Place Hold

How do I place a hold?

Holds may be used to get an item from another location or to reserve a copy when all are checked out. Almost all materials at Forsyth County Public Library may be requested by placing a hold. As a member of NC Cardinal, Forsyth County Public Library cardholders can place a hold on eligible materials from any participating library system.

Forsyth County Public Library materials that cannot have holds placed include: feature film DVDs that are six-months old or younger, reference books, newspapers, magazines, and other non-circulating and historical items, such as those in the North Carolina Room.

To place a hold from our website, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Online Catalog.
  2. Search for the words or phrase, or use the drop-down menu to choose author, title, subject, or series.
  3. Choose a location, by default the branch that is set as your home library will be selected. You can change this by clicking on the drop down box.
  4. From the list of results, find the item you wish to reserve and click Place Hold.
  5. If you are already signed into your account, verify how you would like to be notified and where you would like to pick up the title when the hold is available. If you are not signed in, you will be asked to sign in and then verify your settings.
  6. If you are opting to receive a notification by Text Messaging, enter the full 10-digit number without dashes, spaces or other special characters. Please choose the appropriate Mobile carrier.
  7. Click the Submit button. The next page will tell you that the hold was placed successfully or why there was a problem placing the hold.

When your hold arrives at the library you requested, you will receive notification by email, phone, or text message. Plan to pick up the item for checkout within seven (7) days.

Interlibrary Loan

Requests from other libraries can happen at your nearest FCPL location or online.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service provided to library patrons seeking books not held in our system, or the NC Cardinal Consortium. Patrons must be borrowers in good standing and are limited to three active requests at any given time.

Patrons preferring to pick up and return ILL materials at a given branch should request the materials at that branch. Requests may be made in person, by phone, or online. Each request takes approximately 4 - 6 weeks to process and receive. Interlibrary Loan is provided free of charge unless a charge is indicated by the lending library. To request a book online, Ask your Librarian.