Library holds

[NotAVampireLvr]

Do librarians mind when you place a hold online for something located in your own library?

 

We do weekly trips with the three kids, but they are exhausting and its impossible to go digging through stacks when you're trying to be responsible for three kids. DH works long hours and our library is only open until 4:30 most nights.

 

With my oldest he's given a checklist we've done together of books to go digging around for but I still have to wrangle the other two while he's browsing because I don't want him out of my sight. (BIG library)

 

I do most of my browsing from my home computer using amazon and do all our holds using my card and my husband's. I feel guilty sometimes placing holds on books in my own library, but I really don't see an alternative without letting my kids run amok at the same time. Most of my holds do come from other libraries anyway, but I was thinking of this as I was placing a hold for a magic school bus book that was listed "on the shelf" in my library, but no amount of digging last week produced it and I gave up.

[freesia]

I try to avoid it BUT in your situation I probably would do it at least occasionally. I did it when I had a lot of small children that made it hard to browse.

[klmama]

In many libraries there are people whose sole job is to pull books that have been requested and to reshelve books that have been returned. They don't mind if it's from the same library the patron uses to check out - there's not much difference between pulling it and putting it on the hold shelf or pulling it and putting it in a crate to go to another library.

[PhotoGal]

I do it all the time. I never thought of it. I hope they don't mind!

[Alice]

I think it's fine. I don't do it routinely but if I have already looked on the shelves and can't fine it I absolutely think it's fine. I've also done it if there is a book I know I want but won't have time to go get for a few days.

[athena1277]

I do it all the time! It's like reserving a table at a restaurant. It lets them know someone wants it so they don't let someone else have it. :001_smile:

[Audrey]

Do librarians mind when you place a hold online for something located in your own library?

 

We do weekly trips with the three kids, but they are exhausting and its impossible to go digging through stacks when you're trying to be responsible for three kids. DH works long hours and our library is only open until 4:30 most nights.

 

With my oldest he's given a checklist we've done together of books to go digging around for but I still have to wrangle the other two while he's browsing because I don't want him out of my sight. (BIG library)

 

I do most of my browsing from my home computer using amazon and do all our holds using my card and my husband's. I feel guilty sometimes placing holds on books in my own library, but I really don't see an alternative without letting my kids run amok at the same time. Most of my holds do come from other libraries anyway, but I was thinking of this as I was placing a hold for a magic school bus book that was listed "on the shelf" in my library, but no amount of digging last week produced it and I gave up.

 

 

I don't mind, and I do it routinely. I also take phone calls requesting the same thing. Lots of people don't have time to browse the shelves. They've only got time for a pop in. I'm just glad that the library is on their radar and they want to use it.

 

The only times it annoys me is when people place holds or reserve an item then don't show up in a reasonable time. We finally made a 3 day rule where you have to pick it up in 3 days or it goes back on the shelf and is free for others to use/check out.

[NotAVampireLvr]

 

The only times it annoys me is when people place holds or reserve an item then don't show up in a reasonable time. We finally made a 3 day rule where you have to pick it up in 3 days or it goes back on the shelf and is free for others to use/check out.

 

Our library has a 7 day rule which I think is too long especially considering we can keep books out for 4 weeks - that's 5 weeks really to have the book out of circulation... not factoring in renewals of course. I just feel like when I'm borrowing from another town's library I better be USING the book and not letting it sit there.

[itsheresomewhere]

It depends on the librarian if they mind or not. One of the librarians here hates holds and she acts like your requesting her to run a maraton naked. The other one doesn't care.

 

Don't ever ask the librarian here to look something up for you. All you get is a long lecture on how to use the PC. It was comical and funny that little question annoyed her so much.

[Belacqua]

I do it all the time! It's like reserving a table at a restaurant. It lets them know someone wants it so they don't let someone else have it. :001_smile:

 

Exactly! Finding and reserving books is something of a competitive sport at our library. I think three or four local homeschooling families are following similar WTM-inspired literature and history plans, and we're continually battling (in an ethical, honorable manner, natch :)) over the same materials.

