Home > Library Card Information > Holds and Interlibrary Loan
Holds and Interlibrary Loan
Placing Holds
Patrons who live in Boulder County and who have valid library cards can place holds on items belonging to the Flatirons Library Consortium and Prospector. You can place a hold through the library’s online catalog or by telephoning 303-441-3194. You must provide your library card number to place a hold. You are limited to placing five holds at one time.
You have two choices when placing a hold:
Pick it up - Free of charge by designating one of the pick up locations below:
- Main Library
- Meadows Branch Library
- Reynolds Branch Library
You will be notified by e-mail when your materials are ready for pick up. Your hold will be available for pick up for four days. You must have the library card on which the hold was placed with you in order to check it out.
The library is only able to notify you that your hold is ready by email notice. If you are unable to provide an email address, you may still choose to pick up held items. You can learn that your holds are ready by checking your library account through the library's Web site or by calling the library at 303-441-3194 to have a staff member check your account for you.
Books by Mail - Have it mailed to the address on your library account for a fee. Addresses within:
- Boulder city limits are charged a $1.00 fee.
- Boulder County (not within Boulder city limits) are charged a $2.50 fee.
There may be significant additional delay in receiving popular titles (with many holds) if you choose this option. Please be sure to return the mail bag that your hold arrives in when you return the item. If you decide to return your hold by mail, you are responsible for paying the return postage.
Freezing Holds
Freezing your outstanding holds allows you to preserve your place on the waiting list whenever you do not wish to receive your holds during a particular time period. Once you unfreeze a hold, your original position in the queue is resumed.
To freeze a hold:
- Login to your library account.
- Click on the My Requested Holds button.
- Under the Freeze column, click the box next to each requested item to be frozen.
- Click the Save Changes button.
To re-activate a hold:
- Login to your library account.
- Click on the My Requested Holds button.
- Click the box next to each item.
- Click the Save Changes button.
Holds cannot be frozen on any items that have "IN-TRANSIT" or "ON HOLDSHELF" status, or belong to a Prospector library.
Interlibrary Loan
The purpose of Interlibrary Loan is to obtain materials which are NOT available in the Flatirons Library Consortium or through the Prospector system. Interlibrary Loan is a service provided to any person holding a current Boulder Public Library card, provided that any fees and charges on the account do not exceed $10.
Types of Materials Available Through Interlibrary Loan
Books, theses, music, videos, audiocassettes, DVDs and some materials reproduced in microform, such as newspapers, are generally available for loan. Photocopies of non-circulating materials, such as periodicals, are generally available in accordance with copyright law.
The following types of materials are generally NOT available through Interlibrary Loan: books owned by this library and temporarily in use; periodical volumes; recent, un-microfilmed newspapers; bulky or fragile items; rare or valuable items such as manuscripts; reference works; non-circulating items from special collections, such as the Western History Collection and the Genealogy Collection at the Denver Public Library.
Submitting Requests / Item Limits
You may submit requests with the Reference department at the main library or at the Reynolds or Meadows branches either in person or over the phone. You are limited to five requests at any one time, including interlibrary loan books you have checked out but not yet returned. There is no limit on photocopy requests except those required by copyright law and the time constraints of staff.
Interlibrary Loan usually takes from ten days to two weeks but may take longer. Occasionally, items arrive sooner, depending upon when the request is submitted and where an item is found. It is best to plan ahead and allow ample time when requesting materials. If you have a deadline, please provide the library with that information.
Fees and Restrictions
Most materials are loaned at no charge, although there are exceptions. Out-of-state libraries sometimes charge up to $25.00 per item and some libraries charge for photocopy requests. The library will pass on any borrowing or photocopying charges to you by charging them to your account whether or not you pick up and/or use the item. Please check with library staff to assess your willingness to pay any fees when you submit your request. The lending library determines any conditions regarding use of their materials. Limitations set by the lending libraries such as "No Renewal" and "In Library Use Only" must be honored by the Boulder Public Library.
Notification for Pick up
The library provides email notification when your request is ready for pick up. If you are unable to provide the library with a current email address, a postcard will be mailed to the address on your library account. Photocopies are mailed to your address unless there is a fee for the service.
Loan Period
The loan period is determined by the lending library, and varies from two to six weeks. Renewals are generally not allowed, although sometimes exceptions can be made. Check with the Interlibrary Loan staff for details at the Reference desk in the Main Library or by calling 303-441-3101.
You are responsible for any late fees accrued on overdue interlibrary loan materials or, if applicable, for paying a replacement charge if an item is lost or damaged. The late fees for interlibrary loan materials are the same as for materials belonging to the Boulder Public Library.
Failure to return materials on time will jeopardize your borrowing privileges and your library account may be turned over to a collection agency. If your account is sent to the collection agency for overdue interlibrary loan materials, you are responsible for paying the replacement charge and the collection agency processing fee even if you are able to locate the material.
Returning Interlibrary Loan Materials
Materials borrowed through Interlibrary Loan should be returned to the desk from which they were picked up. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN INTERLIBRARY LOAN MATERIALS IN ANY OF THE BOOK RETURNS.