Self-Serve Hold Shelves
Hello hive mind! I'm exploring a future service modification to our holds. Specifically, I'm exploring the steps necessary to implement a self-serve hold shelf. I was hoping to get some idea of what the process was like for other libraries and address some of the questions I've already had. We're not an RFID library so we're not looking for those solutions. * When did you implement self-service holds? * How well did your patrons transition to the new hold system? * What have you modified since implementation to make the process easier for patrons and staff? * Do you place MeL items on your self-service hold shelf? If so, how do you process those titles to get them ready for the shelf? * What procedures do you have in place for patrons that need to receive phone calls for holds? We don't have an automated phone system. Thank you in advance for the insights you provide. Kind regards, Zack North (He/They), MLIS Assistant Director St. Joseph / Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library 500 Market Street, St. Joseph, MI 49085 Main #: 269-983-7167 Direct #: 269-408-4560 librarybythelake.org<http://librarybythelake.org> Currently Reading<https://www.goodreads.com/user/email_signature_destination/196160279?utm_medium=reading_link&utm_source=email_signature> [Book Cover] <https://www.goodreads.com/user/email_signature_destination/196160279?utm_medium=cover&utm_source=email_signature>
Hi Zackery, Please see my comments directly below. * When did you implement self-service holds? It's been at least 20 years since we first began offering self-service holds. * How well did your patrons transition to the new hold system? After a small learning curve, it was as is if we had always had this set up. * What have you modified since implementation to make the process easier for patrons and staff? The only thing we modified was the actual hold slip. This was done by reconfiguring our ILS hold slip (we have Innovative's Sierra) as before doing this, we used an excel form to type out the information for the hold slip. * Do you place MeL items on your self-service hold shelf? If so, how do you process those titles to get them ready for the shelf? We have a hold shelf behind our circulation desk for MeL items. We do not feel comfortable placing other library's items on a self-service hold shelf when the items are not part of our RFID security system for library material. * What procedures do you have in place for patrons that need to receive phone calls for holds? We don't have an automated phone system. We do not contact our patrons by phone except for a select few whose accounts are set up with our Adult & Teen Services department email address. They get the email for said patron, and they call them to let them know their hold item is available. To remain in compliance with the Library Privacy Act here in MI, the phone conversation must be discussed in generalities unless the patron provides their library card number than the Librarian that contacts them can give them the title of the item waiting for them. I hope this helps. Anna Pelepchuk Circulation Department Head Bloomfield Township Public Library 1099 Lone Pine Road Bloomfield Township, Michigan 48302 pelepcha@btpl.org<mailto:pelepcha@btpl.org> (248)642-5800 ext. 152 [cid:81ffb525-a245-48a9-bb30-7bf2a005df49] ________________________________ From: Zackery North via Michlib-l <michlib-l@liblists.org> Sent: Saturday, March 14, 2026 1:02 PM To: michlib-l@liblists.org <michlib-l@liblists.org> Subject: [Michlib-l] Self-Serve Hold Shelves CAUTION: External Email Hello hive mind! I'm exploring a future service modification to our holds. Specifically, I'm exploring the steps necessary to implement a self-serve hold shelf. I was hoping to get some idea of what the process was like for other libraries and address some of the questions I've already had. We're not an RFID library so we're not looking for those solutions. * When did you implement self-service holds? * How well did your patrons transition to the new hold system? * What have you modified since implementation to make the process easier for patrons and staff? * Do you place MeL items on your self-service hold shelf? If so, how do you process those titles to get them ready for the shelf? * What procedures do you have in place for patrons that need to receive phone calls for holds? We don't have an automated phone system. Thank you in advance for the insights you provide. Kind regards, Zack North (He/They), MLIS Assistant Director St. Joseph / Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library 500 Market Street, St. Joseph, MI 49085 Main #: 269-983-7167 Direct #: 269-408-4560 librarybythelake.org<http://librarybythelake.org/> Currently Reading<https://www.goodreads.com/user/email_signature_destination/196160279?utm_medium=reading_link&utm_source=email_signature> [Book Cover]<https://www.goodreads.com/user/email_signature_destination/196160279?utm_medium=cover&utm_source=email_signature>
