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Placing Holds on Items

Placing holds on library items
You can place holds on items in the Ely Library collections using the Quicksearch. The item will be retrieved and held for you to borrow from the library. If available, requested items will be ready for pickup within 1 business day of when the hold is placed. You must sign in with your Ely Library account in order to request items (see instructions below).  You will receive email notification to your University account when the item(s) you requested are available for you to pick up.

Placing holds on items that are checked out
If an item is checked out, you can still place a hold on it. The item will be held for you to borrow from the library when it is returned by the previous borrower. You must sign in with your Ely Library account in order to request items (see instructions below). You will receive email notification to your University account when the item(s) you requested are available for you to pick up.

How to place a hold on an Ely Library item
In order to place a hold on an item, you must open the full record for the item. Click the title link in Quicksearch to open the full record view.

The results record below shows an item that is available. An item that is available on the shelves will include the label "Available".  The top red arrow indicates the title link to open the full record. The bottom red arrow indicates where the to look for the item's availability. As you can see, the item is available.

The results record below shows an item that is checked out. It includes a note "Checked Out" and a due date. The top red arrow indicates the title link to open the full record. The bottom red arrow indicates where the to look for the item's availability. As you can see, the item is checked out.


In the full record view, under "Access Options" at right, a blue button labelled "Place Hold" will display. Click this button to begin the process of placing the hold. If there is already a hold placed on the item, you will also see a note "There is 1(#) hold requested for this title".

If you are not signed in to your Quicksearch library account, you will see a screen prompting you to login. 
Enter the same username and password that you use for MyWestfield and your Westfield State email and click the blue "SIGN IN" button. 
 

This will open a form to "Submit a Place Hold Request".  The form will default to Ely Library as the pickup option/location. If you want to indicate a date range for a particular item, check the box for "I need this for specific dates".

If you check the box to choose a date range, you will see options to list a date range for which you need the item. You can also list a date range indicating when you will not be able to pick up the item "I can not pick up...".  After you have entered any desired date ranges, click the blue "Submit" button. 

A screen will appear confirming your request and indicating your place in the queue if there are multiple holds on an item. You will receive email notification to your University account when the item is available for you to pick up. Contact the Access Services desk if you need assistance with this process or to inquire about the status of your hold at 413-572-5231 or email us.