[NotAVampireLvr]

Exactly! Finding and reserving books is something of a competitive sport at our library. I think three or four local homeschooling families are following similar WTM-inspired literature and history plans, and we're continually battling (in an ethical, honorable manner, natch :)) over the same materials.

 

 

that's funny - I think I have an advantage at the moment because we are starting STOW in Feb. :lol:

[boscopup]

My librarians are wonderful, and they don't mind at all if I place holds that are at that branch (and I do it ALL the time - I have 3 boys when I go to the library!).

 

They have a 5 day rule, technically, though she holds them for a week. I'm glad, because I usually reserve things a week before in order to give time for the books to get there (books travel between branches 2 days per week). I only go to the library on Thursday, since it's 30 minutes away. If they didn't hold it for a week, I might miss the book. My librarians are wonderful about this, and one time I even called to ask the main librarian to hold my holds an extra few days because we'd had a stomach bug and couldn't get there on our normal day. She had no problem doing that (and also extending my books due that day). I'm sure she was just happy we weren't bringing the stomach bug to the library! ;)

[atozmom]

I do it all the time. With our busy schedule, I don't always have time to go hunt down all the books myself. Actually, in the beginning, I apologized for having quite a few on hold during one check out. The librarian said "please do not apologize, that's one of the things we get paid to do." However, I do not request a book and then let it sit there on hold for several days. Once I receive a notice that the books are in, I go pick them up.

[lisamarie]

I never even think about it. I request all my books online no matter where they come from because I really hate weeding through shelves of books trying to find the ones we need. And while the book I want may be available at the moment when I am online looking, who's to say it'll still be there when I actually get to the library. Every time I go to the library, there is a stack of books waiting on the hold shelf for me.

 

Exactly! Finding and reserving books is something of a competitive sport at our library. I think three or four local homeschooling families are following similar WTM-inspired literature and history plans, and we're continually battling (in an ethical, honorable manner, natch :)) over the same materials.

 

I had this happen a lot last year. I'd see another mom checking out books that were ones we'd used a few weeks before in our school. I even suggested a few to her at one point.

[swellmomma]

I do it all the time. I never thought of it. I hope they don't mind!

 

 

My too. My librarians don't mind. Actually truth be told I don't check which location has a copy available when I place a hold, I just request it.

[laundrycrisis]

I do it ALL THE TIME. This is my standard method of using the library - I reserves stuff online, wait for an email that it's in, and go pick it up. I don't know or care if they mind. I do not have the time to go digging through the shelves to look for what I want. A lot of the stuff I want is popular anyway, and pretty much the only way to get a turn with it is to reserve it.

[swellmomma]

I do it all the time. With our busy schedule, I don't always have time to go hunt down all the books myself. Actually, in the beginning, I apologized for having quite a few on hold during one check out. The librarian said "please do not apologize, that's one of the things we get paid to do." However, I do not request a book and then let it sit there on hold for several days. Once I receive a notice that the books are in, I go pick them up.

 

 

:iagree:HEre too. Thursday afternoon at 3 pm the library van arrives at our local branch with the holds brought in. By 320 pm they are phoning me to tell me of my holds and by 325 the kids are out the door and headed up the block to return last week's things and pick up the new stuff. I love putting items on hold. If the item was in the local branch they just put it aside and save it for me on Thursday, on occasion another library mails my hold rather than using the van system and they phone me as soon as it is in and I head over. SO much easier than searching the shelves myself with all the kids in tow.

[stripe]

It's encouraged at my library as it keeps circulation high and is another way to serve library users. I love my library!

[NanceXToo]

I do it all the time! My librarians are super nice and they don't seem to mind at all. I often sit down at the computer when I'm doing school scheduling or at night and want to ensure that I have books I need for school, and if I see the book I need is in, I need to make sure that I can "get it" before it gets checked out to somebody else. So I reserve it. Then, too, I can just run in quick when I'm passing the library on my way to another activity or event to grab it when it's ready, or have my 11 y/o run in while I wait in the car with my 6 y/o, it's very convenient!

