OhioLINK physical lending has resumed! You may now request items via the OhioLINK catalog for delivery to Hiram College Library. Unfortunately, the OhioLINK courier is experiencing significant delays. Expect physical materials to take 2-4 weeks or more to arrive.
Note: OhioLINK materials checked out before OhioLINK lending ceased in June cannot be renewed and will not display in the new catalog's "My Account" section. Please return all OhioLINK items to the Library by August 10. You must then re-request your items to receive them. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause.
If you are a public library card holder at a library that uses SearchOhio (including Portage County, Cuyahoga County, Akron-Summit County), search for your items in the OhioLINK catalog or SearchOhio catalog as usual, and then select your public library and enter your public library borrowing information. You can then pick the materials up at your local public library branch.
Portage County cardholders can have their materials shipped directly to the Hiram Express box located between the Post Office and Goodnight’s Kitchen and Bath by selecting Portage Library Consortium as their library, entering their card information, and then selecting "XPRESS Hiram" as their pickup location.
If you are not a public library card holder, now is the time to get a card! Any Ohio resident is eligible for a library card at any Ohio public library. Most public libraries, including Portage County District Library, allow anyone who works or goes to school in Ohio (that's you, Hiram students!) to have a library card, too.
Hiram students, faculty, and staff can obtain a Portage County library card by visiting any PCDL branch, or by completing the PCDL Library Card Form (we will print the form for you at the library if needed). Students should provide their Hiram mailing address to have the card mailed back to them. Otherwise, it will be mailed to your home!
Please contact us at library@hiram.edu if you have any questions about obtaining a public library card. We are glad to help!
If you are unable to obtain a public library card, you may submit Interlibrary Loan request, and we will obtain the materials for you as quickly as possible.
Yes! We will be able to check out items received after June 25. However, these items can't be renewed once they reach their due date.
The library will be upgrading its catalog and migrating to a new system. While this migration is occurring, we have to disconnect from the OhioLINK and SearchOhio systems. We will reconnect in August with a new catalog that will include all OhioLINK eBooks for easier access, and a more user-friendly interface.
Yes! The catalog migration will have a limited impact on your ability to check out physical materials from the Hiram College Library. There may be a short window of time (currently scheduled for August 2-3) when you will be unable to renew Hiram College Library materials, but you will continue to be able to check out Hiram College Library materials.
Yes! All of the library’s online resources, both via Hiram and OhioLINK, will remain available.
Why are you making this change?
The library's current catalog is out of date. We are joining the Ohio Private Academic Library Consortium (OPAL), which includes access to their catalog. By joining, we will now have an updated catalog that allows us to include all OhioLINK eBooks in our catalog (our current catalog has not allowed us to add new eBooks since fall 2020). Additionally, joining OPAL provided us with access to 200,000 eBooks at no additional cost!
OhioLINK users from other institutions (Portage County Library, other OhioLINK colleges/Search Ohio public libraries) will not be able to check out items from the Hiram College Library between June 25 and August 10. If you have an urgent need for materials, contact Janet Vogel.
Hiram College Library's items will also not show in the OhioLINK catalog for borrowing via OhioLINK between May 1 and August 10.