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Q: Can't find it? Request an item that is not in our catalog.
A:
Can't find what you are looking for in the catalog ? Place a request .
Your request may be purchased for the
library or borrowed from another library via interlibrary loan.
How many requests can I make for items not in your
catalog?
To help us provide an equal
level of service to all users, please limit your requests to approximately
five per week or 20 per month.
What if I want to pick up this item at the Bellingham, Fairhaven
or Barkley libraries?
Contact Bellingham Public Library for assistance.
Can I request something before it's published or
released?
Items may be requested up to
six months prior to publication.
How long will it take for me to get this item?
It may take three to six
weeks to supply your request, or longer in some cases. If you need it sooner,
please call the Reference
Center at 360-354-4883.
Can I request DVDs or VHS Tapes?
Entertainment DVDs released within
the last four years are not available on interlibrary loan. Your requests will be considered for purchase.
We do not purchase or borrow VHS tapes.
Can I Request CD-ROMs?
CD-ROM games are not available on
interlibrary loan. Your requests will be
considered for purchase.
Can I request
Magazines?
We do not borrow issues of magazines on
interlibrary loan. If you are looking for a particular article, and it is not available through any of our databases,
please use the Beyond the Catalog request form
and include the title, author, and any (all) other information available.
Q: Can I have more details about how this process works?
A:
If you want a particular book, CD, DVD or other item not in the catalog, we have provided an online form that you can fill out.
Please provide as much information as you can about the item you are requesting: author or performers, title, volume number if there is more than one volume, approximate date of publication, and ISBN if you know it.
If you have found this item in www.amazon.com , www.worldcat.org , www.cdbaby.com , www.barnesandnoble.com or other online resource, it would help us if you could copy and paste the URL in the space provided on the form. The URL is the address of the webpage that shows the information about the item and usually appears in a box at the top of your browser.
If you aren't sure how to do that, or otherwise can't find the item you want, there is another space where you can give us more information that could help us: where did you hear of the item? When? Useful information includes the television, radio program, or magazine article that discussed it; or listing in a bibliography in a book or magazine. Have you read, heard, or seen this item before? When? What is it about?
Whole issues of magazines that are not in WCLS or BPL cannot be borrowed from other library systems. If you want your library to subscribe to a particular magazine, please talk to the staff at your local library.
If you are requesting a magazine article that is not full text through the online magazine indexes available in our libraries, ask for a Magazine Article Request Form from your local library or call 384-4883. We must have the title of the article, the title of the magazine, the author of the article if that is known, and the date, volume number, and page numbers.
If you have a bibliography from a book or another magazine article, we need a copy of that bibliography, along with the title of the book or magazine that it appeared in.
If you recall only the subject of an article, and perhaps the magazine in which you saw it, use the periodical indexes to identify the exact article you want.
Q: What happens after I request something that isn't in the catalog?
A: WCLS staff will consider the requested item for purchase, taking into account availability and whether or not it conforms with our collection policy. It may take three to six weeks for an item to arrive if purchased, and sometimes longer for some materials. If not purchased, we will attempt to borrow the item from a library outside Whatcom County via Interlibrary Loan. If we can't provide you with this item, we will let you know.
Q: What is Interlibrary Loan (ILL)?
A: The Whatcom County Library System loans to and borrows from other libraries in the United States, Canada, and even, rarely, overseas. We will attempt to borrow most items except whole issues of magazines, American feature films released in the last 5 years and CD-ROM games. However, some things may be difficult to get:
- rare old items ;
- very new items;
- highly technical items ;
- items published outside the US;
- some genealogy items;
- items that are difficult to mail: for instance, 33 1/3 recordings, fragile materials; and
- audio-visual materials, such as CD's or DVD's.
WCLS staff check a library database for a list of the libraries that have the item. One after another is contacted until we find one who has the item available and is willing to loan it. It is difficult to predict how long this process will take: it depends on our work load (we lend and borrow about 10,000 items each year), how long it takes the other libraries to respond to us, the delivery system, and other factors. Three to six weeks is usual, or it may take several months.
The library system will notify you when interlibrary loan materials are ready for you to use. You may want to call the library where the material is waiting to find out more about what has arrived for you, and whether it can be checked out or must be used within the library. The only place to which we do not deliver interlibrary loans is the Bellingham Public Library or the Fairhaven branch; items to be picked up there must be ordered through the Bellingham Public Library interlibrary loan department.
Borrowing periods are set by the libraries that loan to us; often three weeks, but occasionally shorter. After a 2 day grace period you will start accumulating overdue fines.
To inquire about renewal of ILL items contact Interlibrary Loan before the due date at 384-3150 ext. 222 Monday thru Friday 8 to 5.
If you have questions about the status of your request, please call your local library.
Q: Tips on searching the catalog
A: You are always welcome to Ask A Librarian, we are here to help.
- Go to the Library Catalog.
- If you know the exact title of an item you want, enter it in the title box of the Begins With tab. (Only fill in one box per search.)
- If you're not sure of the title, try a Title Keyword: search on the Keyword(s) tab.
- If you're not sure of the author, use the Author Keyword: search.
Type the parts of the name you know. This search is especially useful
when the author is a company or government agency, for example, SOCIAL HEALTH will locate materials by Washington State. Department of Social and Health Services . If you remember only an unusual first name, try that; URI will find Uri Geller and Uri Shulevitz , among others.
- If you want a wide range of materials try a Subject Keyword search.
- If a Subject Keyword search does not bring the results you are
interested in, try a Title Keyword search. If this result shows an item
that fits your interest, find a subject on the left side of the screen
and double click on it to switch to searching that subject.
- In a keyword search, typing a * at the end of a word ( example: whal* for whale, whales, whaling ) will bring all the titles or subjects that begin with those letters up on the screen.
Q: Troubleshooting the Catalog
A: If you are not able to log into "my account" or to place a hold from home, consider the following:
Are you typing in your entire barcode? You must type in your entire barcode number (all 14 numbers with no spaces).
Does the library have your correct telephone number? The last four digits you type in must match what is in your library patron record.
Has your library card expired? If you haven't used your library card in three years or more, you may have been purged from the system. Call or visit your local library to find out if your card has expired.
What web browser are you using? Opera browser sometimes does not work. Try using a different browser when accessing the library catalog (Internet Explorer, Firefox etc.)
Clear your history and delete your cookies and temporary internet files.
Is your security set too high? Try lowering the security setting on your browser.
If none of the above solutions work, please contact your Internet Service Provider. They may be running a firewall that blocks our web site.
Tips:
- It is always a good idea to clear your history and delete your
cookies and temporary internet files if you are having problems
connecting to a website. You should clear your history and delete your
cookies and temporary internet files on a regular basis.
- If you are having problems with accessing any Whatcom County
Library web site (i.e. nothing is loading), please be patient. We will
be working to remedy the problem.
- Maintenance of the library catalog takes place before library
hours. If you experience problems with the catalog between 7am and
10am, please try again later.
Q: Want more information on a subject, rather than a specific title?
A: Call your local library, or the Reference Center.
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