Holds

Also called Reserves, Holds allow our patrons to get the material they are looking for without coming to the Library every day and checking the shelves to see if it has been returned.

If the item you're looking for is checked out to someone else, you can request that a hold be placed on it. When the item is returned, the Lending Staff will set the item aside for you, and you will receive an automated telephone call from our Telephone Notification System, telling you how long you have to pick it up.

To place a hold on library materials, go to the library catalog and click on the "Request" button.

Frequently Asked Questions


Answers

  • Who can place holds?

    In order to provide our entire borrowing community with equal access to our most popular materials, Greenwich Library makes it possible for everyone with a valid Library Card to place a hold request on an item.

  • How do I know if my hold has been placed?

    With your Library card, you can use the "View My Library Account" feature of our website to see which items are on hold for you.

    You can also call the Telephone Renewals phone number (203) 622-7970 with your Library Card in hand. Just follow the operator’s instructions to hear which items are on hold for you.

  • Why has my hold been denied?"

    If your hold has been denied, it is usually because there is a problem with your Library Record. Some common problems are:

    • Your Card has expired
    • You owe a fine of more than $5.00
    • Your Card is blocked because the Circulation Staff need to clear up some other problem with your record

    The next time you are in the Library, stop by the Patron Services Desk (to the left of the Returns Desk), and a staff member will be able to help you with your record.

  • Are there any materials that can’t be requested?

    Items that have a status of "Missing", "Billed", "Claims Returned", "Lost and Paid", as well as Reference items can not be requested..

  • Do Holds Expire?

    Yes, holds expire on the "Cancel if not filled by" date specified by the Patron at the time the hold is placed. If this date is left blank, a default time period of 180 days will be applied to the request. If the hold request is not filled by this time, it will automatically be canceled and dropped from the Patron's record. Please note, that time periods of much longer than 180 days can be selected by manually inputting the "Cancel if not filled by" date of your choice at the time of the request.

  • I am going away, how can I make sure I don’t lose my holds?

    You can "Freeze" your holds by logging in to your account and clicking on the line of text that tells you how many holds you have. At the far right of your list of holds is a column called "Freeze". Simply check the box in this column next to the items you wish to have frozen and press the "Update List" button. Frozen holds will display with a white background, instead of our usual yellow. When you are ready to start picking up your holds again, just log back in, uncheck the "Freeze" box next to the holds you want to reinstate, and press the "Update List" button. When your hold is ready you will be contacted in the usual manner. Please note – It is not possible to "Freeze" a hold on an item that has a status of "Available", "Ready for Pickup" or "In Transit". Freezing a hold will not stop it from being canceled once it reaches the "Cancel if Not Filled By" Date.

  • Are there any limits to the number of requests I can place?

    At present there are no limits on Hold Requests, but please keep in mind that holds placed on items which have the status "available" must be retrieved from the shelf and there is only a limited number of staff to perform this service. Should a patron place so many hold requests that we feel it negatively affects our ability to provide this service to the entire community, the Library will place limits on such requests.

  • How am I notified that my hold has been filled?

    If you are picking up your item at the Main, Byram Schubert, Cos Cob, or Perrott Library, you will receive a telephone call when your item is ready to be picked up.

    Patrons with items being held at the Main Greenwich Library will receive an automated phone call from our Telephone Notification System telling you how long your item will be held for you.

    In the interest of fairness, the amount of time that your items will be held for you cannot be changed.

    In order to make sure that you are notified about your hold, it is important to make sure that you inform the Lending staff if your phone number changes.

    You can also check on the status of your holds online, by using the "View My Library Account" menu option. From here, you can see all of your holds and their statuses. If a hold’s status is "Ready For Pickup", you can come in and get it.

    Since the Telephone Notification System is only run (manually) up to a few times per day, it is possible to find out about a hold online that is ready for pickup before you are actually called about it.

  • Can I be notified about my holds via email?

    Yes, as of October, 2003, patrons have had the option to receive notification of holds and overdue items by email. All you need is your Library Card to sign up on our Web site. Unlike telephone notification, email notification will tell you exactly what item is on hold for you, and since it is sent to your personal email address, there should be less need for guessing about which member of your household has an item waiting for them.

    Entering your email address means that you will receive notification of holds and overdue items only by email. Telephone and mail notices will no longer be sent. Bills for items that have been long overdue will still be sent by mail.

    To sign up on our Web site, just go to the "View My Library Account" utility on our homepage. Log in to your account, and you'll see the option to "Update your email address." Click on this button and enter your email address in the box provided, then press "Submit." The next time you log in, your email address should appear beneath your other contact information, please verify that it has been entered correctly. Only one email address can be entered but you can change your email address at any time by repeating the steps above. Patrons are responsible for keeping their contact information current.

    All emailed notices from Greenwich Library will display the name "Circ Email Notices [circadm@pac.greenwichlibrary.org]" in the "From" field.

    Our email notices do not display the complete patron card number. We suggest that you keep a copy of this number handy if you wish to discuss your account with our staff.

    As with all of our Patron Record information, your email address is considered confidential. Greenwich Library does not share this information with anyone. For more about Greenwich Library's Confidentiality Policy, click here.

  • The catalog says the item is "available," what does that mean?

    When an item’s status is "available", it means that the item is in the Library. If you place an online hold for an "available" item, you will not be able to pick it up until your online record indicates that the item is "ready for pickup", or you have received telephone notification. It normally takes several days to process an "available" hold request. In the meantime, it is possible that the item may be checked out to another patron who found it on the shelf before our staff was able to set it aside for you.

  • How long do I have to pick up my material?

    The Telephone Notification System will tell you how long you have to pick up your material. The standard time is two days, but this may vary around weekends and holidays. 

    In order to provide fair service to our entire borrowing community, the amount of time given to pick up your materials cannot be changed.

    Please keep in mind that during the school year, when the Library is open on Sundays, this counts as one of the days given to pick up your material.

    We ask that patrons pick up all items being held for them.

  • How can I check on the status of my hold?

    You can check on the status of your hold by using the "View My Library Account" utility. This will tell you if a hold is "ready for pick up", or not. You can also see how far down the waiting list you are for an item. Keep in mind that your position on the list may fluctuate slightly due to unforeseen events beyond our control. It is for this reason that we ask our patrons to look at the list as an approximation of when their materials will be available, and not as an exact meter.

  • How can I keep track of my holds online?

    You can use the "Preferred Searches" function in the Library’s Online Catalog when searching for materials. If you search the Catalog by first going to the "View My Library Account" utility, you can keep track of your "Preferred Searches" this way.