Services

Meeting Room:

The meeting room is available during our business hours Monday through Thursday and Saturday during our winter hours.  Library programs will receive priority, but the library encourages other groups to use the room when it is not needed for library related activities.

All meetings and exhibits must be free of charge and open to the general public.

Space is reserved on a first come first serve bases. If a reservation needs to be cancelled the library should be notified in advanced.

Meeting space may be provided for groups of children under the age of 12 that are supervised by adults. Youth age 12 or older may use the meeting space with out adult supervision.

No alcoholic beverages may be served at any function held in the library. All library facilities are smoke-free.

Light refreshment may be served. The group using the facility must provide dishes, utensils and supplies.

Meeting room set up is the responsibly of the group. The room must be returned to its original condition after use. Items to be displayed shall not be taped or tacked to the walls or moldings.

Granting permission for the use of the facility does not imply Merrill District Library approval of the group of its ideas.

MelCat and Interlibrary Loan:

Because of limited budget and space, this library cannot provide all materials that are requested. Therefore, interlibrary loan is used to obtain from other libraries those materials that are beyond the scope of this library’s collection.

In return for utilizing interlibrary loan to satisfy the needs of our patrons, the Merrill District Library aggress to lend its materials to other libraries through the same interlibrary loan network, and to make an effort to have its current holdings listed in a database (Melcat) that is accessible by other libraries throughout the state.

Placing Holds on the MelCat Catalog

Do you need a Book or Material that our library does’t have?   

You are able to request your own Interlibrary Loans from the MelCat.

Merrill District Library is pleased to be a participant in MeLCat, the Michigan Electronic Library Catalog.  MeLCat is Michigan’s statewide online union catalog and resource sharing system.  It contains the combined holdings of all participating Michigan libraries.

Our Library patrons enjoy the following benefits through MeLCat:

  • Ability to request library materials from any place at any time
  • Monitor the status of your own information requests
  • Search over the Internet to quickly identify materials owned by all types of libraries statewide.
  • Access to valuable local history materials and digitized items

Merrill District Library has always offered interlibrary loan service to our patrons, but MelCat opens the door for  browsing the collections of additional libraries.   If an item is not available at our library or through our online catalog, a patron may simply search MeLCat on a public access computer in the library or from home.   Initiate your own interlibrary loan requests by using MelCat or you may continue to receive assistance from a librarian.   In order to make requests and borrow materials, a person must be a registered library card holder in good standing at the Merrill District Library.

Materials that are owned by our library may not be requested from another library.

How to renew a MelCat ILL item

Melcat participants allow one renewal per item.   You cannot renew an item until 7 days before the due date.   Login to MyMel in Melcat, locate the item to renew and select renew.  To renew an ILL item, call the library at least five business days before the item is due.   A one time renewal of interlibrary loan materials are granted at the discretion of the lending library.

If you cannot find the item in MelCat, we will try to fill the item through a National Interlibrary Loan Service (OCLC) provided by the White Pine Library Cooperative. 

Please see the librarian to make this request.

Technology:

Our library is proud to offer patrons access to state-of-the-art computers, equipped with high-speed internet and Microsoft Office products. Whether you need to browse the web, work on a project, or simply explore the digital world, our cutting-edge technology ensures that you have everything you need at your fingertips.

In addition to our advanced computer services, we provide fax services for just $1.00 per page. Patrons can also print documents at an affordable rate of 20 cents per page for black and white, and 50 cents per page for color. Plus, enjoy seamless connectivity with our free WIFI available throughout the library. Visit us and experience a seamless blend of innovation and convenience.