Join the library

We are delighted to announce that the British Council Library in Colombo, Kandy and Jaffna have once more opened their doors and look forward to welcoming members back.

In Colombo, we are open Tuesday to Saturday from 09.00 a.m to 5.00 p.m. We are closed on Sunday and Monday.

In Kandy, we are open Tuesday to Saturday from 09.00 a.m to 5.00 p.m. We are closed on Sunday and Monday.

In Jaffna, we are open Wednesday to Sunday from 9.00 a.m to 5.00 p.m. We are closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Please always maintain a distance of 1.5m from others using the library at the same time.
Please do keep your mask on whilst you are in the library
Please use the sanitizer provided when you enter and leave the library
Please limit your visit to 20 minutes - this will allow others to visit the library too - so please make your selection as quickly as you can.

We look forward to your visit and to your cooperation.

Please call Nishika on 0773 770 788 for more information.

Special Notice

We are delighted to inform you that our Online Book Ordering facility continues in operation, and we look forward to receiving your book orders. We hope that you and your families remain safe and well during these times.

Please note the following:

Our book drop facility is available for any book returns, at all of our libraries.
Please note that no fines will be incurred for late returns whilst the libraries remain closed.
You can now renew your membership online here.
General and Family memberships have been provided with complimentary access to our Digital Library. Please click on this link to access our Digital Library.
You can also access our Digital Library using the mobile app – MyLOFT – via your Apple and Android devices. Click here for the instruction video .
Our free online resource ‘Learn English’ is available for children under parents’ supervision.

You can reach us on email at info.lk@britishcouncil.org

We have different types of memberships to suit your learning and information needs, discounts and offers for British Council students and IELTS candidates.

Join our libraries and enjoy access to top quality online resources including journals, books, movies, music and magazines. We have more than 65,000 resources in our libraries.

It's easy to become a member...

Choose the library convenient to you Colombo, Kandy or Jaffna.
Choose a membership that is right for you, available at that centre.
Have your proof of identification ready. (National Identity Card or a valid Passport*)
Complete a membership application form online and make your payment via an online credit/debit card transaction OR online bank transfer.

Register for a library membership from the comfort of your home

Lots of free time and nothing at home to read? Our wonderful collection of digital resources – and our books in the library – are only a click away.

You can now sign-up for a library membership by simply completing the form and paying your fee via an online credit/debit card transaction OR online bank transfer.

You're three steps away from being able to access our collection.

Click the payment method you would like to use to view the registration steps.

Pay online with a credit/debit card

Step 1: Register

Register for a library membership of your choice by clicking on the 'Register and pay online' button on any of the membership categories from the drop-down below.

Enter the required information in the form and tap 'Submit'. If you have a valid coupon code, enter it in the 'coupon code' field of the form

Step 2: Review your registration details

On the next page, review your details and the payment amount. Click 'Edit' to make corrections if necessary. If the information is correct, tap 'Proceed to payment'.

Step 3: Enter your card details and complete the payment

You will be redirected to our secure payment gateway to enter your card details and billing address. Tap 'pay' once you've entered and reviewed your information.

If your transaction is successful, a confirmation message will displayed on the next screen. Your membership will be activated immediately, and you will receive a 'Welcome' message in your email inbox.

Pay via online bank transfer

Step 1: Register

Register for a library membership of your choice by clicking on the 'Register and pay via bank transfer' button on any of the membership categories from the drop-down below.

Enter the required information in the form and tap 'Submit'. If you have a valid coupon code, enter it in the 'coupon code' field of the form

Step 2: Make the online bank transfer

Once you receive an e-mail confirming the completion of step 1, you could proceed to make the payment. Use the account details below to pay your membership fee via bank transfer:

Bank Name: HSBCBank Branch: Colombo 1 Account Name: British CouncilAccount Number: 001-002377-002Narration: Name with initials and membership number. (e.g. A. A. Perera - ACBXXXXXX)

Please avoid paying through the cash deposit machines as the narration doesn’t appear on our statement and we will not be able to identify your payment easily and process your membership application in a timely manner.

Step 3: Account activation

E-mail a screenshot of the bank confirmation to our Customer Services team on info.lk@britishcouncil.org.

Please use 'Library Membership Payment' along with your membership number as the subject line of your email (e.g. Library Membership Payment – ACBXXXXXX).

Your account will be activated within two working days upon completing this step.

Online membership (to access the Digital Library)

You can access our Digital Library from anywhere in the world. Here's our digital membership offer:

Access to the entire digital collection of thousands of movies, ebooks, concerts, audio-books, magazines, theatre productions, comic books and many more.
Price per year: Rs. 4,000
Age group: 18 years and above
The online membership does not include the 'Road to IELTS' platform offered for IELTS candidates

Special Notice

It's easy to become a member...

Register for a library membership from the comfort of your home

Click the payment method you would like to use to view the registration steps.

Pay online with a credit/debit card

Step 1: Register

Step 2: Review your registration details

Step 3: Enter your card details and complete the payment

Pay via online bank transfer

Step 1: Register

Step 2: Make the online bank transfer

Step 3: Account activation

Online membership (to access the Digital Library)

Colombo membership

Click here to check out our library!

IELTS library membership

Teens membership

Kids membership

General membership

Family membership

Organisational library membership

Kandy membership

Click here to check out our library!

IELTS library membership

Teens membership

Kids membership

General membership

Family membership

Organisational library membership

Jaffna membership

Click here to check out our library!

IELTS library membership

Teens membership

Kids membership

General membership

Family membership

Organisational library membership

Renewing your membership and want to know the renewal fee? Please click here to log in and follow the process.

Are you a registered IELTS candidate?

Are you currently following an English class at the British Council?

Renewing your membership and want to know the renewal fee? P lease click here to log in and follow the process.