Interlibrary Loan/CAML
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
If we do not have the book you're looking for on our shelves, we can try and get it from another library for you! This is a service we provide for free to all our patrons. You can place requests for items through interlibrary loan by contacting the library at 207-778-4312. The library will contact you when your item arrives and is ready to be picked up. Check out our ILL policies.
Consortium of Apollo Maine Libraries (CAML)
The Farmington Public Library is also a part of a consortium, CAML. This means that Farmington Public Library cardholders are able to request books directly from other CAML libraries, or may borrow items in-person from those libraries. FPL's fellow CAML libraries include: Carver Memorial Library (Searsport), Porter Memorial Library (Machias), Waterboro Public Library, and Hollis Center Public Library (Hollis is in-person borrowing only).
How it works:
1. Place a reserve on the item you want in the catalog. Staff are happy to help. Check out the image below for a visual representation of how to do this!
2. The Library will contact you when your item has arrived.
3. Go pick up your item!
You can have items for 2 weeks, and can renew it once as long as no one is waiting. When you have finished with your item, please return it to your home library.
If we do not have the book you're looking for on our shelves, we can try and get it from another library for you! This is a service we provide for free to all our patrons. You can place requests for items through interlibrary loan by contacting the library at 207-778-4312. The library will contact you when your item arrives and is ready to be picked up. Check out our ILL policies.
Consortium of Apollo Maine Libraries (CAML)
The Farmington Public Library is also a part of a consortium, CAML. This means that Farmington Public Library cardholders are able to request books directly from other CAML libraries, or may borrow items in-person from those libraries. FPL's fellow CAML libraries include: Carver Memorial Library (Searsport), Porter Memorial Library (Machias), Waterboro Public Library, and Hollis Center Public Library (Hollis is in-person borrowing only).
How it works:
1. Place a reserve on the item you want in the catalog. Staff are happy to help. Check out the image below for a visual representation of how to do this!
2. The Library will contact you when your item has arrived.
3. Go pick up your item!
You can have items for 2 weeks, and can renew it once as long as no one is waiting. When you have finished with your item, please return it to your home library.
FAQ:
How is it different from interlibrary loan?
For items available through CAML, you can place your own requests through the catalog and they will come directly to your home library. For items not owned by a CAML library, you can request them through interlibrary loan just like before.
How come I only see the option to "request" not "reserve"?
Books that are new to another library cannot be requested until after 60 days have passed. This allows the home library's patrons to check out the item first. Other libraries may also have special collections that they reserve for their own patrons (much like our genealogy collection) that can't be requested. If you see something that only has a request button, feel free to place a request and we can see if we can get it for you another way. Or wait a few weeks and check back to see if it's able to be reserved then!
Why does it say "reserve disallowed"?
Each library has a limit of how many items a single patron can have on reserve. The limit is different for every library based on their own rules. For example, FPL's reserve limit is 15 items. That means no one can have more than 15 of our items on reserve, whether they are one of our patrons or a patron at another library. So if an item says "reserve disallowed" that just means you've hit the reserve limit for that library's items. You'll have to wait until the items you have on reserve come in.
If you are a patron at FPL and you would like to request more than 15 of our books, feel free to call or email us with a list and we can get those ready for you. We understand that while we are at curbside service many of you are using the reserve feature more often, and we will do our best to accommodate this.
Why did I get a notification that my item was ready to be picked up at a different library? Isn't it supposed to be sent to you?
You may have accidentally placed the reserve through the other library's catalog instead of ours. When you search other libraries, if you click on the library's name you will be brought to their catalog. If you log into another library's catalog, the book will be held for you there and not sent to us. So, if you want to make sure the item is sent to FPL and held here, make sure that you are in our catalog when you place the reserve. You can see what catalog you're in on the bottom right hand corner. The image below demonstrates this.
How is it different from interlibrary loan?
For items available through CAML, you can place your own requests through the catalog and they will come directly to your home library. For items not owned by a CAML library, you can request them through interlibrary loan just like before.
How come I only see the option to "request" not "reserve"?
Books that are new to another library cannot be requested until after 60 days have passed. This allows the home library's patrons to check out the item first. Other libraries may also have special collections that they reserve for their own patrons (much like our genealogy collection) that can't be requested. If you see something that only has a request button, feel free to place a request and we can see if we can get it for you another way. Or wait a few weeks and check back to see if it's able to be reserved then!
Why does it say "reserve disallowed"?
Each library has a limit of how many items a single patron can have on reserve. The limit is different for every library based on their own rules. For example, FPL's reserve limit is 15 items. That means no one can have more than 15 of our items on reserve, whether they are one of our patrons or a patron at another library. So if an item says "reserve disallowed" that just means you've hit the reserve limit for that library's items. You'll have to wait until the items you have on reserve come in.
If you are a patron at FPL and you would like to request more than 15 of our books, feel free to call or email us with a list and we can get those ready for you. We understand that while we are at curbside service many of you are using the reserve feature more often, and we will do our best to accommodate this.
Why did I get a notification that my item was ready to be picked up at a different library? Isn't it supposed to be sent to you?
You may have accidentally placed the reserve through the other library's catalog instead of ours. When you search other libraries, if you click on the library's name you will be brought to their catalog. If you log into another library's catalog, the book will be held for you there and not sent to us. So, if you want to make sure the item is sent to FPL and held here, make sure that you are in our catalog when you place the reserve. You can see what catalog you're in on the bottom right hand corner. The image below demonstrates this.
Why a camel?
Librarians have long been delivering books to remote areas and across long distances, including by camel! Librarians from Mongolia to Kenya and beyond use camels to reach readers.
Why Apollo?
Apollo is the library software that our libraries use. Since we all use the same system we can work together.
Librarians have long been delivering books to remote areas and across long distances, including by camel! Librarians from Mongolia to Kenya and beyond use camels to reach readers.
Why Apollo?
Apollo is the library software that our libraries use. Since we all use the same system we can work together.
