't even join our local library because despite having a passport/eleventy million bankcards/contracts and lord knows what else, I didn't have a utilities bill in my name.

I could have got into the MI6 building easier.

Our foreign students can use the town library so I don't see how your son isn't allowed unless each town sets its own jobsworthy rules. I do find some of the people who work in libraries are a bit follow-the-rules-and-if-someone-doesn't-fit-the-category-run-round-and-scream>

There's going to come a point where no one will have any relevant utility bills - in fact I joined my local library when I moved here on the basis of a flyer from my energy company advertising new boilers - which happened to have my name and address on it. (I do all transactions online.)

I am a member of libraries in 3 different counties/ local authorities: the one where I live, the one in the next village (better parking, more helpful staff, better online reservation system) and the one near where I used to work.

I would not expect to be denied the use of facilities based on where I live.

I live in one county and use the library in another, because it's nearer and I'm there every week end.

No problem.

However, some of the counties recycling facilities do insist you live in county (fortunately not ours. As our nearest in county one is eight miles further).

I suspect the ones that do get business waste and all sorts from the city.