Edited February 23, 2012 by NanceXToo

[LeslieAnneLevine]

Our library has a 7 day rule which I think is too long especially considering we can keep books out for 4 weeks - that's 5 weeks really to have the book out of circulation... not factoring in renewals of course. I just feel like when I'm borrowing from another town's library I better be USING the book and not letting it sit there.

 

For some people, getting to the library more than once a week isn't possible. I go twice a week, but a 3-day hold rule would still mess me up occasionally, I'm sure. It would also be hard to keep track of all the due dates. At my library it's a 7-day period and that works out really well for me and I'm guessing for a lot of other people too.

 

As for putting things on hold in my own library, I've had librarians advise me to do just that, so I don't think they mind at all.

[redsquirrel]

Our library doesn't mind at all. But, they will charge you .25 per item for the privilege. But, some days that can seem like a bargain.

[happypamama]

Oh, shoot, I routinely do that! I live closest to one tiny branch of one county's library, but DH passes by another branch (the bigger, main branch) on his way home from work. In addition to him not wanting to spend a lot of time rooting through the shelves for a list of books, that particular branch is downtown and has meters with 15-minute time limits (and a local police force that is strict about the time limits). So I often have them pull a big list of books, even if they're on their shelves, and then DH goes in and picks them up for me. The times I've been in there, the libraries never seem to mind at all, and the ones at my tiny closest branch (who know us by name) are always happy to pull books for us. I think it represents job security for them; it's numbers of people who are requesting their various services. There are also a couple of other small branches, and I request books to be sent to various ones, depending on what's closest to where I need to go.

 

Our county has a three-day hold limit too, and the small branches generally do like to enforce that, because they don't have a lot of storage space. My closest branch (which is still 10 miles from me) will let that slide occasionally, but I try not to take advantage of that too often.

[Firestar Academy]

I shouldn't even tell you all this, but.... my county library has a "book in a bag" program. I can request the books I want to be MAILED DIRECTLY TO MY HOUSE!.:lol::D seriously.

 

I have to get them back myself, either mail them(which I've never done) or bring them to a branch and drop them.

 

They come in really cute teal bags. Unless I've had a particularly busy evening 'shopping' at my library, then they come in a huge cardboard box.

 

robin in NJ

[lcelmer]

I suppose that if it is a volunteer only library I might feel a bit bad and not do it, but most of the staff at our library are paid. It seems like an odd question to me in that regard. If the system lets you do that, then why not? If you are performing a customer service in an industry, and it is something you are allowed/expected to do in exchange for a fair wage, then why would it be rude?

 

I use TOG with the library for most of the books, so yes, if I have a hold on 18+ books, and 1 or 2 are from my own library, I go right ahead.

 

I LOVE my library system, and am so thankful to live within walking distance. I am slightly jealous of my neighboring county though, they let you put holds on for certain dates! (A TOG/homeschooler's dream library) My good friend puts all her holds on at the beginning of the school year at once.

 

As to the hold length, whatever they decide is fine by me, but I would always prefer a week or more, since it can be hard to get out of the house for many mamas. 3 days would be really, really, rough.

[tearose]

Most of the libraries in our region use a single online catalog, so I usually don't scan the list of holdings to see if it's at my library. Our system keeps holds for ten days, so I make a trip once a week, since the library's not exactly down the street. No one ever seems to mind that I usually have a huge stack waiting for me.

[Tohru]

The only time I ever go to the library is to pick up our holds. We have a lot too.

 

I've never heard any of our librarians complain. A lot of times when a librarian sees us, they ask if we got all our holds. They even offer to run downstairs and find one that is still on the cart making it's way to the holds shelf.

 

Personally, I think it's job security for them to do holds since our library now has automated checkout kiosks. Plus it gives all the teen homeschool volunteers something to do when they volunteer.

