Q. What happens when I click the ‘Request’ link in the Library Catalog?

In the Library Catalog, the Request button places a hold on material. The request is immediately recorded in the system. (If someone were to place a hold after yours was recorded, you would still be first in the queue.) If you check your library account, you will see a hold that is “In Process” and the catalog listing will show a “Hold placed” message.

·         If the item requested is from the Storage collection, it will be pulled for you and sent to Library West for pickup.  Books are retrieved from Storage Monday-Friday.  Please allow 24 hours for your request.  You can see the status of hold requests in your library account.  A book that is ready for pickup will say “On Hold”.  If it is not yet ready, it will show as “In Process”.  You will not receive an email when a Storage item is ready for pickup.

·         If the item shows Center for Research Libraries (Chicago, IL), the Request link will take you to the Interlibrary Loan, ILLIAD, login page.  If you do not have an ILLIAD account, click on the First Time user link to register.   You will receive an email when the item has arrived and is ready for pickup at the circulation desk in Library West. This process could take a week or more.

·         If the item is checked out to another library user, or is “In Processing”, this means that when the item is returned or is ready for pickup, it will be held for you at the circulation desk of the owning location and you will be notified by email or postal mail.
Making the request may also change the original due date.  Books have 3 weeks, 8 weeks, or 6 month loan periods and each loan period has a 21-day guarantee. A new due date is determined depending on how long the person has already had the material. Although we cannot predict when the book will actually be returned, failure to do so by the new due date results in fines  being assessed.