Membership FAQs

What do you get out of being a member of the DEI?

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. 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. To find out about some of the other things you can look forward to benefitting from as a member, click here.

How do I become a member?

It’s easy to join the Institution. You can either:
a) Sign up in person: pop in during opening hours and fill out a form at the front desk.
b) Sign up online: visit our website here to select the type of membership you require, set up a membership account, and pay your membership fees by Direct Debit or in instalments.

Once you’ve signed up and your payment has gone through, you’ll receive an email from us officially welcoming you to the Institution. All our new members receive a Welcome Pack, which contains all sorts of helpful information about how to make the most of your membership, use our facilities, and access our resources, plus a brief orientation from one of our helpful front desk volunteers.

Can anyone become a member of the DEI?

Yes! Everyone is welcome. To get an idea of the wide range of people who work, study, and relax in our beautiful spaces, click here.

How can I pay my membership fees?

We encourage new members to sign up online and opt to pay their fees by Direct Debit, as this has a number of benefits both for you and us. We do also take payments by card or cash in person, or by card over the phone, and we currently still accept bank transfers and cheques.

When does my membership start?

Your membership starts from the date that we receive payment of your membership fees and joining fee, if relevant. NB Direct Debit payments can take up to 10 days to go through, and similarly it can take a while for bank transfers to appear on our statements. We understand that members who pay by these means may wish to start using the DEI immediately, though, and this is absolutely fine, but please note that you won’t receive your official ‘Welcome’ email until your payment has been confirmed.

How do I renew my membership?

If you have set up a Direct Debit to pay your membership fees, then your membership will renew automatically (you’ll receive notification from our Direct Debit provider when a payment is going to be taken). If you pay by another means, then we will contact you (usually by email) about 2-4 weeks before your membership is due to expire to remind you to renew. At that point, you can either click on the link in the email to pay your fees online, or you can pop in to pay by card or cash in person. We do also still accept bank transfers and cheques.

Please note that late renewal of your membership does not extend your membership’s length. For example, say your membership expires on 31st July, but you don’t get round to renewing it until 3rd September. The following year your membership will still be due for renewal on 31st July.

What happens if I don’t renew my membership on time?

We will send you another reminder to let you know that your fees are overdue. If your membership lapses by over two months, then you will be required to pay another joining fee of £15 (if applicable to your membership type) when you do renew. If your membership lapses by over 3 months, then in order to comply with General Data Protection Regulations we will remove all information we hold about you from our system.

Do I need to prove that I’m a member when I come in?

We do not issue membership cards. All our members have active accounts on our membership database, WebCollect, which records the start of their membership and their renewal date, and logs their payments. We do regularly check the Visitor Log on the front desk against WebCollect to make sure that everyone signing in as a member does have a current membership.

NB University members are asked to present their University ID card when they come in for the first time.

Help! I’m finding signing up online a bit tricky!

Sorry about that. The site that manages all our memberships isn’t always that user-friendly. Email our Membership Officer if you need a hand, or pop and talk to one of us in person.

Why do you charge membership fees? And what do you spend my membership fees on?

The Institution was established in 1813 as a proprietary library, museum and lecture space. Our founding aim was – and remains – ‘to promote the general diffusion of Science, Literature and the Arts’. In 1814, the DEI had 200 founding members (or ‘Proprietors’), and by 1831 they were each paying an annual membership fee (or ‘subscription’) of £2 to enable the Institution to carry out this work. Today, too, our members are supporters of our charity, and their membership fees go directly towards helping us to fulfil our charitable objectives of ‘preservation’ and ‘public education’. More prosaically, they enable us to open our doors and turn on the lights every day, so that we can serve our community and look after our building and collections.

Membership fees are a vital income stream for us. Full individual membership for one year costs just £120, which can be paid for in monthly instalments of £10. This is the equivalent of about £2.50 per week, i.e. less than the price of a nice cup of coffee. By way of comparison, an annual subscription to Guardian Digital costs £149. We know that our membership fees are excellent value for money, and we also know that for many of our members this value lies in things that are a bit harder to pin down, such as the quality of the environment, the spirit of community, and preserving something which will bring value to the region for years to come. Many of our members, too, are happy to support us to continue to thrive, even though they may live internationally or only be able to make it here a few times a year. We would encourage all our members, new and old, to make their own definition of value and to share it with us.

How can I find out more about what it’s like to be a member of the DEI before joining?

We now offer Trial Memberships so that anyone who’s interested in joining us can take us for a test drive first. Trial Memberships cost just £10 for one day and £25 for one week (5 consecutive days, not including Sunday or Monday), and this cost is redeemable against the price of a full membership, if you decide to join us within 1 month of your trial. Find out more here.

Can I be a DEI member for less than a year? 

Most DEI memberships are annual, which means that they run for and are renewable after 1 year. This includes memberships that can be paid for in instalments (i.e. even if you wish to resign your membership after, say, 5 months, you will still need to pay the remaining 7 months’ fees.) We do, though, also offer Trial and Temporary Memberships. You can try out the DEI for 1 day or 1 week with our Trial Memberships, or join us for just 3 months with a Temporary Membership, if you know you ‘ll only want to access our spaces and resources for a limited period of time. You can find out about all our membership options here.

Can I speak to someone in person about membership?

Yes! Feel free to pop in at any time to chat to one of our friendly and helpful volunteers on our front desk. We also have a Membership Officer who is on hand 3 days a week to answer any membership-related queries, and who can be reached on [email protected].

I’m a member; can I bring visitors to the DEI?

We love it when our members bring their friends, family, and colleagues to the DEI to show them our beautiful spaces or treat them to lunch in the Courtenay Room. As with everyone coming into the building, they will need to sign in and sign out at the front desk. Should your visitors wish to stay longer, use the library, or study in our spaces, then temporary day- or week-long memberships are available. And if you’re planning to host a business meeting or use one of our rooms for extended purposes, please note that venue hire charges apply.

Do you offer any discounted memberships?

We understand that our full membership fees are not accessible to everyone, and this is why we have a number of discounted memberships available. Standard Individual Membership of the DEI costs £120, plus a one-off £15 joining fee. We offer discounted fees for under 18s (Junior Membership: £12), 18 – 25-year-olds (Youth Membership: £60), and those in receipt of Universal Credit (Lower Income Membership: £60). We also offer University of Exeter Membership for current undergraduate or postgraduate students and serving members of the academic staff. This membership type is subsidized by the University as part of a partnership agreement and is just subject to the one-off joining fee of £15.
It is also possible to pay most membership fees by Direct Debit in monthly instalments to spread the cost over the whole year. You can find out about all our membership options here.

I’m a University student, but not at Exeter Uni; can I still become a University member?

I’m afraid not. Only University of Exeter students and staff are eligible for our University membership. If you are aged 18 – 25, though, you are eligible for our Youth membership, which costs £60. Find out more here.

Can I give someone DEI membership as a gift?

Yes! Membership of the Devon and Exeter Institution is a unique gift that will last all year. Find out more here.

Is a Trial Membership or Research Pass right for me?

Research Passes are usually for people who would like to visit the library to view a particular item from our collection for a specific purpose or project. Trial Memberships are for anyone who’s considering becoming a member of the DEI and would like to get a bit more of a feel for it in order to help them make the decision.