Apply for Kenya National Library Services Membership

The Kenya National Library Services (KNLS) is a corporate body of the Kenyan government with a mandate to “promote, establish, equip, manage, maintain and develop libraries in Kenya”. It was established in 1965 by an Act of Parliament of the Laws of Kenya to provide library and information services to the Kenyan public. In its service provision, KNLS plays a dual role of public library and national library of Kenya. The public library services are available in their 61 branches throughout Kenya, while the national library services are available at the headquarters in Nairobi.

Procedure

• Kenya National Library service (knls) Board is a statutory body of the Government of Kenya established by an Act of Parliament, Cap 225 of the Laws of Kenya in April 1965. The Board‘s mandate is to develop, promote, establish and equip libraries in Kenya.

Apply In-Person

1. To apply for KNLS membership, the applicant has to contact the Kenya National Library Service offices in person and submit his/her request. You can get a list of contacts of KNLS offices in the “Office Location and Contact” section of this page or clicking on the following link KNLS Contacts – Kenya National Library Services
2. Here you will be given an application form to fill and submit.
3. The applicant has to make sure he or she has all the required documents that are required for this process to be successful and it can be found under the “Required Documents” section of this page or at KNLS Library Membership page on their official website.
4. On Completion of this process, the applicant after meeting all the requirements becomes a registered member and id issued with a library card..
5. The process usually takes 5-10 mins where library services are fully automated or within one week after presenting all the required where library services are not automated.
6. The process is free of charge ,however library visitation attract a small fee.

Required Documents – Kenya National Library Services

• Below are the registration requirements for Kenyan citizens and non-citizens. Kenya National Library Services

Kenyan citizen – Adult (16 Years and above)

1. Clear understanding of the library user manual.
2. Duly completed membership form.
3. A copy of National Identification documents.
4. Commitment from the employer or Head of the learning institution.
5. One recent passport size colour photos.

Kenyan Citizen – Child

1. Clear understanding of the library user manual.
2. Duly completed membership form.
3. Commitment from Head Teacher and parent.
4. One recent passport size colour photos.

Non-Kenyan citizen – Adult

1. Clear understanding of the library user manual.
2. Duly completed membership form.
3. Valid passport.
4. A letter of introduction from home office or a valid work permit.
5. One recent passport size colour photos.

Non-Kenyan citizen – Child

1. Duly completed membership form.
2. Valid passport.
3. One recent passport size colour photos.

Institutional Membership

1. Clear understanding of the library user manual.
2. Application letter signed by the Head institution, who will also act as the guarantor.
3. Group to give the name and details of one of their staff, who would be in-charge of borrowing and returning library books.

Office Locations & Contacts

Head Office
Kenya National Library Service
P.O. Box 30573-00100, NAIROBI
Tel: 254- 020-2158352, 7786710 Fax: 2721749
Buru-Buru, Mumias road/ Ol Donyo Sabuk Road Junction
Email: knls@knls.ac.ke
Website: KNLS Contacts

Eligibility

• Membership is of the library is open to institutions and individuals, both Kenyan citizens and non-citizens.

Fees

• Fee details can be found through the following link.Fees & Pricing

Individual Annual Membership/ Subscription

1. Adults – Free / No Charge
2. Secondary School Students – Free / No Charge
3. Junior Membership – Free / No Charge
4. Non-East African Nationals – Free / No Charge

Institutional Annual Subscription

1. Primary School and Secondary Schools – Ksh 3,000
2. Colleges – Ksh 7,500
3. Community/Religious Institutions – Ksh 1,000
4. Universities and NGO’s – Ksh 10,000

Daily Library Access

1. Executive – Ksh 100
2. Adults – Ksh 20
3. Secondary School Students – Ksh 20
4. Junior Readers – Free / No Charge

Book Loan

1. Adults & Secondary School Students – Ksh 20 per book for 14 days
2. Junior Members – Ksh 5 per book for 14 days

Validity

• One year.

Processing Time

• 5-10 mins where library services are fully automated or within one week after presenting all the required where library services are not automated.

Need for the Document

• KNLS is committed to offering access to information and knowledge for empowerment.
• With a library membership card, you have access to a world of books, magazines, newspapers, CDs, DVDs, e-books, databases, online journals, public computers and many more that is yours to discover. A library card is one of the best assets that you need to have in order to transform your life.

