Request Materials

You can place a request for a title in your search results list and ask that the title be held for you to pick up at a library location you select. Your library may also allow requests for specific copies of a title, specific issues of a serial, or specific parts of multipart sets. Some libraries offer Borrow by Mail, which allows you to request a title and have it mailed to you when it is available. You must log in with your barcode number (library card number) or user name and password to request a title. Your library may limit the number of requests you can make or may charge a fee.

Your library may also offer interlibrary loans. If the title you want is not available within the current library system, the library obtains it for you from another source. This is useful when you have searched a site outside the library system. Your request provides the information the library needs to borrow the title from an outside source for you. Interlibrary loans may take some time to obtain.

Your library may allow you to select multiple titles on a working or saved title list and place requests on them all at once.

See the following sections in this topic:

Request any copy of a title

Tip: To request your library’s newest materials, check the area at the side (computer or tablet) or bottom (phone) of the page. You may see lists such as New Titles and On-Order Items. Select a title in a list to search for the title, then follow these steps to request it.

To request any copy of a title listed in your search results

  1. When the title you want is displayed in your search results, select Place Request for the title.
  2. Note: The Place Request option may not be available for titles that represent websites, electronic resources, or other types of material the library designates.

  3. If the log in form appears, type your barcode number (library account number) or user name and password in the appropriate boxes, and select Log In.The request form appears.
  4. From the Pickup Library list, select the name of the library where you want to pick up the requested item.
  5. If your library offers Borrow by Mail, and you want the item mailed to you when it is available, select Please mail this to me.

    Note: The library may charge a fee for this service. When you select Please mail this to me, a message states the fee, and you can cancel your request if necessary.

  6. If you want to activate your request at a future time, type the date in the Activation Date box. If you want your request to be active immediately, leave today’s date in the Activation Date box.
  7. If you want to add a note to your request, type the text in the Note box.
  8. Select Submit Request.
  9. If other requests are active for the same title, the library may display a message that tells you how many requests have been placed before yours. You may also see a message if your request might be filled by an item that has a checkout fee. In either case, you can choose to continue or cancel the request.

    If you select Continue, a message informs you that your request has been placed.

    Note: Your request may not be successful if your library account is blocked or if the requested material does not circulate. The system displays a message if your request cannot be placed.

    If the confirmation message displays your contact information, you can review and update it if necessary. Select the update link.

  10. Select one of the following:

Related Information

To review the status of your requests, and suspend, reactivate, or cancel them online, select Requests on the My Account menu.

To request a title with one click

Your library may offer one-click requests, which allow you to request a title in your search results with one click.

  1. Log in to your patron account.
  2. Search the library catalog for the title or titles.
  3. In the search results list, select One-Click Request beside the title you want to request.
  4. If the request is successfully placed, the system displays a confirmation message. The one-click request activation date is the current date, and the pickup branch is automatically set to your default pickup library. You can select View My Requests on the confirmation message to go to the requests page in your patron account.

    You may see an information message when the request is placed; for example, if your library may charge to check out the item.

Notes

The One-Click Request feature is not available in the following situations:

In other cases, you may see the One-Click Request option for a title, but your request cannot be placed due to a specific block (for example, the request cannot be placed because your account has exceeded the maximum number of requests). In this case, the system displays an explanation message and the request is not placed.

Request a specific item

Follow these steps to request a specific copy of a title, a specific issue of a serial, or a specific part of a multipart set, if your library provides these options.

  1. When the title you want is displayed in your search results, select Availability for the title.
  2. Note: The Availability button and availability information may not be displayed for certain types of materials and are not displayed for titles in remote databases.

    Availability information for the title is displayed.

  3. Select Place Request beside the item you want to request.
  4. Note: If you cannot request a specific item, the request icon is not displayed for that item.

  5. If the log in form appears, type your barcode number (library account number) or user name and password in the appropriate boxes, and select Log In.
  6. The request form appears.

  7. From the Pickup Library list, select the name of the library where you want to pick up the requested item.
  8. If your library offers Borrow by Mail, and you want the item mailed to you when it is available, select Please mail this to me.

    Note: Your library may charge a fee for this feature. When you select Please mail this to me, a message states the fee and you can cancel your request if necessary.

  9. If you want to activate your request at a future time, type the date in the Activation Date box. If you want your request to be active immediately, leave today’s date in the Activation Date box.
  10. If you want to add a note to your request, type the text in the Note box.
  11. Select Submit Request.
  12. A message asks you to confirm that you want this specific copy. If you do, select This item only. If you decide that any copy is acceptable, select First available copy.

    If other requests are active for the same item, the library may display a message that tells you how many requests have been placed before yours. You can choose to continue or cancel the request. If you select Continue, a message informs you that your request has been placed.

    If the confirmation message displays your contact information, you can review and update it if necessary. Select the update link.

    Note: Your request may not be successful if your library account is blocked or if the requested material does not circulate. A message is displayed if your request cannot be placed. Also, a message may inform you that you cannot request a hold on a specific copy. For example, the item may be lost or may not circulate, or the library may not allow requests for items available on the shelves for checkout.

  13. Select one of the following:

Related Information

You can review the status of your requests, and suspend, reactivate, or cancel them online. Select Requests on the My Account menu.

Request multiple titles in your working or saved title list

If you have made a working title list from your search results, or if you have saved title lists, your library may allow you to request multiple titles on your list.

To request multiple titles

  1. Select My Account and log in.
  2. Open your title list:
  3. Select one or more titles on your list and then select Place Request. The Place Requests page opens.
  4. Set an activation date for your requests. You must enter the date in the format displayed on the Place Requests page. Your library may also allow you to change the pickup location and enter a note.
  5. Select Continue. The Confirm Bulk Requests page opens. This page displays the titles you selected to request. Titles without check boxes cannot be requested. The Confirm Bulk Requests page displays appropriate messages for the titles that cannot be requested.
  6. (Optional) Clear the check box next to a title if you do not want to request it or if you have requested too many titles of the same type, and select Update.
  7. Select Confirm. When processing is complete and all requests are successfully placed, the system displays the Results page with the message: Your requests were successfully placed. If some requests could not be placed, they are listed with a message.
  8. Select Return to your Title List, Go to your list of hold requests, or Log Out.

Change your preferred request pickup location

When you place a request, the system automatically populates the Pickup Library setting with your preferred request pickup location. If you have not specified a preferred pickup location, the system uses the pickup library you selected the first time you placed a request.

Note:

You can change your preferred request pickup location in two ways:

To change your preferred request pickup location

  1. Select the Place Request icon next to the material you want to request.
  2. The request form appears.

  3. From the Pickup Library list, select the name of the library where you want to pick up your requested item.
  4. An Always use this pick-up location check box appears.

  5. Select Always use this pick-up location.
  6. Select Submit Request.
  7. Your request is placed and the system updates your preferred request pickup location. Your new pickup location is automatically selected the next time you place a request.

Cancel your hold request

When you place a request, it can go through several different statuses before you pick it up. If you decide you no longer want to hold an item, you can cancel the hold for an item that is in one of the following statuses:

To cancel your hold

  1. Go to Requests to see a list of holds you've requested.
  2. Select the requested item or items that you want to cancel.
  3. Click Cancel Selected.
  4. The item still appears in your Requests list, but shows the date the request was canceled.