Library users waiting for their book or movie to arrive at their local library branch may be in for a pleasant surprise.
Their holds may arrive faster depending on the book’s location, explains Yarmouth library clerk Nick Cook.
“The other day, a patron came up with an interesting question,” he says.
She had placed a hold on a book in the library’s SamePage online catalogue that had many other people with holds ahead of her.
“She thought it would be years before she got this book,” says Cook.
She was overjoyed to learn her book was in just over a month after placing a hold on it.
When she picked it up, she asked Cook why?
“The priority is to keep the book in the region,” Cook says.
This means that if the book is part of a regional library’s collection, members from that region will get that book before it is sent to another region.
Yarmouth library clerk Nick Cook points to the number of holds on the book The Women in the library’s SamePage catalogue. A long list of holds may not be as bad as it seems.
This is done to make the shared SamePage catalogue fair, efficient and functional.
It also reduces expenses by saving time, and minimizing travel and shipping, Cook says.
Cook admits, seeing the long list of holds may be daunting, but it may not be the whole story.
“It is a bit difficult to know how long it will be before they receive their hold,” he says.
If the book or movie lists one of the 10 branches of Western Counties Regional Library as a location, the wait will probably not be as long.
Note: This story was written before the Canada Post labour dispute came into effect.