Holds

Limits and fees | Placing requests | Suspending holds

When is there a fee for requests?

The first 30 requests you make in a calendar year for titles with no copies “in library” at any BPL branch are free.  Requests for titles that are “in library” at any Burnaby Public Library branch are always free and don’t count toward the 30 free requests. NOTE: the new catalogue mistakenly counts requests for "in library" items against the 30 limit. However, the correct total is restored after you logut and login again. We hope this will be corrected soon.

After you have made 30 free requests for titles with no copies “in library” at any branch, there will be a 50 cent charge for requests for titles with no copies “in library” at any branch. If you cancel your request before it is being held at a branch for you, there is no request fee.

Suggested purchase requests do count toward the 30 free requests.

All children’s material is included in these counts. As always, requests for children’s titles that are "in library” at any Burnaby Public Library branch remain free.

Interlibrary loans for material that Burnaby Public Library does not own will continue to have a minimum 50 cent charge.

If you cancel a request before it appears as "being held" or in a "transit hold" for you, the free request will be reinstated, or, if there was a charge, it will be reversed.

You may have up to 25 requests on your card at one time. The 25 includes requests for on shelf material at other branches, requested items that are ready for pickup but have not yet been checked out, or suspended requests.

How to place a request

1. Connect to the catalogue and search for an item 
2. When you have found the item you want, notice if the it is "Available" or not ("All copies in use" or "On Order").
3. If you want the library to hold the item for you or if you want your name to be put a list to wait for the item to be returned, click on the "Place a hold" link.
4. Enter your library card number and PIN. Choose a location where you want to pick up the item.
5. If the item is currently "In library" at one of our four branches, you should be able to pick it up within two days. There is no charge for this. If the item is not "In library" at any location, see the top of this page for information on charges. In either case we will notify you when the item is ready for pickup. If you have signed up for email notification, you will be notified by email, and if you haven't, you will be notified by phone. Once the item is received for you, it will be held for five days.

Suspending holds

If you are going away, you can suspend your holds until you return so you don’t miss them. This keeps your place in line if you are on a long hold list. If your hold reaches the top of the list while you're away, it will be "skipped." When your suspension ends, your hold automatically becomes active again, and you will get the first copy that becomes available on or after that date.

How to suspend your holds:

1. On the BPL website, click My Account.
2. Log in with your BPL username or barcode and your PIN.
3. Under My BPL, select "Holds."
4. Choose "All" to select all holds, or check the boxes next to specific holds.
5. Click "Suspend," and select the date you'd like your suspension to end.

To view or change suspended holds:

1. Under My BPL, select "Holds."
2. Click "Suspended."
3. Choose "All" to select all holds, or check the boxes next to specific holds.
4. To change the end date, click "Suspend" and select another date.
5. To cancel the suspension, click "Activate."
6. To cancel the hold altogether, click "Cancel."