Log in to your account online through the catalog, click Suggest a Title at the top of the page and complete the form. If you must have a particular format, please indicate this in the notes field.
On the “Account Activity” tab, click “Purchase Requests” to see your pending request. It will disappear from the list once staff have reviewed it and made a decision.
If the title you request is purchased in a physical format, a hold will automatically be placed on your behalf, and the title will appear in your account activity as a hold. If the title is purchased or available in digital format, you will receive an email directing you to one of our online platforms to check it out. If the title cannot be purchased, you will receive an email with a brief explanation.
In Libby, use Notify Me tags to tell us you want to check out a title that LCPL does not own. If LCPL purchases the title, you will receive an immediate notification via the Libby app. After tagging the title in Libby, you can also fill out the suggestion form if you would like to receive a direct response.
Unfortunately, we cannot add titles to Hoopla or other online platforms. These companies license content from publishers, and titles appear and disappear without notice, similar to streaming services.
If LCPL already owns the title, your request will be converted to a hold on the physical item, or an email will be sent directing you to the digital version. Sometimes, a title may not be available in print, large print, digital or audiobook formats. Due to cost and availability, we cannot always offer a title in multiple formats.
If your request is not purchased, you will receive a notification via the email on file in your account. The response is limited to 40 characters. Please see the list of common responses below for more information.
Not available from library vendors – The library can only purchase goods and services from approved Loudoun County Government vendors. If the title you requested is not available from an approved vendor, we cannot purchase it. The library is not able to purchase titles offered by third-party sellers on Amazon.
Not yet published check back later – The library only accepts requests for titles that have reached their publication date. Please place a request after the publication date if the library still hasn't purchased the title.
Title on order check back to place hold – The library has already ordered the title, but it has not yet arrived or been added to the catalog. Please search for the title closer to the publication date to place it on hold.
Title cannot be purchased at this time – The library has decided not to purchase the title at this time. Our library staff members review each request carefully. When determining if the library will purchase a title, we consider many factors, such as its popularity and current demand, how well similar titles have circulated, professional reviews and whether our current collection meets the community's needs.
Please don’t be discouraged if your suggestion is not purchased. LCPL receives a large number of requests each week.
If the title is at least six months past its publication date, you can use our free Interlibrary Loan service to borrow it from a library outside of Loudoun County.
If the title you suggested was published very recently and/or written by a first-time author, consider waiting 6 months and resubmitting your request. This allows time for reviews and author information to become available and for staff to better gauge demand for the title.