1The Boston Public Library is the oldest public library in the country, and since it is the oldest it is also one of the largest. There is a central library in Copley Square in Boston, but there are numerous branches all around the city and the surrounding suburbs. The library is will most likely have any book, cd or dvd that you are looking for, but the easiest way to find and secure what you want is by reserving it online.http://photholic.com/pBlog/images/20060312223933_img_1398_boston_public_library.jpg
- Log into your account online. Go to the BPL's website and click on the "Explore the BPL Catalogs" button in the middle of the grid (you will know what I mean when you see it). The next page will be the basic search page where you can look for anything you want. Click on the "My Account" tab to sign in. You will need your library card number, so make sure to have that handy. If this is your first time signing in, you will need to get a PIN.Look at your Account Overview page. This page will come in very handy once you start reserving books online. Here you can see what items you have checked out and when they are due and you can also renew a checked out item on this page. The Hold Request section tells you want items you have placed on hold or reserve, as well as where your request is and how long they will hold it for. The Notice section tells you if you have an overdue book or if a hold request is ready for you to pick up.To find a book, CD or DVD to reserve, click on the "Search Catalog" tab. Once you have found your item, click on its title. The title page will tell you where the item is located and whether it is available to borrow or not. To reserve the book, click on the "Hold This For Me" button on the top right of the page. You may need to sign in again to hold it.Pick up your item. You will receive an e-mail when your item is ready to be picked up. The best thing about reserving the item online is that no matter where your item lives, whether it is at the central branch or a local one, they can transport it to the branch of your choice. So, you can pick up your hold item at your local branch, even if it is from another one.
