Q The title is in the catalog but all copies have a status of “Checked Out” or “Missing” or something other than “Checked In.” What do I do?
A Click on “Request Item” and enter your library card number and other information to place a hold on the item. When a copy becomes available, it will be held for you at the circulation desk and you will be notified.
Q The title is not in the catalog. How can I get it?
A We may be able to get the book for you anyway, either by requesting it from another library in the state or, if it’s a new and popular book, purchasing it ourselves and putting you at the head of the line for the book.
Visit or call the reference desk or fill out the online form. We’ll do what we can to get the book for you.
Q The title is in the catalog and it says it’s checked in, but I can’t find it on the shelf. How can I find it?
A You could try checking the shelf map to make sure you’re looking in the right place. Alternatively, let the person at the reference desk know about the problem.
If it’s at a different branch the reference librarian can either have it sent here for you to pick up at a future date or have someone at that branch make sure it really is on the shelf and set it aside for you to come pick it up there.
If it was checked in within the last few days and hasn’t made it to the shelf yet, the reference librarian can check behind the circulation desk and see if it might be lurking there.
If it’s mis-shelved or if you’re not looking in the right place, the librarian may have some idea where else to look. If the book is so lost the librarian can’t find it either, he or she can make a note of that in the computer, so we can continue working to fix the problem. We may also be able to get the book for you from another library system in Maryland through Interlibrary Loan.
