Didn’t Find It? Try This!
Having trouble finding materials? Always feel free to Ask a Question of our librarians if you’re having trouble finding materials or if you need recommendations.
If you don’t have a particular title in mind, the New Releases & Booklists page offers lists of materials created by our staff. BlogaBook for Readers features suggestions, interviews with authors, and links to other services for finding materials, including My Next Good Book, which can recommend books based on other books you like.
Marina
If you are unable to find an item by searching the catalog, you may want to try Marina, a free, statewide method of requesting materials from a number of libraries in Maryland.
Inter-Library Loan
If materials are not available through Marina, you can place an Inter-Library Loan request. We will try to get the materials for you from a Maryland library that doesn’t participate in Marina or from an out-of-state library.
Complete an ILL form, which is available in Microsoft Word Format or PDF Format. Complete your ILL request by filling out the form in either format. If using Word, e-mail the completed ILL form as an attachment to the ILL Services Department. If you prefer to use the PDF format, print the form, fill in the requested information and bring it to any HCPL Library for processing.
There may be a charge associated with Inter-Library Loans; contact us for details. ILL loan items are not renewable. In addition, some ILL loan items have a limited loan period of 2 weeks.
Marina Instructions
Please note that not all materials may be requested from other Maryland Libraries. Below is a brief list of some, but not all materials, that may not be requested through Marina.
- Materials owned by Harford County Public Library
- Materials on order
- Reference materials
- Most audio visual materials
- Magazines (for specific articles, see a librarian or use our on-line databases)
How to Place a Request
Review the list above to make sure you are not seeking an item that cannot be requested from another Maryland Library.
- Go to the Marina website.
- On the Remote Patron Authentication screen, enter your library card number without spaces.
- Click the Login button.
- Click the Searching/Requesting button.
- Enter search terms by title, author, or subject. When searching by subject, use more “keywords” to narrow your search.
- Select the term that indicates your search preference, e.g. Title.
- Click the Begin Searching button.
Combined Results Screen
- Scroll down to view search results.
- Click a selected title to obtain more information or click the Request button to place a request for the title.
- If you selected more information, click the Request button to place a request for the title.
Create Request Screen
- Click Yes to verify your name.
- Using the drop-down menu, designate a library branch as your Pick-up Location.
Details and Submit
- The date in the Need by Month & Date field is the date that the system will stop trying to obtain the item for you. It is not a guaranteed delivery date. You will be notified when your item arrives.
- Entering notes in the Notes for Librarian to Review field will force your request to be reviewed. This may slightly delay processing your request.
- Do not enter anything in the E-mail Address for Notification field. You will receive computer notification by telephone when your item arrives.
- Click the Submit button.
- Wait for the Request Confirmation screen.
- Record the request number. Use this number for future reference.
- Click the New Search button to make another request.
- Click the Quit button on left side menu to end your session.
