Getting started

Online library: Access it anytime anywhere

Your membership allows you to use our online library 24 x7 with access to a wide range of resources including newspaper, magazines, academic books and journals, comics, full-length music concerts and more.

Complimentary wi-fi

As a member, you can bring your own laptop and digital devices to work or to study at the library, and avail free wi-fi to do so.

How to use complimentary wi-fi:

Select 'Cactus' from the list of wi-fi networks displayed on your screen.

Connect by entering the Username and Password available at the library front desk.

Self-check-in/check-out

At the British Council, standing in queues to issue and return book is a thing of the past. With our self-check-in/check-out kiosks, you can borrow or return the resources yourself and save time.

Where are your libraries?

There are British Council Libraries in Lahore and Karachi. Click here  to know their location and addresses.

How do I find a book in your catalogue?

Our libraries brings you the very best of British content. You can browse through our entire catalogue online here 

How do I access your Libraries?

All our libraries are members only zones. You need to take a membership to access the physical/online library. Details of our membership plans can be found here 

What are the working hours of the library?

Our Lahore Library works 5 days a week from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm. 

Our Karachi Library works 6 days a week from Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm.

What are the library subscription plans that your offer?

We have several membership plans available at both libraries. Select a membership plan which is right for you:

Individual Membership

Charged at PKR 7000, you can borrow any eight books for adults and have full access to our digital collection.

Family Membership

With an annual subscription charge of PKR 15,500, borrow any 16 books for children and 16 books for adults. Also, gain unlimited access to our digital library.

Quarterly Membership

Charged at PKR 3,800 you get access to the library for 3 months as well as access to our digital library.

Online

Don’t worry if you're not in a city where we have a library. Our online subscription charged at PKR 4000 brings you the library at your fingertips.

More details can be found here.

What documents will I need to become a member?

To take a membership you need to and a copy of your CNIC or Passport.

What are the methods of payment accepted for becoming a Library Member?

You can pay in person for our membership plans in cash or credit/debit card.

How many days are the borrowed items issued for?

All books are issued for 21 days. They can be renewed thrice provided there is no reservation on any of them.

How can I renew the borrowed items?

You can renew your borrowed items online by logging into to your account here. The username and password is issued to you at the time registration. Alternatively you can also visit your home library or can write to Librarylhr@britishcouncil.org.pk or Librarykhi@britishcouncil.org.pk, 2 days in advance of the renewal.

I am not able to renew my books online

You will not be able to renew your books online if you have already renewed thrice, fine is more than PKR 1000, the book is reserved by other members, and/or you membership is expired. In this case, you may need to bring the materials to the library for us to assist you.

How much is the fine if I do not renew/return the borrowed items on time?

You can borrow books for a period of 21 days. The late fee for a book is PKR 30 per day per book.

Can I change my membership plan during the year?

If at any time you want to upgrade your current membership plan to a higher category, you can do so by paying the balance amount and getting the memberships upgraded. In this case, the expiry of the membership plan will not change.

How can I change my membership plan?

The library membership plan can be changed at the time of renewing the membership to a lower or a higher category of membership by visiting your respective library.

Can I transfer my membership to another city?

Yes you can transfer your membership to either of our two centres. As a member you have to return all the items issued to you, clear fines if any and write to your parent library with your transfer request. You can then get the membership transferred to the city you are moving to.

How do I get a book currently issued to another member?

You can reserve the book by Log onto “My Account” here using the username and password shared with you. 

Enter the title in the search catalogue and select <.....> (city) from the drop down box. 

From the list of titles, select the book you want to reserve by clicking on Reserve.

Alternatively you can do so by visiting your home library. 

I have lost my card, what do I do?

If you lose your membership card, please contact our customer services team who will block your card to avoid any misuse and guide you further. A new card will be issued on your next visit on a charge on PKR 1200.

What do I do if I lose a book?

If you misplace the book and are not able to find/ return it back, you can either replace it or pay for the cost of the lost item.

If I am travelling what do I do with the books issued to me?

If you are unable to return the books issued to you, please arrange for them to be returned by someone else on your behalf or couriered to the library. In case of courier the liability of safe delivery of the books will be with you.

We would like to take this opportunity to inform you about the following terms & conditions related to the library membership service and code of behavior that we expect from our customers.

All members are charged a fee for membership. The membership fee changes every year and the British Council Library reserves the right to change the fee every year.

