How Do Library Holds Work?

By the Public-Libraries.com Editorial Team · Updated October 21, 2026

What is a library hold?

A hold lets you reserve a title that someone else has checked out, or one kept at a different branch, so the library sets it aside or ships it to your chosen pickup spot. For popular new titles you join a queue and move up as copies come back. Some systems (the New York Public Library, for example) label the button Request rather than “Place Hold,” but it's the same thing.

How to place a hold

Search your library's online catalog (or its mobile app), open the title, and tap Place Hold or Request, then choose your pickup branch. You can also ask staff to place one for you. You'll need a library card in good standing — an expired card or certain account blocks can stop a hold from going through.

Getting notified and picking up

When your hold is ready, the library notifies you by email, text, app or phone (you set the preference in your account). The item then waits for you on the hold shelf for a limited number of days — this is set by each library and often runs around six to ten days (Chicago Public Library holds for 6 days, the NYPL for 7, and Los Angeles Public Library for 10, for instance). After that it's released to the next person in line.

How many holds can you have?

Libraries cap how many holds you can have at once, and the limit varies widely — from around a dozen to several dozen. For example, Chicago Public Library allows up to 12 holds on physical items, the NYPL up to 15 (more for educators), and Los Angeles Public Library up to 30. Check your own library's borrowing policy for its number.

Freezing (suspending) a hold

Going away, or not ready for a title yet? Many systems let you freeze or suspend a hold so you keep your place in line without the item being sent to you. As Chicago Public Library puts it, a paused hold keeps moving up the waiting list but won't be delivered to your pickup location until you unpause it — handy for avoiding a pickup window you'd miss.

Canceling a hold

You can cancel a hold any time before it's ready for pickup, from your online account or the library app — just open your list of holds and remove the one you no longer want. There's no penalty for canceling.

Digital holds in Libby

When every copy of an ebook or audiobook is out, you tap Place Hold in Libby and see an estimated wait and your place in line. As soon as the hold is ready, you get a notification and have 72 hours (3 days) to borrow it, suspend it or cancel it. Miss that window and Libby suspends the hold for you as a one-time courtesy rather than losing your place. You can also suspend a hold yourself (you keep moving up the list but delivery is deferred) via Shelf → Holds → Manage Hold.

hoopla and Kanopy: no holds at all

Not every app uses holds. hoopla offers instant access with no holds or waitlists — every title is available immediately, with a monthly borrow limit your library sets instead. Kanopy works the same way: “all titles are available all of the time,” using a set number of monthly tickets rather than a queue. So holds only come into play for physical items and for Libby's shared digital copies.

Why wait times vary (and how to shorten them)

A Libby wait is only an estimate — it shrinks if readers return copies early and grows if the library trims the number of copies. To get a title sooner: place your hold early to claim a spot in line, freeze it when you'll be away so you keep your place, and consider a less popular format or edition (or a second library card), which can have a much shorter queue.

Frequently Asked Questions