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#FDL: Demystifying Librarian Lingo – Putting Items on Hold
Chances are, you’ve come in to the library to get an item and that item isn’t there. You’ve also probably asked a librarian about that item and they’ve offered to put it on hold for you. But what exactly does that mean? The short answer is when you put something on hold, you are now guaranteed to eventually be able to check out that item. But the long answer is more interesting.
Librarians want nothing more than to get library items into your hands. When an item you want is checked out, not all hope is lost. When we ask you, “Would you like me to put book/movie/item X on hold for you?” we’re really asking you two questions: Would you like us to have that item delivered here from another library? And, would you like to add your name to a list of people who also want this item and have us notify you when it becomes available? When you agree to put an item on hold, your library card number becomes attached to that item and as soon as it becomes available, whether your home library’s copy has been returned or a copy from a different library has been delivered, we will contact you. If other people have not also put that item on hold, you’ll probably have access to your requested item pretty quickly. If the item is super popular, like the new Janet Evanovich book or the new season of Orange is the New Black, you won’t get that item until your name comes up as “next” on the list of people who have put it on hold, and that could take a while.
Some things to know about putting an item on hold:
- It’s free and zero trouble for librarians to do for you. If you’re worried about it being time consuming for us or that you’ll be too much trouble – don’t! We do this all the time for everyone and we are super happy to do it for you!
- You can ask for an item to be put on hold even if you have a library card from a different library (with one exception, which I will get to in a second). If you have a Peoria card and want an item delivered from Dunlap to FDL, no problem! We’ve got you covered. In Central IL, we have this amazing organization called RAILS (Reading Across Illinois Library Systems). They make it possible for people with a card from anywhere in their service area to check out, return, and place holds on books from anywhere in that same service area for free.
- The one time when you absolutely have to use your home library to ask for an item to be put on hold is when a librarian has to look for the item you are requesting from outside of the RAILS service area, which librarians refer to as “outside of the system.” The reason for this is that when a library puts an item on hold that is “outside of the system” it costs money to access and ship that item, and a person’s home library is responsible for those costs (even though you as a patron are not).
- If you have to put an item on hold that your library owns but is checked out, you don’t necessarily have to wait for that person to bring it back. For example, let’s say you want a copy of The Handmaid’s Tale but FDL’s copy is checked out to someone else. You put the item on hold, and the Morton Library has it on the shelf. You will get an available copy from a different library instead of waiting for a specific library’s copy to come back. We’re good about sharing like that.
- Finally, we’re super flexible about putting items on hold and delivering them elsewhere. Do you have a Peoria card but are requesting a hold at FDL and maybe work really close to the library in Pekin? We can put an item on hold for you here at FDL and have that item delivered to Pekin for you for easy pickup. No extra charges or trouble.
If you have any questions about any of this, please ask! We’re here to answer your questions and get you the items you need!
Post by: Carey Gibbons, Reference Specialist
About #FDL
Welcome to #FDL! #FDL is a twice weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria. Twice a week, library staff will make posts that highlight some aspect of library life and relate it to you – our readers. Have you ever wanted to know which Dewey number represented a certain topic? Are you looking for book recommendations based on your favorite television show or television recommendations based on your favorite book? Have you ever wondered about the secret details of librarian life? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then #FDL is for you. We look forward to writing posts that are informative and entertaining and hope that you enjoy getting better acquainted with Fondulac District Library.