How do I reserve items?
If an item you would like to borrow is checked out by someone else, you may place a reserve on it so that you will be notified when it is returned. You may also reserve materials from other Minuteman Library Network libraries which we do not own. Reserves may be taken for books, videos, books on tape, musical recordings, and recent magazines. When your item comes in, we can notify you either by U.S. mail or by E-Mail. Both services are free.
However, E-Mail notification is quicker, so if you have e-mail, please register for it online using My Account. Starting on April 21, 2009, we will hold requested items on our Hold Shelves for 7 days instead of the 9 days we had allotted previously, in order to help items move along faster. This does mean that patrons receiving notifications via "snail mail" may have to hurry to pick up their items before they are returned to the stacks. No matter how you get your notices, you can also use My Account to check the status of your holds and get up-to-the-minute information on what is being held for you.
Even though we do not charge you for requests, please remember that this is not a cost-free service, especially when items come from other libraries. A good deal of labor goes into pulling items off shelves, packing them for shipping, unpacking them, printing pickup information, and shelving them on hold shelves. Please remember to cancel requests for items that you no longer need or want. If you receive a notice to pickup an item that you no longer want, please call us right away to tell us so that we can cancel the request, free up the space on our hold shelf, and get the item into the hands of the next patron who wants it. Thanks.
Do It Yourself Over the Web ...
Go to the Minuteman Web Catalog and search by keyword, title, author, subject, or other method. From the list of items retrieved, click on the blue "Minuteman Library Network" link to the full record of the item that interests you. The full bibliographic record, followed by a list of holdings (owning libraries, call numbers and status), will appear. Click on the "Request Title" link right above the "Title:" tag. A new window will open asking you to login. Enter your 14-digit barcode number from your library card (omit spaces) and your PIN, select your favorite branch, and click Submit Request.
... Or Let Us Do It for You
Just call 617-730-2370 or stop by any of the public service desks to place a reserve.
Not in Minuteman?
Don't panic if no one in the Minuteman Library Network has the material you want. First check the Virtual Catalog, which allows you to request items from most of the public libraries and public college libraries in Massachusetts.
If an item is not available from any of these libraries, we can get almost any publication or magazine article for you through our InterLibrary Loan (ILL) program. (Unfortunately, videos and sound recordings are sometimes not available through ILL.) Please call our reference desk to request an ILL: 617-730-2369.