Curbside Library Material Pickup

Curbside Library Material Pickup2020-10-05T11:13:25-04:00

  FAQs for Calvert Library Curbside Pickup

curbside pickup image
Step-by-step guide to the curbside process2024-02-22T09:06:33-05:00

Place items on hold and/or ask for a grab bag of items!

  • To place holds
  • Ask for a surprise grab bag – So many of you have said you miss browsing and asked if we could just grab a random assortment of books/movies for you to pick up. Sort of a mini-browsing experience! So now, you can choose to get GRAB BAGS when you make your curbside appointment!
    • Just go straight to picking a day/time for your curbside appointment, on the next screen you can check the box for a grab bag and tell us what type of books/movies you’d like.  Be very general for Grab Bags (ex. 20 picture books, 5 adult fiction and 15 DVDs).
    • These grab bag items will be randomly selected the day of your appointment and checked out to you.
    • They will be included with any other items you’ve specifically requested to pick up at your appointment.
    • Take a look and make sure they’re a good fit for your and your family’s reading and viewing choices.
    • Feel free to drop those you are not interested in back in the book return before you leave.
    • It’s that EASY!
  • PS from Calvert Library – Personalized Suggestions
    • If you’d like more specific recommendations, we have a service for that as well! Just visit our PS from Calvert Library page, before you make your curbside appointment, and tell us a little bit about what you are looking for. Our staff will create your own personal suggestions list that you can choose to place on hold. Once you get notified that they have arrived, you can make your curbside appointment to pick them up.

Wait for notification then make a curbside pickup appointment.

Pick up day/time

  • Table Pickup
    • You may park in any space NOT marked for Trunk Delivery.
    • Table pickup will be available in library vestibules.
    • Your items will be in a paper bag labeled with your last name on the table in the numbered space that matches your reservation.
    • Please deposit any returns in the book drop.
  • Trunk Delivery
    • If you are able, please choose a Table Pickup time slot so we can serve as many customers as possible. Thank you.
    • If you are able, please place all library returns in the book drop.
    • At your appointment time, please park in the space that matches your reservation (Trunk Delivery #1, #2, etc.) and “pop the trunk”.
    • A library staff member will come out to your vehicle with your items in a paper bag, place them in your trunk and close your trunk.
    • If you have library materials to return and are unable to use the outside book drop, please place them in a closed, marked bag in your trunk for the librarian to take.
    • If you are early, please wait in a non-Trunk Delivery parking space until your time slot, as the labeled spaces will be used by other customers.
    • If you have questions please call your branch.

Enjoy your library materials!

How will I know if my holds are ready for pickup?2020-06-05T10:50:44-04:00

You will receive a notification (email, phone or text) in whichever manner you selected when creating your account. You may change this by logging into your account in COSMOS.

How do I get a Surprise Grab Bag?2020-10-05T11:46:17-04:00

So many of you have said you miss browsing and asked if we could just grab a random assortment of books/movies for you to pick up. Sort of a mini-browsing experience! So now, you can choose to get GRAB BAGS when you make your curbside appointment!

    • Just go straight to picking a day/time for your curbside appointment, on the next screen you can check the box for a grab bag and tell us what type of books/movies you’d like.  Be very general for Grab Bags (ex. 20 picture books, 5 adult fiction and 15 DVDs). If you want more specific recommendations please check out our PS from Calvert Library program.
    • These grab bag items will be randomly selected the day of your appointment and checked out to you.
    • They will be included with any other items you’ve specifically requested to pick up at your appointment.
    • Take a look and make sure they’re a good fit for your and your family’s reading and viewing choices.
    • Feel free to drop those you are not interested in back in the book return before you leave.
    • It’s that EASY!
How do I return materials?2020-06-09T11:56:55-04:00

Please place returns in the designated outside book return of each library location. If you are unable to use the outside book return and are using Trunk Delivery, you may place your materials in a closed, marked bag and the librarian will take them when placing your new materials in your trunk.

PS from Calvert Library – Personalized Suggestions2020-10-05T11:50:39-04:00
  • If you’d like more specific recommendations, we have a service for that as well!
  • Visit our PS from Calvert Library page, before you make your curbside appointment, and tell us a little bit about what you are looking for.
  • Our staff will create your own personal suggestions list that you can choose to place on hold.
  • Once you get notified that they have arrived, you can make your curbside appointment to pick them up.
What if I have mobility issues and cannot leave my vehicle?2020-06-08T14:20:30-04:00

While we are asking that most customers utilize table pickup, we know that there are mobility issues and health concerns that make trunk delivery a better option for some of our customers. Trunk Delivery spaces are available for those in need. If all the Trunk Delivery time slots are reserved please call your pickup library for assistance.

Can you give reading suggestions?2020-10-07T14:12:17-04:00

There’s nothing we love more! Below you will find several ways to find books and other materials (physical or digital) that you will enjoy. We hope you will try out our NEW PS from Calvert Library-Personalized Suggestions. This service enables you to fill out a short form and a librarian will send you a personalized list of books/materials we hope you will love!

Adult Book Award Winners

Beanstack – Get book suggestions, read reviews, participate in challenges and log your books.

Books & Authors – New ways to explore the endless possibilities and combinations of books, authors, genres and topics.

Hot Authors – New Books – check out our quarterly hot author book list.

Librarians and Friends Book Lists – Calvert librarians and friends share their favorite books with you!

Next Reads  – eNewsletter for readers. Newsletters are available for over 22 popular fiction and nonfiction topics. Each newsletter contains between 8-15 titles.  Sign up

Novelist Plus – Electronic readers’ advisory resource which assists fiction and non-fiction readers in finding new authors and titles

PS from Calvert Library-Personalized Suggestions based on your answers to questions about other books/movies you’ve liked

or just give us a call and ask us to check out a bag full of mysteries, romance, suspense, etc!

What if I have fines or am over the checkout limit?2020-06-09T11:45:22-04:00

Calvert Library is FINE FREE but you may have fees on your account from past lost books. If you are able to pay these fees, you can do so on your online account. If you are not able to, please give the library a call at 410-535-0291 so that we can help.

Our check out limit is 75 items so if you are over that YOU ARE AN AWESOME POWER USER! Just give us a call and we will work it out.

I have gotten several notifications of holds, do I need to make a separate appointment for each one?2020-06-19T09:26:15-04:00

You only need to make one appointment. We will check out all holds that are available for your library card at one time. If you want to pick up your whole households’ materials, please enter all the library card numbers that have holds available in the library card field separated by commas.

Several people in my household have received notifications that our holds are in, can I make just one appointment or do I need individual appointments.2020-06-19T09:44:02-04:00

You are welcome to make one appointment for all the notifications your household has received, please enter all the library card numbers that have holds available in the library card field separated by commas.

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