Select Services Now Available for Heggan Cardholders

Frequently Asked Questions About Curbside Service

How do I place holds on materials?
You may place holds by visiting our website and using your Heggan Library card to place holds.

Can my friend who lives in a different town, and has a library card from a different library, place materials from the Heggan Library on hold? He was able to check out your items when the building was open.
Sorry, but we are restricting curbside service and the borrowing of our materials to our cardholders only. Your friend should reach out to the library in his town and ask if they are offering curbside service. Please understand that the Margaret E. Heggan Free Public Library operating budget is primarily supported by taxpayers in Washington Township and our own residents need to remain our first priority for all services at all times.

I do not live in Washington Township, but I would like to purchase a library card. Is that possible?
We cannot sell library cards to anyone residing in areas covered by the LOGIN library consortium. Therefore, if you live in Gloucester County, Salem County, or Cumberland County, you should contact your local library about getting a free library card since we cannot sell a card to you.

When will my items be available for pickup?
We cannot estimate when the items will be available for pickup. If they are on the shelves, we will gather them as soon as possible. If they are already checked out to another patron when you place them on hold, we cannot make them available to you for pickup until they are returned by the other patron and after the items are quarantined for seven days.

How will I know that my items are ready to be picked up?
We will call you to schedule a time slot to pick up your items.

What if I schedule a time slot and it turns out that I cannot get to the library?
If you cannot keep your time slot, please contact us as soon as possible. We will do our best to accommodate you and schedule a different time slot.

When I arrive for my pickup, do I need to call the library or should I knock on the door?
No, please do not call us when you arrive. Do not knock on the door. You must remain in your vehicle. We will agree on a specific time for you to arrive when we call you to select the time slot. We will be looking for your vehicle at the time you are scheduled to arrive.

Will I need to show my library card to you or a form of identification?
No. This is a contactless service. We will gather your materials and check them out to you on your library account.

Should I park in a certain spot?
Please do not park in a parking spot. Instead, please just pull up to the front entrance, parallel to the building, as close to the curb as possible. This is the safest method for our staff to provide curbside service.

How will you know that it is me in the car and that I am the one who requested those items?
In advance, when we set up the time slot, we will ask you for information about your vehicle so that we will be able to identify it when you arrive.

Do I need to wear a mask when I am picking up the materials?
Yes, please put on a mask once you arrive in the pickup lane location and your vehicle is in park. Your mask must completely cover your nose and mouth at all times. We might need to have a conversation with you about your library materials while you remain in your vehicle. We cannot make them available to you for pickup until they are returned by the other patron and after the items are quarantined for seven days.

What do I need to do when I arrive at the library? Can I just stay in the lane where you are offering the curbside and read my new book for a few minutes? I’ve been waiting a long time to read this book!
Please just remotely open your trunk and stay in your car when you arrive at the library. We will put the items in your trunk and close the trunk. Once we have closed the trunk and stepped back up onto the curb, please exit the library curbside location in order to allow for safe traffic flow. You are welcome to pull into another spot in the parking lot and read your book or use our Wi-Fi, which can be accessed in the parking lot. Please do not park in any parking spots that are designated for staff. You may only park in spots reserved for those with physical challenges if you are permitted to do so by law.

Will you offer the service during bad weather?
We will not offer the service during inclement weather that may become a safety risk to our staff or that may damage library materials. Please remember that you can still use our digital resources and borrow books and other materials via our online platforms, including Hoopla and Overdrive. You may also stream movies using Kanopy.

Are there any holidays when you will not offer the service?
We will not be offering curbside service on holidays when the library would have been closed.

How many items may I place on hold?
We are limiting holds to thirty items per cardholder.

Am I allowed to put items on hold from other libraries in the consortium?
No, you may not at this time.

Am I limited regarding type of items?
No, as long as the total number of items borrowed is ten or fewer.

Am I allowed to borrow a museum or garden pass?
We are not currently loaning museum and garden passes at this time.

Am I allowed to borrow an American Girl doll?
We are not currently loaning American Girl dolls at this time.

If I need something printed, can you do that for me and put it in my trunk? I also need some-thing faxed.
No. We are only providing access to circulating library materials via the curbside ser-vice at this time.

I cannot open my trunk remotely. What should I do?
When you get to the library, please open your trunk and return to your vehicle.

I need to return some library materials. May I just hand them to the staff member who puts the new library materials in my trunk?
If you need to return library materials, after the library staff member puts the items in the trunk, closes the trunk, and returns to the library, you may exit your vehicle and place the items that you want to return in the book return. They will be quarantined for seven days. Please understand that the items will still be checked out on your library card. We will not be checking them in because we do not want staff to handle the items while they are being quarantined.

I need to return library materials from a different library. Can I put them in the book return?
Please return the materials to the owning library.

Can I return my library materials to a different library? I used to be able to do this.
Please return Heggan materials to the Heggan Library only.

Are you accepting donations?
We are not accepting donations of any type at this time. We need to reserve space for library materials that need to be quarantined closed rooms.

I might want to ride my motorcycle to the library or my bicycle one day. My neighbor likes to walk to the library. Are we still able to pick up materials?
Yes. When we call you to schedule the time slot, we will ask you how you are getting to the library. If you are not arriving in a vehicle, or if you are arriving in a vehicle without a trunk, we will give you specific instructions for retrieving your materials in a contactless manner.

I really miss the library! Can I just come in and browse for a few items? Why can’t you just open the building instead of offering curbside pickup?
Sorry, but the public is not allowed to enter the library at this time. Pursuant to Executive Order 153 (2020), public libraries may now provide curbside service. Patrons are not permitted to enter the brick-and-mortar premises.

1. Access the online catalog by following this link.
2. Enter your library card number and pin number in the upper right corner and click “Login to the e-Library OPAC”
   If you do not know your PIN, your card is expired, or you are having any other problem logging in please email the reference department.
3. Once you’ve logged in, search for your desired materials. You will either see a list of materials that satisfy your search terms, or a page with one exact item, which will say “Item Details” above the preview image of the item. If you are on a list of items, click on the item you are looking for to be brought to the Item Details page.
4. Click “Place Hold”, which will be directly underneath the preview image of the item.
5. On the Place Hold page, select the Margaret E. Heggan Free Public Library as the pickup location. The expiration date field is optional. If you no longer want your hold after a certain date, enter that date in this field, otherwise leave it blank. Click “Place Hold” to complete your hold.