[Tohru]

I suppose that if it is a volunteer only library I might feel a bit bad and not do it, but most of the staff at our library are paid. It seems like an odd question to me in that regard. If the system lets you do that, then why not? If you are performing a customer service in an industry, and it is something you are allowed/expected to do in exchange for a fair wage, then why would it be rude?

 

I use TOG with the library for most of the books, so yes, if I have a hold on 18+ books, and 1 or 2 are from my own library, I go right ahead.

 

I LOVE my library system, and am so thankful to live within walking distance. I am slightly jealous of my neighboring county though, they let you put holds on for certain dates! (A TOG/homeschooler's dream library) My good friend puts all her holds on at the beginning of the school year at once.

 

As to the hold length, whatever they decide is fine by me, but I would always prefer a week or more, since it can be hard to get out of the house for many mamas. 3 days would be really, really, rough.

 

:iagree:

[5kidsforME]

I shouldn't even tell you all this, but.... my county library has a "book in a bag" program. I can request the books I want to be MAILED DIRECTLY TO MY HOUSE!.:lol::D seriously.

 

I have to get them back myself, either mail them(which I've never done) or bring them to a branch and drop them.

 

They come in really cute teal bags. Unless I've had a particularly busy evening 'shopping' at my library, then they come in a huge cardboard box.

 

robin in NJ

 

 

 

Oh. My. Gosh!!!!!! That would be heaven!!!!!!

[Firestar Academy]

Oh. My. Gosh!!!!!! That would be heaven!!!!!!

 

It is!! it seems the few times I have put a hold on something to pick up at the library, there is a blizzard, hurricane and even once an earthquake!

 

robin

[AndyJoy]

I don't feel badly about using this service. I used to LOVE finding my own books and just perusing the shelves, but I have a busy 2-year-old who can get quite loud when he's bored. Thus, we stick to perusing the children's section and I just grab my holds off the shelf near the counter.

 

It's part of the librarians' (paid) job. I don't know if they mind, but I don't think they do (or should). My library holds a book for 7 days after you receive the call or email that it is being held for you. If you don't pick it up within that week, it is re-shelved (or sent back) and you are charged $1.00.

[SewingMom2many]

I use the hold system all the time too. I never pay attention to which branch they are coming from. I go in once a week with 3 boys when I happen to be in town (25 minutes from our house) so the youngest boys haven't had a nap and I'm pretty sure they'd rather grab our holds than have us in the library any length of time. I always let the kids pick out their stuff but I can't imagine trying to browse in the library in the adult section with all the kids.

 

Luckily our library has a 7 day hold period so as long as I go once a week I can get our things. Sometimes it takes a few weeks for them to get the holds ready - I have no idea why this is because the books show up as available but I just get whatever comes in that week. The other thing is that sometimes a book will show up on the card catalog that it's on the shelf and I go look and it's not there so I prefer putting things on hold and letting someone find it.

 

I hope it doesn't bother any of the librarians, they never seem upset about it. In fact, they have told me certain homeschoolers have their own shelves because they put so many books on hold :)

 

I can't imagine getting books sent to my house! Wow, you are so lucky!

[Acadie]

We have an awesome public library system, part of a network that wins national awards on a regular basis. Increasing circulation helps the library get funding and be competitive. I can get almost any book I've ever wanted from the network, put it on hold and the librarians are all for it, no matter what library it comes from.

 

I love our public library! :D

 

Amy

[CAMom]

I request here and there. They do charge $.50 for every book you request, though.

 

I'm convinced there are other moms reading the 52 books thread here every week because every time I look up a book from that thread at my library, it's already checked out!:tongue_smilie:

 

I just got an e-mail today that one of my requested books is ready for pick up. We also have a window of time before they put it back on the shelf. I always assumed if it's a service they offer, they don't mind fulfilling it.:confused:

[Terabith]

I always request books, since some are at the local library and others are at other branches. It makes it easy to walk in and pick up the stack. The librarians have always told me that they don't mind, and anything that makes people check out more books is fine with them, since their funding is determined by the number of books checked out.