Hi Zackery, Maybe someone will be able to correct me on this, or perhaps things have changed over the years, but I was under the impression that our hold shelves had to remain behind the desk for privacy purposes. I would be curious to know, along with your questions, what libraries that are implementing this system do to keep the book titles on the hold shelf hidden. Are they being wrapped, put in bags, etc....? Thank you, Danielle Reid, Director Reese Unity District Library 2065 Gates St., PO Box 413 Reese, MI 48757 Phone: (989) 868-4120 Fax: (989) 868-4123 ________________________________ From: Zackery North via Michlib-l <michlib-l@liblists.org> Sent: Saturday, March 14, 2026 1:02 PM To: michlib-l@liblists.org <michlib-l@liblists.org> Subject: [Michlib-l] Self-Serve Hold Shelves Hello hive mind! I'm exploring a future service modification to our holds. Specifically, I'm exploring the steps necessary to implement a self-serve hold shelf. I was hoping to get some idea of what the process was like for other libraries and address some of the questions I've already had. We're not an RFID library so we're not looking for those solutions. * When did you implement self-service holds? * How well did your patrons transition to the new hold system? * What have you modified since implementation to make the process easier for patrons and staff? * Do you place MeL items on your self-service hold shelf? If so, how do you process those titles to get them ready for the shelf? * What procedures do you have in place for patrons that need to receive phone calls for holds? We don't have an automated phone system. Thank you in advance for the insights you provide. Kind regards, Zack North (He/They), MLIS Assistant Director St. Joseph / Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library 500 Market Street, St. Joseph, MI 49085 Main #: 269-983-7167 Direct #: 269-408-4560 librarybythelake.org<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__librarybythelake.org&d=DwMFAw&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=x7AcpyGsEYaME9xtceyevhLeW3KVPoEatDVQI1DtRgg&m=kEL9ifruIHV2glDV518lV-OyAoXWM4DCe2e9kmWljHCYLq9mVDafwb_C9lOX7eT7&s=YOyQAO9qhrxlFUNwDyUdLbCFVmDkJrXZsBeQdnZygNU&e=> Currently Reading<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.goodreads.com_user_email-5Fsignature-5Fdestination_196160279-3Futm-5Fmedium-3Dreading-5Flink-26utm-5Fsource-3Demail-5Fsignature&d=DwMFAw&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=x7AcpyGsEYaME9xtceyevhLeW3KVPoEatDVQI1DtRgg&m=kEL9ifruIHV2glDV518lV-OyAoXWM4DCe2e9kmWljHCYLq9mVDafwb_C9lOX7eT7&s=kVaOAkP-I5GY03AEM6G1pfqcQQ87ozYeRAEgOt7LsWM&e=> [Book Cover]<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.goodreads.com_user_email-5Fsignature-5Fdestination_196160279-3Futm-5Fmedium-3Dcover-26utm-5Fsource-3Demail-5Fsignature&d=DwMFAw&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=x7AcpyGsEYaME9xtceyevhLeW3KVPoEatDVQI1DtRgg&m=kEL9ifruIHV2glDV518lV-OyAoXWM4DCe2e9kmWljHCYLq9mVDafwb_C9lOX7eT7&s=9fifZXxX_j531uP7osBUj4qD-OlQcu2qiEFFnDugdHs&e=>
Regarding privacy, the self-serve hold arrangements I have experienced have generally had a hold slip that only included something like the first three letters of the patron's last name and the first initial of their first name, which is enough for someone to identify their own item but not for someone else to figure out what any specific person is reading, mitigating the need to worry about book titles being visible. One library I worked circ for back in the day did include the full last name plus first initial, but the hold label was attached on the page side and the item was shelved spine-side in so the titles weren't visible unless an item was removed from the shelf. My employing library keeps holds behind the desk, but I've used self-serve hold shelves as a patron at multiple libraries, and from the patron perspective it worked fine. I think in all cases the hold shelf was in view of the circulation desk, which seems like a good idea. I think all those libraries also kept MeL items behind the desk still. Rebecca Stout Youth Librarian Berkley Public Library *Please note: my email address and our website have changed to berkleymi.gov .* 248-658-3440 3155 Coolidge Hwy Berkley, MI 48072 On Sat, Mar 14, 2026 at 4:07 PM dreid reeseunitylibrary.org via Michlib-l < michlib-l@liblists.org> wrote:
Hi Zackery,
Maybe someone will be able to correct me on this, or perhaps things have changed over the years, but I was under the impression that our hold shelves had to remain behind the desk for privacy purposes. I would be curious to know, along with your questions, what libraries that are implementing this system do to keep the book titles on the hold shelf hidden. Are they being wrapped, put in bags, etc....?
Thank you,
Danielle Reid, Director
Reese Unity District Library
2065 Gates St., PO Box 413
Reese, MI 48757
Phone: (989) 868-4120
Fax: (989) 868-4123
------------------------------ *From:* Zackery North via Michlib-l <michlib-l@liblists.org> *Sent:* Saturday, March 14, 2026 1:02 PM *To:* michlib-l@liblists.org <michlib-l@liblists.org> *Subject:* [Michlib-l] Self-Serve Hold Shelves
Hello hive mind!
