Q. How can I get a library card?
A. Just ask for a form at the circulation desk and your card will be ready in a few minutes. You will need to bring a valid identification proving Massachusetts residence. Kids must be five years old and accompanied by a parent to request a library card.

Q. Can I reserve any of the library's meeting rooms?
A. We have three rooms of different sizes available for use.  You can reserve a room by calling Steve Weiner at x107.  Read more about the meeting rooms here.

Q. Can I search for books and reserve them from home?
A. Yes you can. Go to http://library.minlib.net/search/ to start a search. Choose the type of search and then enter a keyword, title or author (last name, first name) in the text box. Click the Search button and you will see a list of books that match your search terms. To perform a search with multiple search terms or for a specific type of material (a DVD, for example), you can use the Advanced Search. If you need help with an Advanced Search, click here.
If you want to request a book from home, you must have a user account (see next question). From the Search results page, you can click the Request It button for the book you want. If you're not logged in to your account, you will be prompted to log in.

 

A. Yes. First, you can search the Virtual Catalog, a collection of 15 Massachusetts library networks. You will be asked to enter your library card number and to choose the library where you'd like to pick up your requested book. Then you can search by title, author or ISBN and request an item from the search results. You can access the Virtual Catalog from the Minuteman Library Network search page or here. 

If you need help with the Virtual Catalog or can't find your book there, contact the Reference Desk.

Q. How do I create an online user account?
A. To do this, you will need a library card. From the Minuteman Network website, click Login or Access My Account.  Enter your library card number and click Submit without entering a PIN. On the next screen, reenter your card number and enter your PIN in both boxes.  Then click Submit.

Q. Can I add my email address to my account?
A. Yes. Log in to your account and click the Modify Personal Information link. Type in your email address and click Submit.  Note that you can also add a username, which you can use for logging in instead of your library card number.
If you have an email address linked to your account, you will get reminders when books are due and notices when requested books are available to pick up.

Q. Can I suspend my "holds" while I'm on vacation?
A. Usually you can.  Log in to your account, click the requests link in the My Checked Out/Requests/Fines section. Check the Freeze checkbox for the titles you want to suspend and click the Update List button at the bottom of the page. Frozen titles in your list will be shown with icicles.  Uncheck the Freeze box and Update List to remove the suspension.

Q. There are a lot of books I want to read, but I don't want to request them all at once.  What can I do?
A. When searching for books, you can click the Save to My Lists link instead of Request It. This feature even lets you organize "future" books into separate lists. Later, you can access these lists from the My Saved section on your account page.

Q. Is there a way to see what materials I've borrowed in the past?
A. Yes, but you have to opt in to have materials recorded in your history. Log in to your account and click the Reading History link. If you have opted in, a list of titles will appear.  If you haven't opted in, click the Opt In button to start your history.

Q. My book is overdue.  How much will I owe in fines?
A. The fine for adult books is $0.15 per day.  Click here to read about fines on other materials.

Q. Do you accept donated books?
A. The Friends accept donated books for their used book sales. The library staff checks these donations for possible additions to the library's collection.  Click here to see how to donate books.

Q. Are there computers available at the library? Can I work on my own laptop?
A. There are 16  computers for public use on the second and third floors. Computer sessions are 30 or 60 minutes depending on the computer, but if no one is waiting you're welcome to renew your session. If you need to work on documents, bring a flash drive with you to save your files.

Another alternative is to bring your laptop to the library and access our wireless connection to the internet.

Q. Can I send a fax from the library?
A. Yes.  Ask for a cover sheet at the Reference Desk and the reference librarian will help you send your document.  There is a $1 per page charge for this service.