Check Out Materials

The Manchester Community Library’s print and media collections reflect a diversity of reading, listening, and viewing interests. Please consider the needs of others and the borrowing information outlined below when deciding how many items to check out. Our loan periods are listed below based on the material type.

We make collection decisions with all of our customers’ preferences in mind. We also welcome patron recommendations for consideration. Would you like to suggest a purchase for the MCL collection? Give us your thoughts here.

Browsing the Online Catalog

To explore MCL’s print and media collections, please visit our online shared catalog.

MCL members may explore MCL’s online catalog & patron records system (Koha), by visiting the catalog and logging in using your library card number and a password of lastname (your last name in all lower case). We encourage you to follow the directions below to change your password from your Koha Discovery Layer account to protect your privacy. 

How to change your Koha password:

1. Log into your Koha account by clicking “Log In” on the top right of your screen.
2. Click “Log In” from the drop down menu
3. Enter your library card number and password
4. Click on “My Dashboard”
5. Scroll to “My Personal Details”
6. From here, click on “Change Password”

Please note that with the Library’s recent switch to the new Koha catalog, member login details for Overdrive have changed. To log in to Overdrive or the related service Libby, please type your library card number in the Card Number field and your new Koha password in the PIN field. If you encounter login issues, you may need to reset your Koha password by following the numbered steps above.

Please make a note of the new password, as library staff will not be able to recover it for you. The same Koha login credentials will be used to access GMLC/Overdrive for e-books and digital audiobooks. In other words, your Koha account password and your GMLC/Libby PIN are one and the same. Please note that changing your password in Koha will also change your Overdrive PIN and will require you to use the new password/PIN the next time you sign in. If you have any questions, please contact info@mclvt.org.

Interlibrary Loan

If the Manchester Community Library does not own a book, or if it is unavailable through the Catamount Library Network, we may be able to borrow it from an out of network library through Interlibrary Loan (ILL).  ILL services are available to Library members whose accounts are current and in good standing. Requests may be placed by filling out an Interlibrary Loan form. Alternatively, ILL requests may be submitted by phone at (802) 362-2607.

Guidelines

1. ILL service is available for print books and articles from periodicals.
   • A book is not eligible for ILL until it is at least six months old.
   • There is a limit of 3 active ILL book requests/checkouts per member. Any exceptions to the limit must be discussed in advance with the ILL coordinator.
   • Paper bands identifying ILL books should not be removed from borrowed items.
2. Loans from other libraries usually arrive within 7-10 business days but may take longer.  There is no guarantee of delivery times or for request fulfillment.
   • Patrons will be notified via phone or e-mail when their requested item arrives at MCL.
3. The ILL loan period is set by the lending library and will vary.
   • Renewals should be requested before the due date via the Interlibrary Loan Coordinator at MCL.
   • Renewals are determined by the lending library and may not always be possible.
4. If an ILL is not claimed by the requesting member by the due date, it will be returned to the lending library.

The MCL is responsible for books borrowed from other libraries. ILL borrowing privileges are jeopardized if a book is lost, damaged, or returned late. All standard library policies apply to books borrowed via ILL. Any library member who loses or damages books will be responsible for covering the costs of replacement. MCL reserves the right to suspend ILL privileges for any Library member who habitually returns items late or with damage.

The Glade Nonfiction Shelving System

Our nonfiction selection is organized in a bookstore-influenced system where broad subject areas are categorized into groups, or “Glades,” such as “Health,” “Gardening” and “Places.”

Color	Glade	Subcategories
	Art & Literature	Architecture, Fine Arts, Instruction, Literature, Performing Arts, Poetry
	Gardening	Design, Farm Literature, Farming, Flower Arranging, Flowers, General, Landscape, Literature, Organic, Pests, Trees & Shrubs, Vegetables
	Food	Beer & Wine, Cookbooks: American Cuisine, Baking, Diet & Nutrition, International Cuisine, Entertaining, Grilling, Habits, Literature, Preserving
	Health	Alternative Medicine, Breast Cancer, Cancer, Caregiving, Diseases, Fitness, General, Men’s Health, Mental Health, Women’s Health
	Lives	No subcategories
	Mind & Soul	Aging, Death, General, Parenting, Psychology, Relationships, Religion, Spirituality
	Nature	Animals & Pets, Environment, Math & Science
	Places	Guidebooks, Language, Literature, Travel
	Play	Crafts & Collectibles, Interior Design, Sports & Recreation, Transportation
	Times	Current Events, Disasters, History, True Crime, Vermont
	Work	Business, Careers, Education, Finance, General, Government & Law, How To, Technology

For over 145 years, the Dewey Decimal Classification system (DDC) has helped library customers find books. Devised by Melvil Dewey while working at the Amherst College library, the DDC system uses numbers and letters to identify and locate books. With this system, globetrotters among us have to search different parts of the collection (dictionaries are in the 400s, while travel guides are found in 914-917) to review all things concerned with travel, for example. However, many libraries have begun to move away from the DDC to a more “user-friendly” bookstore-style layout such as the BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications) system. Some libraries are replacing their DDC system, others are using the BISAC-style system for a portion of their books, and yet others are using some combination of the two.

Darien Library in Darien, CT originated the ‘Glade’ system of shelving library collections, which is a modern hybrid of the Dewey Decimal Classification system routinely used in libraries for nearly 150 years. Manchester Community Library features a user-friendly bookstore-style layout under eleven color-coded subject areas, or “Glades,” such as “Health,” “Gardening,” and “Places.” Dewey Decimal Classification is used to categorize materials further within each Glade.