Although we have no earth shattering news to report at the moment, there are a few things you should be aware of- a lot has changed (for the time being) concerning holds, browsing, returns and curbside pickup. Let’s all try to get on the same page!
Holds (from near and far) – Deliveries between all of the libraries in Westchester County (except for White Plains) have begun! This means that if you want a book from the Chappaqua library, you can now order it to come to Larchmont- just like the good ole’ days. As for Larchmont-owned items that are currently on the shelf you’re good to go. We pull our holds every morning.
Browsing – While browsing in the library has been well attended, we are aware that many patrons would still prefer not to enter the building. We get it. That’s why we revamped the homepage of our website a bit- think of it as ‘virtual browsing.’ At the bottom of the homepage, you will find lists of new items that are likely to be on the shelf in the Library. These are not limited to just the ‘hot’ Express items that would usually be checked out were you inside browsing. If anything strikes your fancy, these items are linked directly to the catalog so you can immediately place a hold on them. You might also consider giving us your email address and we’ll send you the new list every time it’s updated.
Returns – We’ve been getting a lot of calls about the status of returned items. Items placed in the return bins in front of the library are quarantined for at least 72 hours and then checked in. We backdate the return date to the day the bin was outside. Now, of course, this makes for some otherwise complicated situations. For example, if you return something on its due date, you will probably get an overdue notice and fines will show up on your account. These will all magically disappear when we check them in after the 72 hour quarantine. The Westchester Library System is working on adjusting the automated messages you receive to explain this more clearly. Sometimes we fall a little behind on our check-ins so we suggest waiting at least one week before contacting us at larchmontlibrary@wlsmail.org or 834-2281 x3 if something hasn’t been checked in. Don’t panic!
Curbside Pickup – Just a few reminders:
- You only need to fill out the appointment form ONCE even if you have several items available for pick up. When you have an appointment, we give you everything we have available for you at the time of that appointment. If you make an appointment on Monday, to pick things up on Thursday, but stuff arrives on Tuesday and Wednesday then on Thursday, you will get ALL of the items.
- If you are picking up items for someone else, please use their name and card number when making the appointment. Our clerks prepare items for curbside pick up based upon the name of the person who placed the hold. If there is a name on the form that doesn’t match the name on the hold, they won’t know which items to prepare. If you are picking up for multiple people, answer ‘yes’ on the form when it asks you- then you can enter their information.
- Please remember that we ask for your email address and phone number in order to verify the library account. Sometimes, people enter their library card number incorrectly or they enter an old, defunct number when making the appointment and this causes headaches! If you haven’t already, please make sure your account information is up to date. Here’s a handy link to help you- https://larchmontlibrary.org/contact-information-faq/