[tex-mex]

Our city has an automated HOLD on their website and once the books are held under your name, they email and call you when it is ready to be picked up. Lots of homeschoolers use this system.

[ThisIsTheDay]

I work three days a week at the children's dept. in a county library. We are always happy to do holds, and many of our homeschool moms use that option for picking up books.

 

It doesn't matter at all if we are pulling holds for our own library or our branch. Really, if a librarian/staff found that to be annoying, they need to look for another job.

 

Our library pulls holds three times a day. The large library that I usually frequent (different library system, close to my home) pulls only once each day before opening--and if they don't get through the list, they put it aside until the next day. L-A-Z-Y, lazy, drives me crazy!

 

(And if your younger kids are hard to corral, we're probably even happier to pull your holds for you!:D)

 

Your library should be there for your convenience. That's why they have a holds system available for you to use online.

[Coffeetime]

I do it all the time. Wrangling 5 kids in the library while looking for specific books is nearly impossible.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Exactly! Finding and reserving books is something of a competitive sport at our library. I think three or four local homeschooling families are following similar WTM-inspired literature and history plans, and we're continually battling (in an ethical, honorable manner, natch :)) over the same materials.

 

Same here! There are tons of holds on the hold shelf at our library- you pick them up yourself. I don't think they mind getting them from the shelves for you.

[NotAVampireLvr]

I'm jealous of you all who get an email when a book is ready. When I lived in RI they did that, but for some reason not in MA... although funny thing is I had to provide an email address. Go figure.

[ApronMama]

Exactly! Finding and reserving books is something of a competitive sport at our library. I think three or four local homeschooling families are following similar WTM-inspired literature and history plans, and we're continually battling (in an ethical, honorable manner, natch :)) over the same materials.

 

Love this! So true....I always look at what the family next to us on the hold shelf has reserved, because its always interesting and pretty similar to what we check out.

 

OP: I've felt the same way you do and don't hold things from my library unless its something we will REALLY need and I don't want anyone else to check it out in the meantime. But in your situation, ask the librarians if its ok and let them know why. I bet they would love to accommodate.

[ereks mom]

My too. My librarians don't mind. Actually truth be told I don't check which location has a copy available when I place a hold, I just request it.

 

:iagree: Me too.

[NotAVampireLvr]

I'm jealous of you all who get an email when a book is ready. When I lived in RI they did that, but for some reason not in MA... although funny thing is I had to provide an email address. Go figure.

 

 

doh! realized all my alerts were going in my spam folder. I have to say my library system really does rock... and now I'm glad I'm not the only one who places astronomical amounts of holds.

[Ellesmere]

I shouldn't even tell you all this, but.... my county library has a "book in a bag" program. I can request the books I want to be MAILED DIRECTLY TO MY HOUSE!.:lol::D seriously.

 

I have to get them back myself, either mail them(which I've never done) or bring them to a branch and drop them.

 

They come in really cute teal bags. Unless I've had a particularly busy evening 'shopping' at my library, then they come in a huge cardboard box.

 

robin in NJ

:svengo:

Wow!

 

I can't complain, though. I live close to mine and they always give me a cheerful call when they have retrieved the books I request. I don't do it too often, but I'm a space cadet that frequently goes into the library, leaves with 20 books ... without getting the ONE I needed to have that week.

[~Tara~]

That's how I get the majority of our books. I reserve everything online. All reserves are in within the next week at which time I come to pick them up. Then the kids meander around and find their fun books. :)

[Mama_Rana]

I love our library system, and use it to its full extent. As I plan, I put books on hold. Our system will hold them for 10 days. I go once a week, usually. Occasionally if I'm impatient for something, I'll go more often. If I take the kids, I often let them browse a bit before checking out and getting our holds, but sometimes--like yesterday--we'll just run in, do the returns, and get the holds.

 

 

I shouldn't even tell you all this, but.... my county library has a "book in a bag" program. I can request the books I want to be MAILED DIRECTLY TO MY HOUSE!.:lol::D seriously.

