OhioLINK Offers Additional Renewals

August 26, 2005

Now it's possible to keep OhioLINK books for up to fifteen weeks! Students, faculty and staff at Ohio Dominican University and across Ohio can now keep the books they borrow from other OhioLINK libraries for up to 15 weeks, as long as another user has not requested the materials.

"Users statewide have been asking to keep OhioLINK books longer than six weeks," Tony Maniaci, chair of OhioLINK's Inter-Campus Services Committee, which sets OhioLINK borrowing policies, said. "But OhioLINK has to carefully balance the needs of researchers who wish to keep an item for an extended period of time with those who have short time frames to meet a deadline or complete a class assignment. Recent improvements to the software used for online borrowing checks for holds before allowing a renewal. This new functionality allows us to extend the maximum borrowing period for items and better meet the needs of all OhioLINK users."

OhioLINK books may be checked out for three weeks and renewed up to four times, as long as another user has not placed a hold on the item, for a total maximum borrowing period of 15 weeks. Users can search and request materials online via the OhioLINK Library Catalog, and can renew OhioLINK books as well as local library materials using My Library Record.

The OhioLINK Library Catalog contains more than 9.6 million unique library items, 58% of which are only available at one of the 85 OhioLINK libraries. Users can request to pick up items at the ODU Library, or any other participating OhioLINK library. Items are usually delivered in just two to four working days. There is no charge for ODU students, faculty and staff to request OhioLINK items, but late fees are charged for items kept past the due date.

Please see the ODU Library's Borrowing Policies for more information about loan periods.