I'm exploring a future service modification to our holds. Specifically, I'm exploring the steps necessary to implement a self-serve hold shelf. I was hoping to get some idea of what the process was like for other libraries and address some of the questions I've already had. We're not an RFID library so we're not looking for those solutions.
- When did you implement self-service holds? - How well did your patrons transition to the new hold system? - What have you modified since implementation to make the process easier for patrons and staff? - Do you place MeL items on your self-service hold shelf? If so, how do you process those titles to get them ready for the shelf? - What procedures do you have in place for patrons that need to receive phone calls for holds? We don't have an automated phone system.
Thank you in advance for the insights you provide.
Kind regards,
*Zack North (He/They), MLIS*
Assistant Director
St. Joseph / Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library
500 Market Street, St. Joseph, MI 49085
Main #: 269-983-7167
Direct #: 269-408-4560
Currently Reading <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.goodreads.com_user_email-5Fsignature-5Fdestination_196160279-3Futm-5Fmedium-3Dreading-5Flink-26utm-5Fsource-3Demail-5Fsignature&d=DwMFAw&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=x7AcpyGsEYaME9xtceyevhLeW3KVPoEatDVQI1DtRgg&m=kEL9ifruIHV2glDV518lV-OyAoXWM4DCe2e9kmWljHCYLq9mVDafwb_C9lOX7eT7&s=kVaOAkP-I5GY03AEM6G1pfqcQQ87ozYeRAEgOt7LsWM&e=> [image: Book Cover] <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.goodreads.com_user_email-5Fsignature-5Fdestination_196160279-3Futm-5Fmedium-3Dcover-26utm-5Fsource-3Demail-5Fsignature&d=DwMFAw&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=x7AcpyGsEYaME9xtceyevhLeW3KVPoEatDVQI1DtRgg&m=kEL9ifruIHV2glDV518lV-OyAoXWM4DCe2e9kmWljHCYLq9mVDafwb_C9lOX7eT7&s=9fifZXxX_j531uP7osBUj4qD-OlQcu2qiEFFnDugdHs&e=>
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My current library doesn't have space out on the floor for holds, so we keep ours behind the desk. But here are two things I've seen at other libraries: Books with pages out, spines against the wall, as mentioned previously. I worked at a library that did this and their hold slip included the patron's entire last name and first initial and no one complained about privacy that I'm aware of. You would need to pull a book off of the shelf in order to see what was on hold for them. Allowing patrons to have an alias for holds; I saw things like "Batman," "Reader 1" etc. Deb Hemmye Library Director Huntington Woods Public Library 26415 Scotia Road Huntington Woods, MI 48070 248-543-9720, ext. 686 Currently listening to The Library Book, by Susan Orlean From: "Michlib" <michlib-l@liblists.org> To: "dreid reeseunitylibrary.org" <dreid@reeseunitylibrary.org> Cc: "Michlib" <michlib-l@liblists.org>, "Zackery North" <znorth@sjcity.com> Sent: Monday, March 16, 2026 12:24:31 PM Subject: [Michlib-l] Re: Self-Serve Hold Shelves Regarding privacy, the self-serve hold arrangements I have experienced have generally had a hold slip that only included something like the first three letters of the patron's last name and the first initial of their first name, which is enough for someone to identify their own item but not for someone else to figure out what any specific person is reading, mitigating the need to worry about book titles being visible. One library I worked circ for back in the day did include the full last name plus first initial, but the hold label was attached on the page side and the item was shelved spine-side in so the titles weren't visible unless an item was removed from the shelf. My employing library keeps holds behind the desk, but I've used self-serve hold shelves as a patron at multiple libraries, and from the patron perspective it worked fine. I think in all cases the hold shelf was in view of the circulation desk, which seems like a good idea. I think all those libraries also kept MeL items behind the desk still. Rebecca Stout Youth Librarian Berkley Public Library *Please note: my email address and our website have changed to [ https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__berkleymi.gov_&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=sW0QtgsUF_VTgHYbMLAYDX2ikQwQhwFgtcNmyu5STJQ&m=sQtyVWImABGeplTF6pr8T5yqIrq2XTpxHZBy2RzLSrbrfWarLdt_aejMALGVXPjw&s=YOWYBuUJnelZFvhb4fq-cAy5jdMmF7TteqpD9SHCRjY&e= | berkleymi.gov ] .