Request Items

Minerva

Walker Memorial Library is part of the Minerva consortium, a shared library system that includes more than 80 public, school, college and special library catalogs. The shared catalog provides access to not only books but also DVDs, audiobooks, magazines, video games and music CDs.

To search for an item, click on “Search the Catalog” on the library homepage. This will give you the search screen that allows you to search for a book, movie, audiobook, video game, music cd or magazine in any library in the system. In the search box, use the drop down arrow to choose which type of search you would like to do. Minerva can be searched simply by author, title, subject, keyword, and material type, but also allows for more advanced searches .

Use the drop down arrow in the location search box to select Walker Memorial Library (or Walker Children’s Collection to limit to just children’s material) or you can search any of the other libraries in the Minerva system. If you want to search all of the libraries, go to the top of the list and select “All Minerva Locations”. Below this, you will notice that you can select a particular material type or collection type to search rather than a specific library. For example, selecting Audio Books or Large Print will search all locations for those particular types of materials.

Once you have located an item you are interested in, click on the title of the item to get more information. Here you will find the library or libraries that have the item, what the call number is, and whether it is available. To reserve the item or request it from another library, click on the “Request” button just below the top banner. This will bring you to the “Request Verification” page. In the top box, type your name and press the “tab” key. In the lower box, enter your barcode from the back of your library card (14 digits, no spaces) and click on the “Submit” button. If your request is successful, you will get a message telling you that the item will be sent to Walker Memorial Library.

Not all items can be requested from all libraries. If the item you requested is not available, you will get a message to that effect.

When the requested items arrive at the library, you will receive an e-mail message or phone call letting you know the items are ready to be picked up. We will hold items to be picked up for one week.

MaineCat

MaineCat is a system that includes the catalogs of all of the Minerva libraries, the University of Maine system libraries, Maine State Library, Bangor Public Library, Portland Public Library, Maine Maritime Academy Library, Bowdoin, Bates, and Colby College libraries.

If you cannot an item you are looking for in Minerva, you can search for it in MaineCat. Look for the button at the right of the screen that says “Search MaineCat” and click on it. This will bring you to the MaineCat search screen. It looks a little different from the Minerva screen, but it functions the same way. In the left hand box you can click the drop down button to select a search type, type your search in the right hand box, and click on the “search” button. If you get a list of titles, click on the one you are interested in. To request the item, click on the “REQUEST THIS ITEM” button.

When you are asked to choose your library, Walker Memorial Library from the drop down list, and click the “Submit above information” button. On the next screen, enter your name and barcode number as with a Minerva request and click on the “Submit” button. Again, you will receive a message telling if your request was successful or not.

When the requested items arrive at the library, you will receive an email message or phone call letting you know the items are ready to be picked up. We will hold items to be picked up for one week.

Interlibrary Loan

If you cannot find the item you are looking for in either Minerva or MaineCat, we may still be able to help you. Please contact Luke Sorensen, Lending Services Librarian, at lsorensen@westbrook.me.us or 854-0630 ext.4259.