Placing a "hold" on a title is a way to ensure that you are "put in line" to receive the book. Holds may be placed in person at the library, over the telephone, or online using AlexCat. You can place a hold at either the Adult or Youth Services Information desk. There is no charge for placing a hold.

Holds may be placed on items that have arrived at APL but have not yet been processed (found in AlexCAT as "in process"), on items that the library owns but which are unavailable for one reason or another (for example, being repaired), or on items that are currently checked out to other patrons. Holds are limited to five per patron. Holds may not be placed on videos or DVDs, or on items that are currently on the shelf in the library.

Once the items which you've placed on hold become available, a notice is sent to the address on file for you, and your items remain held for you for three days after the notice is received. In order to check out a held item that has arrived for you, you need to come to the circulation desk and check it out using the patron card on which the held was placed. If you don't have your card, you need to bring the letter informing you the hold is available, plus some other photo identification, such as a driver's license.

To place a hold in AlexCat:

• Locate the item in our catalog, and look at "full details" for the entire record
  
  
• Click on the Hold icon
  
  
• Type in your library card number (on the back of your library card) as your User ID. No alternate ID or PIN should be entered.
  
  
• Confirm the information, then click OK. You're done!