• Your membership commences immediately from the day it is acknowledged by the British Council Library Desk (following receipt of the membership fee by the British Council Library in cleared funds) and will be valid for a period of one year, thereafter. Your membership will expire automatically at the end of the Membership Period unless it is renewed. Upon expiry of your membership, you will no longer be entitled to receive any membership benefits. 
• You must present your membership  card on every visit to obtain the membership benefits. 
• Membership rights are NOT transferrable to another individual, but memberships can be transferred to any other library center within Pakistan. 
• You must take all reasonable steps to prevent loss, theft or misuse of your membership cards. Any loss, theft or misuse of membership card must be reported to the British Council library team immediately. The British Council Library reserves the right to charge a reasonable fee, at its sole discretion, for replacement of membership cards. 
• Your membership fee is non-refundable once payment has been received by the ‘British Council Library Customer Service Desk’. 
• When your membership lapses, we will send you a renewal reminder, and your membership will no longer be valid to conduct any transactions until a further membership fee payment is received from you that renew the membership. You may pay the fee in cash or via credit/debit card or online. If the renewal fee is paid within 30 days of the end of the membership period, the member would be eligible for a discount at a rate as specified by the British Council library. 
• The British Council Library may charge, and you may be required to pay fines for loss of, damage to and/or late return of books and/or material borrowed from the British Council Library as a member. A waiver of fines will not be considered unless there is a valid medical certificate from a medical practitioner.
• You must not allow anyone else to use your membership card. Allowing someone else to use your membership card outside these terms and conditions may result in your membership being cancelled without prior notice. No refund for membership fee will be given under these circumstances. 
• The British Council library reserves the right to refuse or terminate the membership of those who intentionally damage or steal our property, misuse the library membership card, cause disruption or inconvenience, or harass any customer, staff member, visitor, director, trustee, patron, donor or other supporters of the British Council library or breach any of these terms and conditions. 

Unless stated otherwise, copyright and all other rights in all publications and materials supplied to you by the British Council Library are owned by the British Council Library. Members shall not reproduce, transmit, distribute, sell or commercially exploit these materials without the prior written consent of the British Council Pakistan or to the extent expressly permitted by law. 

You are prohibited from capturing or taking photographs of any book(s) or the contents of any book(s) under any circumstances. 

You must hold a valid government address proof to obtain membership at the British Council Library or else a parent/guardian must obtain membership on your behalf. 

If the British Council Library has to contact you, it will do so by telephone or in writing at the telephone number, e-mail address or postal address, as the case may be, provided by you in your membership online application form or such other telephone number, e-mail address or postal address provided by you at the time of any subsequent renewal of the membership.

Our core values as an organisation are Creativity, Integrity, Mutuality, Professionalism, and Valuing people. These five values underpin everything we say and do, our work with people and our communication.

Our staff Code of Conduct sets standards and guidelines for teams, ensuring consistent and fair treatment for all, in line with our brand values. Just as we expect a standard of behaviour from our staff, we have some expectations of our visitors and customers. The Customer code of behaviour sets out the principles that visitors, members, customers and everyone dealing with the British Council are requested to follow. We request you to adhere to the following key principles:

• We are committed to your safety and that of staff. We therefore request you to exhibit behaviours that keep you and others safe.
• We have put in place policies and procedures that ensure consistent and fair treatment to all. We would appreciate it if you could respect the same.
• We treat people with respect and expect the same from our customers both on offline and online platforms. Abusive language, staring, threats of violence or any type of harassment are unacceptable.
• We request that you cooperate with our staff during emergency situations and that you follow staff instructions in all such situations.
• We request you to adhere to our work timings.
• We would appreciate it if you could take care of your personal belongings and valuables while on our premises. Being a public access space, we are unable to take the responsibility for your belongings.
• Photography and Audio/ Video recording is permissible only with prior consent and no material may be distributed or posted within the library without the permission of a library manager.
• We request you to respect the privacy of other guests on online and offline platforms. Any acts of harassment including sexual harassment are unacceptable. This includes unwanted touching, unwanted or inappropriate advances, cyber harassment and bullying etc.
• Children in the building must be supervised by parents or guardians at all times except when in workshops, events or the classrooms.

Emergency alarms

In the case of an emergency, you will hear an alarm. Please make your way calmly but quickly to the nearest emergency exit and assemble at the designated assembly point unless you are told otherwise by a designated British Council staff member. 

If an alarm sounds during library hours, please follow the staff who will guide you. 

Security procedures

For security reasons all bags are checked when you enter the premises. This is essential in order to minimise security risks.

First aid

If you need first aid while on our premises, please contact a Library staff member or a designated member of British Council staff.

Complaints procedure

If you have a complaint regarding any aspect of our service, please contact Library Customer Services staff who will record the details and arrange for an appropriate member of staff to respond to any issues raised.

How we use your information

British Council complies with the data protection law in the UK and laws in other countries that meet internationally accepted standards. You have the right to ask for a copy of the information we hold on you, and the right to ask us to correct any inaccuracies in that information. If you have concerns about how we have used your personal information, you also have the right to complain to a privacy regulator. For detailed information, you can refer to the privacy section of our website, www.britishcouncil.org/privacy. We will keep your information for a period of seven years from the time of collection. 

Child protection

Any person under the age of eighteen is considered to still be a child. Everyone shares responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children irrespective of individual roles. 

If you are worried about your own or another child’s safety, please contact the Customer Service staff to meet a member of the Child Protection Team/ designated focal point in each office. 

Policy on sexual harassment

Our visitors and members are advised that the British Council strictly follows the Policy on Sexual Harassment - POSH and has zero tolerance for any act of Sexual harassment. 

As per the policy, sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual conduct. It covers a wide range of behaviours, and can include, 

• physical contact and advances of a sexual nature 
• demands or requests for sexual favours 
• remarks of a sexual nature 
• dissemination of pornography and 
• any other physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature 

Non-compliance of the Customer Code of Behaviour may lead to the following actions: 

1. Written or verbal warning 
2. Suspension or cancellation of services 
3. Restriction / Ban on entry to our premises and events 
4. In serious cases we may have to report to concerned local authorities for appropriate action.