COVID-19 Update: Batavia Public Library remains closed to the public following Gov. Pritzker’s Stay at Home order extended through April 30. Our staff can still serve you via email, AskUs@BataviaPublicLibrary.org, or text us: Text 66746; enter askBPL; type your question. Get our latest update by clicking here. Need a Library card? Get a digital card by clicking here. Forgot your library card number? Get your account number emailed to you by clicking here.
Place a Hold – You can place a reservation on an item when all of the copies are out on loan. In the catalog, click on the “Place Hold” button to the right of the title. Suspend your holds If you have requested an item, but you want to delay its pick-up date, you can suspend/freeze the hold on that item, keeping your place in line.
Interlibrary Loan – If you are interested in borrowing an item not owned by the Batavia Public Library, we will do our best to locate a copy that can be loaned to you. Interlibrary loan is available only to Batavia Public Library cardholders.
Batavia Book Clubs—can request multiple copies of books.
Suggest a purchase—If the Batavia Public Library does not own a book you wish to suggest for the Library’s collection, please complete the Suggest a Purchase form.
If you are interested in borrowing an item not in our catalog, we will do our best to locate a copy that can be loaned to you. This service is only available to Batavia Public Library cardholders.
If the item is owned by a SWAN library, Interlibrary loan requests sent to libraries outside SWAN have the following limits:
4 items per day per patron, not to exceed 12 items per week (includes books, audio-visual items, etc.)
a limit of 4 videos or tapes in a series per request (e.g., I Claudius)
4 photocopies per day per patron, not to exceed 12 photocopies per week Restrictions on Certain Types of Materials
No out-of-state searches will be conducted for any audio-visual material, including:
Photocopied articles may include a cost. Each request must indicate whether you are willing to pay $0, $10, or the full cost (which may be indicated upon receipt of the photocopy).
Batavia Public Library offers a special interlibrary loan service for local book clubs. The Library will request multiple copies of books from other libraries in order to provide Batavia book clubs with the number of copies they need.
Guidelines
Multiple copies of books are available to book clubs if:
Occasionally, due to circumstances beyond our control, the Library is unable to fill a request. If this occurs, the Library staff will work with the book club to try to find an alternate title.
Only book club members with a Batavia Public Library card may check out books through this program, due to interlibrary loan rules.
How to Request Books
Designate a contact person (with a Batavia Public Library card) for your book club, who will contact the Library with the titles and dates of your book discussions.
Stop by the Reference Desk, call the Library at (630) 879-1393 x200, or complete the online Book Club Request Form at least 5 weeks before your book club meeting.
For best results, place your order as far in advance as possible. If you would like to place your requests well in advance, please complete a request form at the Reference Desk or online. Or download a PDF here, fill it out, print and return it to the Library.
Provide the following information:
With sufficient advance notice, the Library will order the books so that they will be available approximately 4 weeks prior to the book club meeting.
A Library staff member will call the book club’s contact person when the books are available to pick up at the Library.
Books will be held at the Check Out Desk under the name of the book club. Usually, book club members may keep the books for 4 weeks.
Book club members are responsible for returning the books on time or paying the overdue fines / lost item fees.