 

I have to get them back myself, either mail them(which I've never done) or bring them to a branch and drop them.

 

They come in really cute teal bags. Unless I've had a particularly busy evening 'shopping' at my library, then they come in a huge cardboard box.

 

robin in NJ

Wow, that's different!

 

We just got a new, beautiful library. I LOVE going there, so I wouldn't want this service at the mo', but still, that's way cool!!!

 

 

 

What I find maddening and confusing is when I request something that I know is sitting on the shelf at my local branch, but when I get the item I see that it has come from a different branch [each book is labeled with its home branch]. Huh? That's frustrating, esp. if it's taken longer to be ready because it's had to have been transferred from another location.

 

 

I also use Inter-Library Loan. My standard hierarchy when I need a book: check the catalog at my local system, request it if it's available. If not, and I don't need it next week, check ILL. I can often find things at other libraries in the state, but it takes longer for them to come in. This is motivation to plan early. I will also sometimes check PaperbackSwap if it's something I think I'll want to own, and I don't need it super-fast. My last resort if it's something I REALLY want and I can't get it at the library or other ways soon enough, is to check Amazon.com. I can often find them prime shipping, and sometimes even 4-for-3 and then I can look ahead to see what else I might need in the next few weeks/months. :)

 

 

 

Can you tell I love books? *sigh*

[Julie Smith]

For some people, getting to the library more than once a week isn't possible. I go twice a week, but a 3-day hold rule would still mess me up occasionally, I'm sure. It would also be hard to keep track of all the due dates. At my library it's a 7-day period and that works out really well for me and I'm guessing for a lot of other people too.

 

As for putting things on hold in my own library, I've had librarians advise me to do just that, so I don't think they mind at all.

 

I remember where we use to live being annoyed when they changed the hold period from 7 to 3 days. At the time it was difficult to get to the library more then once a week.

 

If the library was concerned about books being out of circulation to long I wouldn't have minded if they changed the amount of time I was allowed to have the book checked out.

 

Where we now live I can get to the library easily, and do so often - so I dont mind the three day hold rule.

 

--- and even at my old library the books arrived all the time. So even with a 3 day hold period going to the library twice a week still wasn't enough - and I had books taken off the shelf before I arrived.

[Mimm]

I do it all the time. I request all my books through the web site. I just pop in, grab them off the hold shelf and check them out. My library is super forgiving. I'm always racking up late fees and I've even lost a few books over the years. I always pay my late fees. If late fees are less than $7, they say you don't have to, but I pay them anyway. And when you lose a book, they charge you a lot. I know they could get those books for cheap off amazon, but I don't care. I know they do stuff to the book after buying it so I'm probably paying for that too, which is fair. I've never had a librarian give me an attitude about my less than perfect book borrow habits. :)

[Mom-ninja.]

I do it all the time! It's like reserving a table at a restaurant. It lets them know someone wants it so they don't let someone else have it. :001_smile:

 

 

:iagree: More than once a book has been gone by the time I get there.

[Mom-ninja.]

I shouldn't even tell you all this, but.... my county library has a "book in a bag" program. I can request the books I want to be MAILED DIRECTLY TO MY HOUSE!.:lol::D seriously.

 

I have to get them back myself, either mail them(which I've never done) or bring them to a branch and drop them.

 

They come in really cute teal bags. Unless I've had a particularly busy evening 'shopping' at my library, then they come in a huge cardboard box.

 

robin in NJ

 

My mom's library system does this. I told her I was so jealous.

[JFSinIL]

Our library only permits holds for items already checked out...so you can place a hold to be sure you get it next (or after anyone else who already has the item on hold.) At one time I had my kids placing the same book on hold, one after another, on their library cards, to be sure no one else could request it on hold until our family was done with it. This, however, smacks of cheating, so I only did it for the one book. Ironically, the very book I did this to the library pulled and got rid of for a newer, less useful, edition (Kingfisher World History) - I would have bought it from them, given the option. Sigh.