Sign up for a library card
Anyone who lives in Norway can receive a national library card, which can be used at libraries across the country. Borrowers with no Norwegian ID-number, schools, kindergartens, and institutions will receive a local card, which can be used to borrow from our libraries in Trondheim. Patrons with a foreign national identity card must provide their Norwegian adress.
When registering for the first time, you need to fill out the library card form. Parents must fill out the form for children under 15 years of age. Parents who are unable to fill out the form online can use a paper form, which you fill out and deliver to the library. Children can receive a library card as soon as they start school.
Library card and PIN-code
Take good care of your library card and bring it with you when you visit the library. Inform the library if you lose your card. If you lose a plastic card, a new one costs 20 NOK.
Getting the library card on you mobile phone is easy. You can download the Bibliofil mobile application in the App Store, for Apple devices, or in Google Play if you are using an Android device.
You must create a 4-digit PIN code when you apply for a library card. You use this PIN to borrow from our automated check-outs, to log in to our wireless network, to open up Extended-Hours Library (‘Meråpne bibliotek’ in Norwegian), and to borrow over the counter. You can change the PIN code at My Pages (‘Mine sider’ in Norwegian) or over the counter in our libraries after showing identification. We encourage parents to create a PIN code for their child that is easy for the child to remember. For your own safety, make a password the first time you use the app.
You are responsible for keeping your contact information updated. Change it yourself through the Bibliofil App or contact us.
Duties
When you have a library card and borrow materials from us, you agree to the following:
- Care of Materials: Handle library materials with care.
- Timely Returns: Return borrowed materials by their due dates.
- Responsibility for Damage or Loss: Pay for any damage or loss of borrowed materials.
- Keep Contact Information Updated: Ensure your contact information in our system is current.
Parents or guardians are responsible for their children's adherence to these rules. From the age of 15, you are considered an adult and are yourself responsible. For institutions, the contact person or director is the party held responsible.
Borrowing periods and extensions
The common borrowing period is 4 weeks.
Exceptions:
- Electric bicycle: 3 days
- Week-loan books: 1 week
- Tools: 1 week
- Film and TV series: 2 weeks
- Music: 2 weeks:
- Language course: 8 weeks
- Books lent out to schools or kindergartens: 42 days
You can renew a loan up to two (2) times, if the material is not reserved for others.
Exceptions to this rule include week-loans, electric bicycles and tools (one cannot extend a loan of these items). You can extend a loan on My Pages (‘Mine sider’ in Norwegian) or through the Bibliofil App.
If what you want is loaned out, it can be reserved for you. You will be notified by e-mail, SMS, or letter when the material is ready for you to borrow.
Films borrowed from the library are for private use only. The age limit for borrowing a film is the same as the recommended age limit on the film. The library is not liable for any damage to the video/CD/DVD player etc.
Returns
You can return materials borrowed from us at any of our libraries, as well as at libraries in other Norwegian municipalities. Outside our libraries, there are return boxes, which you use at your own risk.
Fines for late returns
You are responsible for returning materials on time. If borrowed materials are overdue, we send a overdue notice by e-mail or text message (if you have turned this on in Bibliofil). You decide how we notify you on My Pages (‘Mine sider’ in Norwegian)/the Bibliofil App. The primary goal of the fines for late returns is to ensure access to the library’s collection for all patrons.
We send the first overdue notice and the first fine one (1) week after the due date.
The fine for adults (over 15 years of age) is NOK 40 in 2024. From January 1st 2025 it will be NOK 50. Children and institutions receive only reminders to return materials, not fines. We send the last overdue notice three (3) weeks after the due date (the fine for adults is then doubled).
You can pay the fine through the Bibliofil App, or at the library.
Lost materials
If materials are not returned to us after two (2) fine notices, we consider the material to be lost. We then send an invoice, followed by a debt collection warning if the invoice is not paid. Contact us to arrange for compensation (or return) before we send an invoice to a collection agency. If you have an e-invoice agreement with Trondheim Municipal Authority, an e-invoice from us will show up at your online bank.
You must compensate for lost or damaged materials in accordance with our current compensation schedule:
| Material for adults | |
|---|---|
| Books |
400,- in 2024 |
| Audiobooks |
500,- |
| Films | 300,- |
| CDs | 300,- |
| Language courses | 1000,- |
| Textbooks | 1000,- |
| Periodicals | 100,- |
| Console games | 600,- |
| Material loaned from other libraries | 800,- |
| Material for children | |
|---|---|
| Books |
250,- |
| Audiobooks | 300,- |
| Films | 250,- |
| CDs | 250,- |
| Language courses | 1000,- |
| Textbooks | 1000,- |
| Periodicals | 100,- |
| Console games | 600,- |
| Material loaned from other libraries | 800,- |
Different fees apply to lost or damagd musical instruments, electric bicycles, and tools from our Tool Library. Contact the library for more information about these fees.
If you return a lost item that you have been invoiced for, you will no longer be required to pay the invoice. To avoid further charges, you must return the item within 60 days of the original invoice date, as indicated on the debt collection notice. Please return all items listed on the invoice to receive a credit invoice.
If you do not pay your invoice by the due date indicated on the debt collection notice, the invoice will be sent to a collection agency. At this point, you will no longer be able to return the borrowed materials to avoid the charge.
The collection agency will contact you with information about the amount owed. Once the invoice is sent to collections, you will temporarily lose your borrowing privileges at the library. Your borrowing privileges will be restored once you have paid the amount owed to the collection agency.
If you paid the invoice and then find what you borrowed, you can keep the material. It is not possible to replace lost materials through the purchase of new copies.
Borrowing tools or electric bicycles
You must be 18 years or older to borrow electric bicycles or tools. You must sign a separate loan contract for an electric bicycle, and the loan terms for tools are stricter. We only lend out tools and electric bicycles for a certain number of days, and one must collect and return them at the same library during opening hours.
Privacy declaration
To use our services, we need to store some information about you. You can learn more about what information we collect and how we use it in our privacy policy (Norwegian only).
The borrowing rules and compensation rates can be changed without warning.
Sist oppdatert: 12.01.2023