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Finding and reserving titles

You can reserve titles in person at any library or through our online catalogue.

Reservations are free unless the item is coming from another library service.

Using the online catalogue

To reserve items online, sign in with your library card number and 4-digit PIN. You can also choose the library where you’d like to collect your items.

Searching the Catalogue

Use a quick search for fast results or an advanced search for more specific queries. Advanced search lets you fill in up to four fields and choose between:

• Keyword search – finds words anywhere in the selected field
• Phrase search – looks for an exact phrase in the selected field
• You can also filter by publication year, language, location, collection, and material type – fill in as much or as little as you need
• Results appear in alphabetical order by default, but you can reorder them using the Sort Set button. To narrow down the results, use the Refine Set feature to refine your current search further.

Placing a Reservation

Once you’ve found what you want:

• Tick the box next to the title(s)
• Click the purple ‘Reserve Selections’ button
• If you’re not logged in, you’ll be prompted to enter your library card number, PIN, your preferred collection library, and a cut-off date for the reservation
• Click Submit.

To check your reservations, go to My Account (top right corner), and select either:

• Reservations available for pickup, or
• Reservations not yet available.

Reservation Notifications & Collection

When your reserved title is ready, we’ll notify you by email or text, depending on the contact information you provided during registration.

If we don’t have your contact details, you can check in person, call, or email your local library for assistance.

Collecting Titles

Whether you have reserved a title or found a title you wish to borrow on the library shelves, you can borrow it using one of our self-service machines or by seeing staff at the library desk. You will need your library card.

Renewing Titles

To renew books online:

1. Log in to your library account
2.  Click ‘My Account’ in the top right-hand corner
3. Select ‘Current loans’ in the pane in the middle of the page
4. Either check the checkboxes next to the loans you wish to renew and click the ‘Renew selections’ button, or click ‘Renew all’ if you would like to renew all your loans. We will automatically renew all loans that can be renewed.

Please note: if you are using a mobile device, you may not be able to see the whole ‘Current loans’ table. To see the rest of the table, simply scroll across using your thumb.

You can also call 0345 60 630 60 (available 24/7 with an out-of-hours answering service) or visit any Suffolk library.

You can renew a book up to six times unless it is reserved by someone else. Any overdue charges or new hire charges will be logged to your account up to a credit limit of £14.

You can pay your charges:

• online with a credit or debit card
• at any of our libraries
• by calling us on 0345 60 630 60.

Returning Titles

You can return a title at any Suffolk library by using one of our self-service machines or handing it to staff at the library desk.

Many of our libraries have out-of-hours book returns. Visit your local library’s page to find out if they offer this service.

Reservations typically take around a week if no one else is waiting. If yours is delayed, email us at library.help@suffolk.gov.uk and we’ll check on it.