* 248-658-3440 3155 Coolidge Hwy Berkley, MI 48072 On Sat, Mar 14, 2026 at 4:07 PM dreid [ https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__reeseunitylibrary.org&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=sW0QtgsUF_VTgHYbMLAYDX2ikQwQhwFgtcNmyu5STJQ&m=sQtyVWImABGeplTF6pr8T5yqIrq2XTpxHZBy2RzLSrbrfWarLdt_aejMALGVXPjw&s=1cf5uY-c5OCr6OEZ2-0fIyXWCefjMFsKzSuoxhGAdpQ&e= | reeseunitylibrary.org ] via Michlib-l < [ mailto:michlib-l@liblists.org | michlib-l@liblists.org ] > wrote: Hi Zackery, Maybe someone will be able to correct me on this, or perhaps things have changed over the years, but I was under the impression that our hold shelves had to remain behind the desk for privacy purposes. I would be curious to know, along with your questions, what libraries that are implementing this system do to keep the book titles on the hold shelf hidden. Are they being wrapped, put in bags, etc....? Thank you, Danielle Reid, Director Reese Unity District Library 2065 Gates St., PO Box 413 Reese, MI 48757 Phone: (989) 868-4120 Fax: (989) 868-4123 From: Zackery North via Michlib-l < [ mailto:michlib-l@liblists.org | michlib-l@liblists.org ] > Sent: Saturday, March 14, 2026 1:02 PM To: [ mailto:michlib-l@liblists.org | michlib-l@liblists.org ] < [ mailto:michlib-l@liblists.org | michlib-l@liblists.org ] > Subject: [Michlib-l] Self-Serve Hold Shelves Hello hive mind! I'm exploring a future service modification to our holds. Specifically, I'm exploring the steps necessary to implement a self-serve hold shelf. I was hoping to get some idea of what the process was like for other libraries and address some of the questions I've already had. We're not an RFID library so we're not looking for those solutions. * When did you implement self-service holds? * How well did your patrons transition to the new hold system? * What have you modified since implementation to make the process easier for patrons and staff? * Do you place MeL items on your self-service hold shelf? If so, how do you process those titles to get them ready for the shelf? * What procedures do you have in place for patrons that need to receive phone calls for holds? We don't have an automated phone system. Thank you in advance for the insights you provide. Kind regards, Zack North (He/They), MLIS Assistant Director St. Joseph / Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library 500 Market Street, St. Joseph, MI 49085 Main #: 269-983-7167 Direct #: 269-408-4560 [ https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__librarybythelake.org&d=DwMFAw&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=x7AcpyGsEYaME9xtceyevhLeW3KVPoEatDVQI1DtRgg&m=kEL9ifruIHV2glDV518lV-OyAoXWM4DCe2e9kmWljHCYLq9mVDafwb_C9lOX7eT7&s=YOyQAO9qhrxlFUNwDyUdLbCFVmDkJrXZsBeQdnZygNU&e= | librarybythelake.org ] [ https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.goodreads.com_user_email-5Fsignature-5Fdestination_196160279-3Futm-5Fmedium-3Dreading-5Flink-26utm-5Fsource-3Demail-5Fsignature&d=DwMFAw&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=x7AcpyGsEYaME9xtceyevhLeW3KVPoEatDVQI1DtRgg&m=kEL9ifruIHV2glDV518lV-OyAoXWM4DCe2e9kmWljHCYLq9mVDafwb_C9lOX7eT7&s=kVaOAkP-I5GY03AEM6G1pfqcQQ87ozYeRAEgOt7LsWM&e= | Currently Reading ] [ https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.goodreads.com_user_email-5Fsignature-5Fdestination_196160279-3Futm-5Fmedium-3Dcover-26utm-5Fsource-3Demail-5Fsignature&d=DwMFAw&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=x7AcpyGsEYaME9xtceyevhLeW3KVPoEatDVQI1DtRgg&m=kEL9ifruIHV2glDV518lV-OyAoXWM4DCe2e9kmWljHCYLq9mVDafwb_C9lOX7eT7&s=9fifZXxX_j531uP7osBUj4qD-OlQcu2qiEFFnDugdHs&e= ] _______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list -- [ mailto:michlib-l@liblists.org | michlib-l@liblists.org ] To unsubscribe send an email to [ mailto:michlib-l-leave@liblists.org | michlib-l-leave@liblists.org ] _______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list -- michlib-l@liblists.org To unsubscribe send an email to michlib-l-leave@liblists.org
participants (5)
-
Anna Pelepchuk -
Deb Hemmye -
dreid reeseunitylibrary.org -
Rebecca Stout -
Zackery North