Patten Free Library is a member of Minerva, a consortium of 61 libraries throughout the state of Maine who have agreed to allow borrowing between member libraries. You can request books, movies, audiobooks, music, and other items from any Minerva library, and they will be delivered to Patten Free Library for pick-up.
1. Start by clicking here to search the Patten collection by title, author, or keyword. Fill in the appropriate information for your request. Click on the “submit” button to browse the results.
2. If the item you are looking for appears in a list of results, click on the item title. You will navigate to a list of available formats for the title.
3. Click on the book title again for the format you wish to request (print, large print, audio CD). (The format icon appears to the left of and just below the title in the item record.)
4. After you have clicked on the title for the item/format you wish, you should see a red checkmark above the item record with the word “Request” next to it. Click on this.
5. You will be prompted to type in your name and your library card number. After you fill in the information, click on “Submit.” You should get a message indicating your request has been successful. If you don’t, call the reference desk (443-5141, ext. 12).
6. We will email or call you when your item is ready for pick-up.
7. If you want to start over and do a new search, there is a “New Search” link in the upper right corner of the page. You can also click on “My Library Account” to see what items you have checked out and/or renew items.
If you cannot find what you are looking for in the Patten Free Library’s collection, you can broaden your search to include the collections of all Minerva libraries. To do this, start a new search; where it says “Patten Free Library,” in a search box, click on the downward arrow to the right. A drop-down menu will appear. Select “All Minerva Libraries” from the menu, which is at the very top of the list of choices. Enter your search criteria again and click “Submit.” Repeat steps two through five, above.
If the item you wish to request does not appear to be available through Minerva, you can repeat the process again by clicking on the “Search MaineCAT” link. MaineCAT includes the holdings of university libraries, Portland Public Library, and Bangor Public Library. If you need help with a MaineCAT request (or a Minerva request), please contact our information desk at 443-5141, ext. 12.
Please note these instructions are for physical materials, not for eBooks and eAudiobooks.
Holds placed on our materials usually take up to 24 hours to process. In-state inter-library loans usually arrive within a week of placing the hold.
