Membership

Join us as a Member and you will become part of a unique community of readers and writers, united in supporting Exeter’s oldest library in its original setting and preserving 7 Cathedral Close for public education and enjoyment.

Benefits of Membership

We offer a beautiful, tranquil reading, writing and meeting space right in the centre of Exeter, with magnificent early 19th century galleried libraries for research and relaxation. Here are some of the other things you can look forward to benefitting from as a member:

• A quiet and airy study space with spectacular views of the Cathedral;
• Fibre Wi-Fi throughout the building;
• Daily and weekend newspapers and a range of weekly and monthly journals and magazines;
• Access to a wide range of databases, including Ancestry and The British Newspaper Archive;
• Self-service drinks and snacks available daily in the refreshment room;
• Access to a unique reference library, comprising over thirty thousand books and periodicals, and collections of maps, ephemera, prints and drawings, five days per week;
• Ability to borrow up to six books or DVDs from our contemporary collection;
• Opportunity to book spaces for study and research with specialist support from the library team;
• An exciting programme of events and lectures for members and their guests;
• Special interest groups for members, including a book group, gardening and research groups;
• Monthly Saturday morning Bookworms Club for Junior Members and their adults;
• On-line subscription to the London Library and use of the digital microfilm reader;
• Specialist training and volunteering opportunities;
• The Blue Room: a stunning restored Georgian reading room on the first floor, which will also host events, lectures and workshops, as well as being available to hire;
• A new kitchenette on the first floor, for refreshments and catered events in the Blue Room;
• Two new reading and meeting spaces on the ground floor, also bookable for meetings and groups;
• A new glass garden room, overlooking the rear courtyard – a tranquil place to enjoy the outdoors /indoors;
• New lavatories and lift, making the building fully accessible;
• New environmentally sustainable heating and lighting systems;
• New programme of events and activities, celebrating the new spaces and inviting new ways to experience the DEI and its collections.

Membership Options and Fees

We have a number of different memberships, including options for children, young people, and those on a lower income. It is also possible to pay for most memberships in instalments by Direct Debit, which spreads the cost of the fees over a whole year.

If you’re not sure which membership option is right for you, or would like to discuss any aspect of becoming a Member, please pop in for a chat or contact our Membership Officer, Carrie, on [email protected].

*These memberships types are subject to a one-off £15 joining fee.

All Membership options can be paid for by Direct Debit and set up online here. Alternatively, a hard copy of the application form is available at our front desk, where you can pay by card, cheque or cash. Pop in and our staff and volunteers will be pleased to help you.

Are you considering DEI membership, but want to find out a bit more before committing…?

Why not sign up for a day- or week-long Trial membership and see if what we have to offer meets your needs and inspires you? Sign up to become a full member within a month of your trial membership and we will refund you its cost. Find out more here.

I've signed up online! What happens next...?

Thank you for joining us! We couldn’t do what we do without you.

Once we have received your membership fees and activated your membership, you will receive an email from us officially welcoming you to the Institution. This email will invite you to come in to the DEI and collect your Welcome Pack, which contains lots of useful information about using our facilities and accessing our resources.

Depending on how you opted to pay your membership fees, you should receive this email about 1 – 2 weeks after signing up. (It can take up to 10 days for a new Direct Debit to be processed, and about the same amount of time for a bank transfer to appear on our statement.)

NB If you opted to pay by offline card or cash, then you will need to come in to pay your fees. You can collect your Welcome Pack at that point, and will receive your Welcome email shortly thereafter.

Renewing your membership

All DEI membership types are renewable annually. If you have opted to pay by Direct Debit (annually or in instalments), then your membership will roll over automatically, unless you cancel it. For payment by all other means, we will send you an email about a month before your membership fees are due to remind you.

Please note: if your membership lapses by more than two months, then you will be required to pay another joining fee of £15.

If you do not wish to renew your membership, then we ask that you let us know as soon as possible, so that we do not continue to remind you that your fees are overdue and can update our records.

Please note: if your membership lapses by more than 3 months, then we will contact you to tell you know that GDPR requires us to remove your details from our system.