Information which might help

• Kenya National Library service (knls) Board is a statutory body of the Government of Kenya established by an Act of Parliament, Cap 225 of the Laws of Kenya in April 1965. The Board‘s mandate is to develop, promote, establish and equip libraries in Kenya. The State Corporations Act Cap 446 of the laws of Kenya also guides the Board in its operations

External Links

• Membership
• Library Policies
• Citizen Service Delivery Charter

Others

Type of Membership
Junior Membership

• All primary children of school going age and below have access to the libraries within the knls network at no charge (free). However, for them to borrow books, they have to be registered as members of that library and also pay a book borrowing fee of Kshs. 5 per book borrowed.

Adult Membership

• For adult membership, no charges are levied for registration but a minimal fee is charged for daily access. In addition, for borrowing of books, one has to be registered as a member and a book borrowing fee of Kshs. 20 is applicable per book borrowed.

Institutional Membership

• Various categories of institutions may apply for registration at the library of their choice within knls network. The institutions are categorized as; primary schools, secondary schools, colleges, universities, NGOs Community based organizations and religious institutions. Under this category, institutions are required to pay an annual registration as per schedule 2 below.

Accessibility – hours of operation

All KNLS libraries are open to the public as follows:

• Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Saturday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
• The libraries remain closed on Sundays and public holidays
• Administration offices are open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm from Monday to Friday

Except in known insecurity-prone areas where closing time may be dictated by other factors on the ground, the above remain as the hours of operation. It is good to appreciate the fact that the library has operations in some of the interior parts of the country which are over 900 kilometers away from Nairobi, which is the capital city of Kenya. Some of the branches are near the bordering countries, and one can walk across to the neighbouring country. As a result, we also have citizens of the neighbouring countries coming to the libraries in Kenya. These branches are:

• KNLS Moyale branch – Borders Ethiopia
• KNLS Mandera Branch – Borders Somalia

Due to the nature of life of some of the communities living in Kenya, it has been difficult to offer library services to them. The Kenya National Library Services has as a result established outreach services through mobile vans, Camel Libraries and Library Cupboards in schools. These outreach services are not strictly tied to the hours of operation, but at the convenience of the clients and that of KNLS.

KNLS Network within the country and county

Kenya National Library Service (Headquarters) Mumias Road/Ol Donyo Sabuk Road Junction, Buruburu P.O. Box 30573-00100 NAIROBI

No.	County	No. of libraries	Area situated
1	Baringo	2	Kabarnet, Meisori
2	Bomet	1	Silibwet
3	Bungoma	1	Kimilili
4	Busia	None	–
5	Elgeyo/Marakwet	1	Lagam
6	Embu	1	Embu
7	Garissa	3	Garissa, Mbalambala, Masalani
8	Homa Bay	None	–
9	Isiolo	1	Isiolo
10	Kajiado	None	–
11	Kakamega	2	Kakamega, Lusumu
12	Kericho	1	Kericho
13	Kiambu	1	Thika
14	Kilifi	3	Kilifi, Dzitsoni, Malindi
15	Kirinyaga	None	–
16	Kisii	1	Kisii
17	Kisumu	2	Kisumu, Koru (Dr. Robert Ouko Memorial Library)
18	Kitui	1	Mwingi
19	Kwale	1	Kwale (Ukunda)
20	Laikipia	2	Nanyuki, Rumuruti
21	Lamu	None	–
22	Machakos	None	–
23	Makueni	3	Mutyambua, Kinyambu, Kithasyu
24	Mandera	1	Mandera
25	Marsabit	1	Moyale
26	Meru	3	Meru, Mikumbune, Timau, Gatimbi
27	Migori	1	Awendo
28	Mombasa	1	Mombasa
29	Murang’a	2	Murang’a, Kangema
30	Nairobi	3	Nairobi area, Buruburu, Kibera
31	Nakuru	3	Nakuru, Naivasha, Gilgil
32	Nandi	1	Kapsabet
33	Narok	2	Narok, Lelechonik
34	Nyamira	None	–
35	Nyandarua	1	Ol Kalou
36	Nyeri	4	Nyeri, Munyu, Chinga, Karatina
37	Samburu	None	–
38	Siaya	3	Nyilima, Rambula, Ukwala
39	Taita Taveta	2	Wundanyi, Werugha (Mary Patch Turnbull Memorial Library)
40	Tana River	None	–
41	Tharaka Nithi	None	–
42	Trans Nzoia	None	–
43	Turkana	None	–
44	Uasin Gishu	1	Eldoret
45	Vihiga	None	–
46	Wajir	5	Wajir, Griftu, Habasweni, Tarbaj, Bute
47	West Pokot	None	–
	TOTAL	62