Worcestershire libraries

Worcestershire County Council Libraries offers a genuinely wide range of sessions across the county — weekly Storytime at The Hive, Stay and Play mornings, craft groups, language cafés, and adult learning courses. Membership costs nothing to join: you can sign up online in minutes or walk into any branch.

Beyond the physical spaces, membership unlocks a rich digital shelf: thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks through BorrowBox, over 7,000 newspapers and magazines via PressReader, and reference tools including the full Oxford English Dictionary and Ancestry's genealogy archive. If you're preparing for a driving test, Theory Test Pro is included free with membership too.

For families who find standard opening hours a squeeze, Libraries Unlocked extends access from 8:00am to 8:00pm Monday to Saturday at 11 branches across the county. Cardholders aged 15 and over can use their library card to enter; under-15s are welcome during those extended hours as long as they're with a Libraries Unlocked member. The upgrade is free, and since launching it has already clocked over 100,000 visits and 113,000 book issues during those extra hours alone.

Borrowing books is free, and late fees only apply if items come back overdue. For anyone who cannot get to a branch, a volunteer-run Library Service at Home means the collection can still reach you.