Using the Outdoor Holds Lockers

The Longer Version 

It all starts when you place the hold. 

When you find and request an item in the library's catalog, you now have an option to choose "Mt Lebanon Outdoor Lockers" as your pick-up location for that hold. When you select this new location, staff will place your hold (when it arrives) in one of the lockers outside the library's upper entrance. 

You'll get a notification when your locker hold is ready, just like when your holds are ready inside the library. Once your account shows that your items are Ready for Pickup (but not before), you may stop by the lockers any day of the week, any time of day, to pick up your items. 

Note: patrons should park in the library parking lot before attempting to get holds. Idling in the exit lane or in the crosswalk is not permitted. 

Detailed instructions for picking up items

1. Sign in at the locker kiosk with your library card and PIN (must have card number and PIN). You can scan your physical library card or your barcode from the library's app (link), or you can type in both your barcode and PIN number using the touch screen.

2. Once, you are logged in, the screen will show you what is available for pickup.

3. Select each item using the touch screen, then touch the 'Check Out' button.

4. The door(s) of the locker(s) where your items are being held will pop open.

5. Be sure to take all items inside the open locker(s).

6. These items are now checked out to your account and have a due date, which you can confirm online or in the library app.

7. Please close empty lockers and touch 'Done' to finish your transaction and reset the system for the next patron.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do I need to know my library card and PIN to get my holds from the lockers? 

A. Yes. To use the locker kiosk, you will need to provide your library card number and PIN. You can scan your card, the barcode in they app or type in the numbers using the touch screen. You will then be asked to provide you PIN, which you will also type in using the touchscreen. This is for security purposes, just like self-check. 

Q. Should I use the outdoor lockers if I am planning to come into the library during regular business hours? 

A. Probably not. The lockers are for afterhours and/or contact-free pickups. If you are planning to come into the library, please place holds for our regular hold shelf. Of course, you can always place a hold for the lockers to see how it works for when you need the service. 

Q. Is placing holds through the locker system a faster way to get my holds? 

A. No. The outdoor locker service is more convenient in some ways, but you won't get your holds any sooner. In fact, the process for getting holds to the lockers requires a few more steps and is therefore completed fewer times a day by staff than our traditional holds, which are constantly being processed and placed on the indoor hold shelf. So, if you're in a hurry to get a hold, a regular indoor hold would be a little quicker. However, if you don't need to come into the library and prefer a contactless pickup, the lockers are the way to go. 

Q. Can the outdoor lockers be the way I always pick up my holds? 

A. Anyone may use the service as often as they like. However, there are a limited number of lockers, and it's first come first served. Our intention is to provide an additional option for those who cannot visit the library during our regular business hours or prefer a contact-free experience. However, the service is available to all patrons as often as they care to use it. It may take a little extra time for staff to get your holds into the lockers than onto our regular hold shelf, but if it's more convenient for you to pick up your holds afterhours or without having to come into the building, the service will be available. 

Q. If I'm in a hurry, can my hold be placed in a locker same-day? 

A. Probably not. If the item is available on our shelves, and we haven't done our locker process prior to you placing the hold, it could potentially show up on the same day. More often than not, holds take at least 24 hours to process. If you are in a hurry, requesting we hold your item at the desk on our regular hold shelf is much more likely to get the item into your hands sooner. The locker holds are done in batches only a few times a day; so, the outdoor locker pickup, although more convenient for some, is not really a way to get your holds any sooner.

Q. Can I return items when I pick up my holds from the outdoor lockers? 

A.  YES, BUT ONLY BY RETURNING THEM IN THE BOOK DROP, which is conveniently located near the lockers. Please do not leave return items in empty lockers as staff will have no way of knowing they are there, and you will remain responsible for those items until they are returned correctly. 

Q. Can I have my holds moved from the inside hold shelf to the outdoor lockers if I don't have time to get my holds before you close on any given day? 

A. No. To do this, staff would need to cancel your hold and re-place the hold for the outdoor location, which would jeopardize your spot in line for a popular item. Even if there are no other holds, this request will take at least 24 hours to process; so, you're really better off just waiting to pick it up inside when we're open again. If you don't mind the wait, and the book is not on hold by others, we'll be happy to re-place your hold for our outdoor lockers. In other words, it can be done, but it will delay (not speed up) the time it takes to get a hold. 

Q. How long do I have to pick up my items? 

A. Just like your indoor holds, you have 7 days to retrieve your outdoor locker holds, after which they will be moved on to the next person on the hold request list or returned to the collection. 

Q. Is contactless pick-up from the table inside the library lobby still available? 

A. No. All of our contactless pickups will now run through our locker system. This new system is more secure for our patrons and our items and allows staff to process a greater number of holds all through the same software and workflow.