Placing Holds
Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ
About Placing Holds
How Holds Work
- How do I place a hold on the website?
- How can I see what I have on hold?
- What does the hold position mean?
- How long will it take to get my holds?
- How will I know when my holds are available for pickup?
- How much time do I have to pick up my holds at the branch?
- How will I find my holds when I get to the branch?
- What happens if I don't pick up my holds?
- Do holds ever expire or get cancelled by the library?
- How can I make changes to my holds once I've placed them?
- What is a hold?
- A hold is an online request to have a book, movie, or other material delivered to your preferred library branch.
- Why would I want to place a hold?
- You may want to place a hold if the item you want is:
- currently on loan to another customer
- at a location that is not convenient for you to get to
- currently on order but not yet received by the library
- What do I need to place a hold? Is there a charge?
- You need a valid Toronto Public Library card to place a hold. There is no charge for placing holds. Adult cardholders (18+) will only be charged if you do not pick up your hold by the pickup date. To avoid the fine, pick up or cancel your hold by the pickup date.
- How many holds can I place at one time?
- You are allowed 100 holds at one time. This includes holds that are active, inactive, in transit, and ready for pickup. Please note that you can borrow a maximum of 50 items at one time.
- What kinds of library materials can I place on hold?
- You may place a hold on most items that are available for borrowing.
Material Available for Holds
| Item | Can a Hold be Placed |
| All-in-One-Read-Along | Yes |
| Best Bet | No |
| Book | Yes |
| Book Club Sets | Yes, by contacting the owning branch |
| Carbon Dioxide Monitor | No |
| CD | Yes |
| CD-ROM | Yes |
| DVD/Blu-ray – Feature, Non-fiction, Educational Series, TV Series | Yes |
| DVD/VHS – Language Learning including Literacy | Yes |
| eContent | Varies as determined by licensing agreement |
| In Library Use Digital equipment | No |
| Interlibrary Loan Materials | Yes |
| Items provided by Home Library Service | Yes, except for DVDs |
| Magazine or Periodical | No |
| Music score | Yes |
| Musical instrument | No |
| Ontario Parks Pass | Yes |
| Picture collection | No |
| Playaway | Yes |
| Reference material | No |
| Talking Books | Yes; customers registered with Talking Book Status profile |
| Tech Kits: Arduino, Audio Recording, and Raspberry Pi Kits (DIH Equipment) | No |
| Uncatalogued material (e.g., mass market paperback) | No |
| Vertical Files | No |
| VHS | Yes |
| Wi-Fi Hotspots | No |
- I'm not able to place a hold. Why not?
- There are a few possible reasons:
- The item is rated as an adult film and you have a children's or teen card
- All the copies are reference - which means people can only use it in the library
- Your library card has expired
- You already have a copy of the title checked out or waiting for you on the hold shelf
- How do I place a hold on the website?
- Do a search for the item you are looking for. Each item that is available for holds will have a green "Place hold" button beside it. Each item with an available digital copy holds will have a green "Check out" button beside it.
Click on the Place hold button and enter your username or library card and Password/PIN. (If you are already signed in to your account you won't have to do this part).
The pickup location will default to your preferred location. You can change it by selecting Pick up at and clicking on the drop-down arrow on the right.
Once the hold is successful, you will receive a confirmation message.
- How can I see what I have on hold?
- Sign in to your account with your username or library card and password/PIN. Select the On Hold page to see everything you have on hold. You will see any holds that are ready for pickup, in transit, or not ready.
- How long will it take to get my holds?
- This depends on the availability of the item and/or the number of people ahead of you on the waiting list. If an item is Available at another branch, it should take approximately a week to be transferred to your branch for pickup. If there is a big waiting list for an item, it will take longer. New items that are still On Order may take considerable time to arrive, as the library often places its orders in advance of publication.
When a hold is being sent to your branch for you, it will show in your account as In Transit.
- How will I know when my holds are available for pickup?
- You may choose to be notified by telephone or email when your holds become available.
- How much time do I have to pick up my holds at the branch?
- You have 7 days to pick up your hold. The expiry date will display in the On Hold section of your account online as soon as the item becomes available. It will also be indicated in your phone call or email notice which you will receive the day after the hold becomes available. Holds will remain on the shelf until the end of the business day on the expiry date.
- How will I find my holds when I get to the branch?
- Each branch has a holds shelf where the items are sorted by the last 4 numbers of your library card. For example, if your card number is 29100612348904, you will find your holds shelved under the number 8904. The first two letters of your last name also appear on the wrapper.
- What happens if I don't pick up my holds?
- If you do not pick up a hold by the pickup date, it will be removed from the shelf at the branch. Adult cardholders (18+) will be charged $1.00 for each hold not checked out or cancelled by the pickup date. If you are unable to pick up your hold, you must cancel it before 9:00 p.m. on the expiry date to avoid the charge.
- Do holds ever expire or get cancelled by the library?
- By default, your holds will be set to expire two years from the date you placed the request. If you know you won't need an item after a specific date, you can set an earlier date for that hold to expire.
- Holds will be cancelled if:
-
- the library has an item on order that becomes unavailable
- all copies of a title are lost or damaged
- you check out a copy of the same title (e.g. a Best Bet) before your hold is filled
- How can I make changes to my holds once I've placed them?
- In My Account, you can:
- • Pause your holds so you won't receive them right away
• Cancel holds you no longer want
• Update your Account Preferences and change the pickup location, so your holds will be sent to a different branch
• Change the expiry date if you don't want to receive your holds after a certain date
Reference Loans
Reference Loans within the Toronto Public Library System
If there are two copies of a reference book (and no circulating copies) at North York Central Library or Toronto Reference Library, and you are unable to travel to the owning library to read it, staff may in some cases be able to have the book sent to a Toronto Public Library branch near you for you to read it there. You can make a request at any Toronto Public Library Branch with a valid TPL library card.
Each request will be reviewed individually. Reference loans may not be possible for several reasons (fragility, cost, uniqueness or irreplaceability of the item). The following categories of material cannot be considered for reference loan:
- Single reference copies
- High-demand or key reference works
- Serials such as periodicals, directories or indexes
- Special Collections items, including materials from the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation & Fantasy, the Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books, and the Canadiana Collection.
A fine of $1.00 will be automatically charged for reference loans that are filled for an Adult (18+) cardholder but not picked up.