Place More Holds! Keep Your Checkouts Longer!
Good news: recent changes to the library’s borrowing policy for physical materials* mean you can now place more holds and keep your checked-out items longer.
More holds
The maximum number of items you can have on hold at one time has been increased from 60 to 100. Learn more about placing holds.
More renewals for checked-out items
Most books and CDs can now be renewed three times (up from two) as long as no one else is waiting for the item.
(DVDs, magazines, and “Best Bets” books are still limited to two renewals due to high demand, as are some other specialized materials – see Renewing Materials for more information.)
The library regularly reviews its Circulation and Collection Use Policy with the goals of making materials widely available to the community and maximizing the use of collections. We hope these changes will help make it even easier and more enjoyable to use the library.
*Note: these policies apply to physical materials. Ebooks and other digital materials have different limits, depending on the service.
Unfortunately digital content titles cannot be renewed, but you can check them out again if they are available when the checkout period ends.
77 thoughts on “Place More Holds! Keep Your Checkouts Longer!”
Sounds like a great idea. TPL is one of the best things about living in Toronto!
Great! I love you TPL!!!
Great news. Love the library and all it offers. Could we please have renewals on ebooks (if nobody is waiting for the item)? That would be a great next step.
I am really satisfied with all the new features!
Great! TPL and its staff are fantastic. Thank you.
The library is my second house, thank you orchid
Thank you, it is a great help.
I’m a regular user of the Overdrive and Zinio services, with English-speaking family in Montreal who do not have any similar service (probably because there is no French service equivalent.) I recently stumbled upon a Houston Public Library program to charge out-of-state customers for use of its services:
“Non-resident Cards
“If you live outside of Texas, you can obtain a card by paying a non-resident fee of $20/6 months or $40/year (personal check or money order made out to City of Houston). You can apply in person or by mail …”
Given the range and quality of TPL digital services, and occasional financial issues, I wonder if it has ever looked into something like this. I think there are many potential Canadian patrons out of town who don’t have a comparable local service, who would pay a reasonable fee to use the online services.
TPL already has a non-resident membership system (and has had one for a long time). It costs $120/year at the moment. I think you might have to show up in person to get it. Click on “Circulation and Use Policy” above for more info. Looks like one card would do for a family on this basis.
TPL already has a non-resident membership system (and has had one for a long time). It costs $120/year at the moment. I think you might have to show up in person to get it. Click on “Circulation and Use Policy” above for more info. Looks like one card would do for a family on this basis.
Thanks, yes I found that out after posting but couldn’t edit it – the website says very little and I got the details by phoning. It seems to target those temporarily staying in the city rather than an all-online service (which could be administered inexpensively, as the Texas set up apparen’tly does.)
Yay! I’m very happy! Sometimes there’s no time to complete a book with my work schedule. So I tend to be late returning after renewing to the max (2 renewals). Having an extra renewal make a difference. I can finally save money! Lol…
I have lived in uncountable cities, in 6 countries, and have joined every public library in every pone of them since I was 9 years old, so I can claim some experience.
I can say, with pride and certainty, the TPL is by far and away the best of the lot. It is one of the greatest assets this city has, and its people are terrific.
If only the rest of the City was as well run, and as useful to our residents, we’d be the envy of the planet. We might even be, for once, “World Class” LOL
I’d agree James. First Rate First Class TPL is indeed.
I wholeheartedly agree… Love, love, love the TPL! From its user-friendly site, to great programming, extensive holdings, numerous branches, helpful staff, etc. etc. etc. We Torontonians are so fortunate!
Thank you for increasing the time we can have books for. A nice surprise as I try to finish up TIGERS IN RED.
I am thrilled!
I use my hold list as a “to read”, and tag most of the titles as inactive…but I can easily keep track of what’s on the literary agenda in this fashion. It was extremely frustrating to be cruelly cut off at 60 titles. and I had to keep juggling it all.
Thank you TPL!
Thank you so much
This is awesome…been waiting for this for a very long time now.
I love the library and the TPL is the best!
Since the number of holds has increased to 100, does this mean that the number of checkouts has also increased to 100?
Was not clear about that part…
No, the maximum number of checkouts you can have at one time is still 50.
We noticed these changes a couple of months ago (hadn’t found the new upper limit of holds but saw it was more than 60). Why were they only announced now?
Hi Chris,
The new policy was approved by the Library Board in April and implemented at the beginning of July. The information appeared in a news release, and website help content/policy info was updated, but you’re right that there hasn’t been any real promotion of the changes until now.
I agréé with many of my felliw borroeers of Our TPL That it Is run very efficiently and i am a Great fan of dvds and though some of the physical quality of discs are ruines for the Most part they are well maintained.
I l’île That if ut Is in the system u Can get matériel at your branch and their delivery system Works So well
I Just wish it cud surround the other smaller towns east of Toronto as well.
Keep up the good work. Viva TPL.
