Reservations
You can reserve a book - for delivery to the Suffolk library of
your choice - if there is a lending copy shown in the library
catalogue or there is already a copy on order from the
bookseller.
Pick-up library
You may choose from which Suffolk library you wish to collect
your reservation. It does not have to be the library where you
place the reservation. It cannot be a mobile library. Please follow
the instructions on the screen when you reserve a title.
Notification
You may choose whether or not to receive a notice to say your
reservation is available.
- Post
- a
charge is made to cover the costs of printing a notice.
- Email - You can opt for email notices for both
reservations and overdue books by updating your details
on
Suffolk libraries direct, or by asking a member of staff to
amend your record.
- SMS text messages - if you have a mobile phone
we can send you free SMS text messages when your reservations are
available. You can change your notification method by updating your
details on
Suffolk
libraries direct or by asking a member of staff.
There is no charge for email or SMS text notification because it
does not cost us anything extra.
How it works
When you reserve a copy you place a reservation on a title, not
a particular copy of a title.
If there are copies on the shelf in libraries, Suffolk libraries
direct will choose a copy for you. It will send an electronic
message to staff in the chosen library to take the title off the
shelf and send it to the library you have specified. While reserved
titles are between libraries, Suffolk libraries direct describes
them as 'in transit'.
When reserved titles have arrived, Suffolk libraries direct
describes them as 'available'. They remain available for two
weeks.
Suffolk libraries direct deals with all reservations on a
first come, first served basis. For example, if you reserve a title
for which all copies are on loan and five people have reserved it,
you will receive the sixth copy returned.
Requests
Requests are for books which are not in stock or on order for
Suffolk libraries. There are priority and standard request
services. There are no exemptions from request charges.
Priority Request Service
By priority we mean that we will call on the widest range of
books in the UK, using the British Library, university/special
libraries or priority purchase to get the book for you. The choice
between buying or borrowing is based upon our book selection
policy.
We undertake to deal with your request within one working day as
long as you give author, title, publisher, date of publication and
ISBN. After that, we are in the hands of the British Library or
bookseller and publisher. We cannot guarantee that they will
deliver the book quickly - though often they will.
We
charge for this service. You pay this in advance and we refund
it if we cannot obtain the book. Normally you cannot cancel a
priority request.
Keeping a British Library book for longer
The British Library has two loan periods: Three weeks only;
and six weeks (subject to recall during the final three
weeks).
The British Library decides which of these loan periods
applies.
Suffolk Libraries which has to pay each time it
borrows a book from the British Library, has to pay again to let
you keep the book beyond its original return date. At this point,
we have to pass the full cost for extending each loan period on to
you.
Standard Request Service
Using the standard request service we will either borrow the
book for you from public libraries in the East Midlands Region or
buy it using non-priority purchase. Books supplied in this way may
be slow in arriving.
There is
a
charge for this service. You pay in advance and we refund
the money if we cannot obtain the book. Normally you cannot cancel
a standard request.