Welcome to Fleet library.

This social story will support your visit.

This has been created for children, young people and adults with autism, communication

and other learning disabilities.

It can also be useful for those with English as a second language.

This is the entrance to the Harlington Centre.

You need to come in here to

get to the library.There is a revolving door.

You can also enter through a door to the right of the main doors. It is an automatic door. It will open as you approach it. It can be used by wheelchair users as well.

You need to go past the café to get to the library.

You can buy food and drink here. You may have to wait your turn to be served.

It may be noisy in the café.

There may be smells of food cooking.

The public toilets are in the Harlington Centre.

These doors lead to the ground floor toilets for males, females and one accessible for wheelchairs. These doors are opposite the library entrance doors.

There are also toilets on the upper floor. You can use the lift or stairs in the Harlington Centre to get to the upstairs toilets.

This is the main entrance to Fleet Library.

The doors stay open during opening hours

In the library there are many things you can borrow, such as books, film DVD’s, music CD’s, magazines, jigsaw puzzles, audio books.

There are also things to buy in the library such as gifts, cards and second-hand books.

You can talk in a normal voice in the library. You do not have to whisper.

You can bring in beverages, (in containers with lids) and snacks to consume in the library.

There are friendly members of staff. They wear badges with their name on. You can ask them questions and to help you find things in the library.

This library is also a learning centre and runs courses. You can ask for information about the courses.

This area is just inside the doors. There is usually a sofa here.

This is a good place to stop and look around, to get used to being in the library.

Sometimes this area is used for stalls and displays so it will look different to this picture.

Fleet library has two floors.

These are the stairs that lead to the upper floor. If you are facing into the library, these stairs are on your left hand side.

Under the stairs there are second hand books and other items that you can buy. You pay for them at the counter.

There is also a lift to the upper floor.

This is the library lift you can use to go to the upper floor. It is on the opposite wall from the entrance, near the children’s library.

There is another lift in the Harlington Centre. It is a bit bigger than this one.

If you use the lift in the Harlington Centre you can still get into the library via an electronic door on the upper floor. There is more information about this later in this booklet.

This is the counter on the lower floor.

There will be staff members here. You can ask them questions about the library. You can also become a library member and get you card from here.

The counter is where you come when you want to borrow or return items from the library.

You may have to stand in line and wait your turn.

Sometimes this is a noisy area. Telephones may be ringing.

On the ceiling there are fans. Sometimes they are still. Sometimes they are moving.

When they are moving they make a noise and create draughts. These draughts can make paper notices on the wall flap. You may feel cool air blow on your face.

This shows where the adult fiction books are. There are special sections for large print books and audio books. Books suitable for 14 to 19 year olds are also in this area.

The DVDs for hire are located nearby.

Some books are on carousels. Carousels are revolving book displays that you can move round with your hand.

You can sit on the sofa. It is a good place to rest or look at books.

This is an area near the stairs. There are jigsaw puzzles here. They can be borrowed.

There is usually a sofa here you can sit on. There may be someone already sitting there

There is a machine that magnifies print that customers can use.

Sometimes this area is used for meetings and displays so it won’t always look like this.

This is the children’s library. There are sofas and mats to sit on. There are fans on the ceiling here too

Sometimes it is quiet. Sometimes it is very noisy. Small children may be moving around quickly and shouting or crying.

On Thursday mornings lots of adults and children sing rhymes in here. This is called Rhymetime..

Near the children’s area is a sofa you can sit on. It is a good place to rest or look at books.

There is often a table and chair here too.

There may already be some one sitting here.

During Rhymetime book boxes and pushchairs will be around this area

There is a computer near the red sofa that children between the ages of 8 and 15 can use. You can ask staff for details.

Near the bottom of the stairs, there are some computers for adult customers to use.

There is also a catalogue computer. You can use it to look up items from all Hampshire libraries. Staff can show you how to do this.

This area is near the downstairs counter.

The items displayed here are for sale, like in a shop.

You pay for the items at the counter.

Upper floor

This is the top part of the stairs leading to the upper floor. The doors will stay open.

Sometimes you may hear music, singing or voices as you go up the stairs. This is coming from people using a room near the top of the stairs. The room is used as a Children’s Centre and a classroom.

Most of the time this

floor is quieter than the lower one.

This is the counter on the upper floor.

There will usually be a staff member at this counter or near by. You can ask them questions. You can sit in the chairs in front of the counter whilst you are talking to the staff member.

You may have to wait your turn to talk to the staff member.

There are fans above this counter. When they are on, there may be some light flickering effect.

Telephones may ring or beep.

This is a photocopier and printer. Customers can use this machine to make copies of pictures and documents. It is also a printer linked to the computers.

It makes a noise when it is being used.

You need money to use it.

You can ask a staff member to help you use it.

.

This is an area outside the Fireflies Children’s Centre. The Children’s Centre is

where parents with children under 5years can find help and advice.

Usually these seats are available to sit on. Sometimes there are other things stored here. Other people may be sitting here.

You can go in the Children’s Centre if you are on a course or workshop or invited by staff.

There are computers here. They are for adult customers to use. They can connect to the internet.

You can ask a member of staff to explain how you might use them.

The library also has WiFi access so you can bring your own portable computer or smart phone or tablet to use.

There are magazines on the rack near the window. These are for reading in the library..

There are tables and chairs here. This is a good place to sit and rest or look at magazines or books.

There may be other people sitting here too.

This is an area where you can sit at a table.

It is a good place to sit if you want to rest or look at books or magazines.

It is a good place to sit to write, draw or use your own portable computer.

It is a good place to sit if you want to eat or drink something.

There may be other people already sitting here.

This is another area where you can sit at a table.

There may be other people sitting here too.

This is close to a cabinet where newspapers are stored. You can take a newspaper and look at it while you are in the library.

The purple doors connect the library to the Harlington Centre on the upper floor.

These doors are electronically operated. You can enter and exit the library through these doors. To exit the library you have to press a metal button on the left. It has a wheelchair symbol on it. Wait for the doors to open.

To enter from the Harlington Centre you press a metal button on a panel to the left of the doors. This rings a bell inside the library. You need to wait for a staff member to open the doors.

The Harlington Centre has stairs and a lift you can use to get between the lower and upper floors.

There are male and female toilets on the upper floor in the Harlington Centre.

On the left of this picture is a classroom. You can go in the classroom if you are on a course or workshop or invited by staff.

If you have items you wish to borrow you need to go to the counter downstairs where they will be issued to your account.

You can then exit via the downstairs door.

We hope you have had a good experience and will come and visit again.

We hope you enjoyed your visit.

You can tell us about it if you like.

You can contact us at:

Fleet Library

236 Fleet Road

Fleet

GU51 4BX

Email: fleet.library@hants.gov.uk