Have you considered using a site like Goodreads.com? (I promise I’m not getting a commission– I’m just an extremely happy user of both this library and of that site). You can keep unlimited lists of to-reads, get surprisingly good recommendations, follow authors, read reviews, etc.
awesome
finnaly, thank you!
Great addition! Noticed it recently when I kept being able to put items on hold. Thought it was a glitch *LOL* Then when I could renew a few books in the list when I clicked Renew All, I wasn’t sure what was going on. Great to be able to hold books just a little longer!
TPL is the best part of working in Toronto. It is readily accessible, with very frendly, courteous and professional staff eager to offer their support.
I also like your Homework Help program. I wish it can be expanded to include more branches as I live out of Toronto, but would like to help out students who may need homework help in a branch close to my home.
Way to go, TPL staff!
I love TPL but I must admit to bafflement over the fact that sometimes I see dozens of copies available of things no one seems to want, and just one or two copies of really popular items. How does TPL decide how many copies to acquire of each, whether DVDs, CDs or books? Is it pure guesswork ahead of time? If so, surely there’s a more accurate way to go about it.
Another idea …. It might have been tossed out earlier …. anyway I will spell it out. Why not allow users to pick holds as soon as they are available but record holds as if the user had picked them on the last day of the hold period. Advantages are holds will move out faster and users will have one more free week or free few more days, depending when he or she picked them.
Thanks
Sam
I couldn’t be more happier with the service! TPL, you’re amazing!!
how about taking off all fines when renew is possible? … right now if return is due today and renew is possible TODAY and if renew is possible I MUST renew BEFORE 00:00:00 hours today even if I miss by a second I am slapped with a fine … that is if I had renewed at 23:59 no fine, but renew at 00:01 I have to fine even if I return the item (at unearthly post-midnight minutes) … item is not on hold by anyone but I pay fine if renewed after midnight but no fine before midnight ??? even if I return ???
okay “at 00:01 I have to fine even if” should read “at 00:01 I have to *pay* fine even if”
I LOVE my library!! I wish you’d extend the DVD borrow length. How can one possibly watch 15 episodes of a series in 7 days, sleep, eat and work? This is unrealistic and libraries in the US allow 3 wks to view dvds.
Please consider doing the same… thanks!
I’m very pleased at the increase in number of holds and renewals. However I would love it if holds could be listed by author as well as title. It would make it much easier to sort my holds especially with the increase in number.
Hi Nina,
This is an idea that has come up before and has been under discussion within the library. I’ll pass your feedback along to the staff responsible for circulation policy. Thanks for commenting.
Hi Eileen,
I agree with you, and this is a feature we’re adding in the new version of the account we’re currently developing, so you can look forward to seeing it sometime in the near future.
Fully agree. Have used many libraries in universities, other cities and countries. Love the care, knowledge, and service TPL provides.
TPL is my happy place. Thank you guys, know that we appreciate all your efforts.
Could TPL re-consider the process of releasing new books in a way that will shorten or cut out the IN TRANSIT delivery time? I understand that when a set of new books arrives, they are processed at a Central Process Area, then delivered to the branches with books on HOLD, in order of HOLD priority. There does not seem to be a matching of HOLDs to the chosen pick-up location.
There does not seem to be a way for a reader to change a location to pick up at a branch that ordered the book. I would like to drive anywhere in Toronto to do this, on a special occasion, to cut out the IN TRANSIT time.
I’ve eagerly anticipated a new book, on HOLD, to arrive, as I need to read it before a book club date. I has been noted as RECEIVED for more than a week. When it does become available for distribution there could be several days for it to arrive at my home branch. I would be happy to change the location to be able to pick it up when it is available, without waiting the extra days for an IN TRANSIT delivery. (This book is a large print book, perhaps explaining the extra-long wait after being RECEIVED?)
Thank you
I second that idea!!!
Hi Anna,
I will pass your feedback along to the staff responsible for book processing.
I’ll pass your feedback along to the staff responsible for circulation policy. Thanks for commenting.
Hi Richard,
Collection development librarians consider a number of factors when deciding how many of copies of a title to acquire. These factors may include the level of current interest in the topic, circulation of the author’s previous books, the publisher’s promotional plans, and media coverage. Additional copies of titles are purchased based on demand, as reflected in the number of holds placed.
If you’d like a more detailed explanation of the selection process, please contact us via email and ask that your question be forwarded to the Collections Department for a response.
The Markham Public Library has a to read later area where you can put titles until you’re ready to read them. MPL is great too.
Love the TPL!!!
I love the TPL as well. Love, love, love. It’s an incredible resource. 🙂
I Third that idea. Hamilton Public library does it.
Was pleasantly surprised to see that I could renew my books a third time. A welcome policy and all the more reason to support our excellent library system.
Hi all,
Unfortunately, the OverDrive ebook service doesn’t offer a “renew” function that works the way renewing does with physical books.
Some libraries using OverDrive have enabled something they refer to as a “renew”option. Essentially, this option places a hold on the book for you, allowing you to check it out and download it again as long as no one else is waiting for it. When we (TPL) looked at the way this option works, we thought it was confusing and didn’t really add a lot of value. (You can already check out the book again if no one else is waiting for it.)
