Skip to Main Content

Introduction to the Library: Reserving books

Our reservations service

Our reservations service allows you to reserve a book or DVD when all copies are out on loan.

When a copy becomes available, we will put it aside for you and send you an email to let you know it's here.

Please see the sections below on how to place a reservation and where to collect it from.

Please note, if a copy or copies of the title you want are available on the shelves in either of our libraries, you will not be able to reserve that title. The reservation service is just for items that are out on loan.

Making a reservation

Search for the book title (or search by keyword or author) on mySearchIf there are no copies of the book available, you will be able to reserve the item.

  • Click Place Reservation

*You must be signed in to access this option*

You will be taken to the Submit a Place Hold Request Form.

  1. Select a pickup location (The Sir Michael Cobham or Weston Library)
  2. Click Submit to complete your request.

Your reservation will be confirmed with a Place Hold Submitted message.

*A message may appear to show you where you are in the queue*

How do I know when my reserved book is here?

We will email you when the book is ready for you to collect. We always use your BU university email account for this.

Or you can check your current reservations yourself at any time by logging into My Account and selecting the Requests tab.

Where do I collect my reservation?

To collect your reserved item, go to the Click & Collect reservations shelves in the self-service area.

Your item will be filed by the first three letters of your surname, the last four numbers of your borrower number followed by your initial.

Please make sure you borrow all items at the self-service unit before taking them out of the Library.

We keep reserved books for you for one week only, so it's important that you check your BU emails regularly.

Visit the Library webpages for more information about our reservations service.

Any problems?

If you find that you can't make your reservation online, please speak to staff at the help desk where we can make the reservation for you.