Circulation Policies: How to Book (Reserve) Material in Advance!

If you'd like to place a booking on a Reserve collection item, please contact the circulation desk at 271-1537, or send an e-mail to librarynotices@dmu.edu.

Students may book items in the Reserve collection for a specified future loan period. To place a booking on an item, please stop by the circulation desk in person, call the circulation desk at 271-1537, or send an email to librarynotices@dmu.edu One booking per item per patron is allowed.

When you have a booking on an item, please be sure to pick the item up within the first 15 minutes of the booking time period. If the item has not been picked up within 15 minutes, it will be made available for others to check out.

If you discover that you will be unable to pick up the booked item at the beginning of the booking time, please call the circulation desk at 271-1537 or send an email to librarynotices@dmu.edu to either cancel or reschedule the booking.

If the item you would like to check out is in the DMU (our open-shelf) collection, you may place a hold on the item if it is checked out. A booking cannot be placed on an open-shelf item. Please read more about placing holds in the box below.

Items in the open-shelf, board review, leisure reading, or print journal collection that are currently checked out may be placed on hold. There are several options for placing an item on hold:

• Call the circulation desk at 515-271-1537.
• Email: librarynotices@dmu.edu
• Place a hold online:
  • Go to the Library catalog on the Library Web page. https://lib.dmu.edu/home
  • Search for the desired title.
  • Click on Request. (This option does not appear if the item is not checked out.) You will be prompted to enter your name and University ID number 
  • Click Submit.
• You will be notified by email when the item is ready for you to pick up.
• If the item you are interested in is currently on our shelves, please call the Library circulation desk and request that the item be pulled from the shelves and held for you.
• Reserve Collection materials cannot be placed on hold. Please place a booking on those items.