How to Suspend a Hold

Did you know you can put a “hold” on your hold? In the library biz we call this suspending a hold.

Suspending a hold is a way for you to stay on the wait list for an item, but let others check it out until you’re ready for it.

Why would you want to suspend a hold?

Do you have a vacation coming up and you won’t be able to pick up holds? You can suspend your holds while you’re away so you don’t miss them!
Do you have too many books to read at one time? Suspend your holds in a staggered manner so you don’t get too many at once!
Are you part of a book club and you have the reading list for the year? Place all of your holds now and suspend them until the right time so you never miss one!

Suspending holds is also a great way to make sure you read that new series in order!

Download our handy guide on How to Suspend a Hold Here, or follow the instructions below.

How to suspend an existing hold through the website:

Go to imagineiflibraries.org
Login to your account
On a computer, select Account at the top of your screen, then Login To My Account
On a smart device, click on the 3 dots at the top right, select Account, then select Login To My Account
Enter your Library Card Number (no spaces) and your PIN (usually the last 4 digits of your phone number)
Click on the Holds tab
Check the box(es) next to the hold(s) you want to suspend and select Edit/Suspend Holds
You will continue to move up in the hold queue while your hold is suspended.
You will be contacted when the item is at the library ready for you to pick up!
To make sure your notification settings are up to date, ask a staff member to verify your phone number and email address.

Q: How to I cancel a hold suspension to make my hold active again?
A: Follow the same steps, and select Cancel Hold Suspension.
Q: Can I suspend a hold that is waiting for me on the hold shelf at my library?
A: Unfortunately, no. Once an item is sitting on the hold shelf for you, it’s too late to suspend it since the hold has been filled.
Q: Will I get my hold the day the hold suspension ends?
A: While you continue to move up on the wait list even during the suspension, you don’t skip to the front of the line. If you move up to the first position in line during the suspension, you will hover at the first in line spot until your hold suspension ends. Then you will get the next available copy. This can take up to a week or longer if the hold is coming from one of our Partner libraries, or longer still if someone has the item checked out. This means you’ll want to end your hold suspension a little earlier than you want the item, and there’s unfortunately no way to guarantee exactly when you’ll get it.
Q: Why can’t I suspend certain holds?
A: If the item is on a hold shelf for you, it’s too late to suspend the hold. Holds can only be suspended before they are filled.

For more information on placing holds, check out our blogpost, guide, and FAQ on How To Place a Hold

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