A true “renew” option – where you can extend the due date of a book without having to return it and re-download it – is definitely something we’d like to see in the future. We’ll continue to let OverDrive know about our users’ interest in this feature.
Not only living but working in Toronto, too. Weekly pick up and return provides good exercise (for body and mind!).
I remember when each Toronto city had its own library system. When we merged into the “megacity”, so did the libraries, providing much more for all patrons and gaining efficiency. Any chance of further co-operation, e.g., reciprocal arrangements with Mississauga, Richmond Hill, Pickering, Ajax, etc.?
The staff working at the North York Central Branch and The Don Mills Branch need to brush up on this. As recent as 2 weeks ago I was told I could only sign out 50 items at any one time. When I informed them the policy had changed I was told it had not.
Hi Scott,
The maximum number of checkouts you can have at one time is still 50. It’s the maximum number of holds that has been increased (from 60 to 100).
Why not allow for 3 renewals on DVD’s as well, IF AND WHEN there are no holds on the DVD? It would save a lot of work for our very busy and beloved librarians since the way it is now we take the DVD back and ask for it again a couple of days later.
Anita
Hi Anita,
I’ll pass your comment along to the staff responsible for circulation policy.
Great idea! Don’t know what I would do without TPL! Keep up the good work.
The TPL (city responsibility), the school system (provincial responsibility), and the CBC (national responsibility) are three major reasons for treasuring the country we live in.
Rarely does a day go by that I don’t benefit from the services of the wonderful Toronto Public Library.
Thank you! Thank you!
Thanks James for providing information that helps to give a comparative perspective on the TPL. I love the TPL and have known for years that it is incomparable – and irreplaceable. Voices like yours and those of the many others who have commented here are essential to the preservation of this invaluable library system, especially in times (remember the comments of Toronto’s previous mayor!) when public funding for the system comes under attack. The collection at the TPL is so good that I have been to every one of the branches (except about 3) just for the pleasure of physically searching the stacks. It is so good that my son-in-law. a researcher born and schooled in North Africa, is blown away that he can find here material about his own country and its culture that he can not find in his own country. How good is that! It is ‘world-class’!
Love the TPL!!! 🙂
I love TPL! YOU ARE THE BEST comparing many other PLs in other cities!!
That’s true! Librarians make Toronto a better place to live.
I love the new additions! They are very satisfying.
Big fan of TPL!! Absolutely love the wide range of material available, and the excellent service =) Seeing as how the number of holds has increased, does this mean we can possibly look forward to an increase in the number of checkouts allowed sometime in the near future?
We are so fortunate, here in Toronto, to have the finest public library system in the world. Only Hong Kong’s has more users. Surprisingly, they have managed to keep it FREE. In Edmonton a library card costs $ 12.00 per annum, I am told. If I were to relocate out of Toronto, I would miss the Toronto Public Library a great deal
I find the library is a great source for current DVD titles. We get so much enjoyment at our house from the wide selection of quality programs including foreign language films and cable TV offerings. I’m always so impressed by how quickly you make films, documentaries and TV programs available.
I fully agree that TPL is one great thing that separates Toronto from other cities… When I first came to Canada last year, TPL was my centrepoint for everything.. I have spent several days reading at the library . Love the collections, service, efficiency and accessibility of TPL.
Thanks for the clear and specific response about why this option isn’t currently offered.
You made a capital spelling error: Third is a verb, not a noun, so it shold be uncapitalized!
Don, what is “shold”? I guess typos happen.
I am new to Toronto and you all have a WONDERFUL library system. I love it.
Folks,
You run a world class library and make Hogtown the city it is.
Keep on chugging.
Well I’ll chime in — Love Love Love the TPL!
The system is generally nice with some downwards:
Some items which are not hold-able and it says in the site that some library has them when you go there, you find nothing! Like Mt Pleasant branch for movie:” The man from U.N.C.L.E” which was not there! Either the information system sucks or something else like “especial holding” or whatever but if you correct it, it would be very nice!
Another thing, there are some movies which are not in library but they are old enough to be, like movies from Tommy Lee Jones or Ashley Judd and I do not know why.
Thanks.
I love the library system, something for everyone, programs for all age groups and interests. Wonderful to be able to access online. Absolutely amazing that the books on the best sellers list in magazines and other articles are in the library system almost as soon as you read about them. A world class library system.
Thank you TPL and all the amazing librarians for the work that you do! You’re one of the best parts of Toronto.
I love the Toronto public Library. The staff is so helpful and accomodating
I do hope users respect the library books and cd’s they check out. Sometimes
i notice the dvd’s are scratched and defected or even a page or two torn out
from books. I think all books and other materials be checked well by staff upon
return and a fine imposed to those users who do not abide by the rules.
The library in my area is well loaded with books and dvd’s and magazines.
Keep up the good work.