Did you know that with your library card, you have free access to over 16 million books, audiobooks, movies, and music from public libraries across the state? This borrowing magic happens through a service called SearchOhio. Did you know that SearchOhio will deliver the item you borrow from Dayton, Cincinnati, Lima, or wherever, here to RML at no cost? If you don’t know, keep reading to find out how it works.

How do I get my hands on those materials?

The process is very similar to using our regular online catalog. You search for an available item and request that it be sent to one of the Portage County Consortium libraries. The SearchOhio catalog is online, so you can request an item yourself through any web browser. You will need your RML library card number and your account must be in good standing. First, navigate to the SearchOhio catalog home page. You can always find SearchOhio from our home page, using the main “Find Materials” tab.

Once you navigate to SearchOhio, their home page will look like this:

From here, you may search the catalog by keyword, author, title, subject, call number, and ISBN. For the sake of example, let’s try to find a music album with the Jimmy Buffet song “Love in the Library” included. When we search by keyword, we get over 3,000 results. Searching by title is a better choice, with only eight results to look through.

Two of those results are Jimmy Buffet albums. When we choose the album “Songs You Don’t Know by Heart,” we get detailed information about the album and which libraries have copies available to borrow. Next, we will click on the green checkmark button to request this album.

SearchOhio then asks which library we’re affiliated with. Using the dropdown menu, find the Portage Library Consortium and click submit. You will then be prompted for your last name and library card (barcode) number. Enter that information and then choose where you want to pick up the album. You may chooose whichever library in the Portage Consortium that’s most convenient for pickup. (Remember, you can use your RML card anytime at any Portage County library)

Most requests are filled in a few days, a week at the most. When your item arrives, we will contact you and let you know that you have materials to pick up. It’s that simple!

Is there a cost?

The service is completely free but you do have to follow the SearchOhio borrowing rules and adhere to their lending periods (usually 21 days for books, audiobooks, and music; 7 days for videos). SearchOhio does not have automatic renewals and you will be charged late fees if you don’t return an item when it’s due, so read/watch/listen to those items first to get them returned by the due date.

While we’d always like to have what you’re looking for, the simple truth is that we can’t possibly have everything in our library. Whether you want more information for research or you want to read every book in your favorite author’s series, SearchOhio can help connect you to the material you can’t find at RML.

Help! I can’t find what I’m looking for.

If you have any trouble finding what you’re looking for on SearchOhio, don’t give up. Stop by or give our friendly staff a call. With 16 million items, searching can be tricky sometimes. We’ll help you look and hopefully help you find what you want. With 16 million items, the odds are pretty good!