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 multi-part sets. Some libraries also offer Borrow by Mail, where you can request a title and having it mailed to you when it is available. You need 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 in the 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 topics:

• Request any copy of a title
• Request a title with one click
• Request a specific item
• Request multiple titles in your working or saved title list
• Change your default request pickup library

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.

Note: The Place Request option may not be available for titles that represent web sites, electronic resources, or other types of material the library may designate.

2. 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.
3. From the Pickup Library list, select the name of the library where you want to pick up the requested item.

If your library offers Borrow by Mail, and you want the item mailed to you when it is available, check 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.

4. If you want to activate your request at a future time, type the date in the Activation Date box in the format mm/dd/year. If you want your request to be active immediately, leave today’s date in the Activation Date box.
5. If you want to add a note to your request, type the text in the Note box.
6. Select Submit Request.

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 check-out 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. A message is displayed 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.

7. Select Return to search results to display your search results again, select Go to list of hold requests to access your library account and see your current list of requests (if this link is available), or select Log Out if you have finished working with your hold request and do not plan to do anything else that involves your library account.

Related Information

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

To place a one-click request

Your library may offer one-click requests, where you can request a title in your search results with one click or tap.

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 by the title you want to request. (The One-Click Request option is also available in the full display for a single title).

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 the patron’s 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.

Related Information

The One-Click Request feature is never available in these situations:

• You are blocked from placing any requests.
• The Place Requests button is not displayed for a title.
• The system charges for holds.
• The title belongs to a remote database.
• The title represents certain kinds of eContent, such as a cloudLibrary eBook.

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 multi-part set, if your library provides these options.

1. When the title you want is displayed in your search results, select Availability for the title.

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.

2. Select the Place Request icon next to the item you want to request.

Note: If you cannot request a specific item, the request icon is not displayed for that item.

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.

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.

5. If you want to activate your request at a future time, type the date in the Activation Date box in the format mm/dd/year. If you want your request to be active immediately, leave today’s date in the Activation Date box.
6. If you want to add a note to your request, type the text in the Note box.
7. Select Submit Request.

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 check-out.

8. Select Return to search results to display your search results again, select Go to list of hold requests to see your current list of requests, or select Log Out if you have finished working with your hold request and do not plan to do anything else that involves your library account.

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 all at once.

To request multiple titles

1. Select My Account and log in.
2. Open your title list:
• Working list - Select Show list details.
• Saved list - Select My Account on the menu bar and select your saved list from My Lists on the side (computer or tablet) or bottom (phone) of the page.
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 pick-up 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, these are listed with a message.
8. Select Return to your Title List, Go to your list of hold requests, or Log Out.

Change your default request pickup library

When you place a request, the system automatically populates the Pickup Library setting on the request form with the pickup library you selected the first time you placed a request.

To change your default request pickup library

1. Select the Place Request icon next to the material you want to request.

The request form appears.

2. From the Pickup Library list, select the name of the library where you want to pick up your requested item.

An Always use this pick-up location check box setting appears.

3. Select Always use this pick-up location.
4. Select Submit Request.

Your request is placed and the system updates your default request pickup library. Your new pickup library is automatically selected the next time you place a request.