New free service expands Sonoma Valley library access

Not finding what you are looking for at the local library? Sonoma residents now have access to a single, online searchable catalog of over 70 California and Nevada libraries; all that is needed is a Sonoma County Library card. With this new free service, called Link-plus, patrons can request books, DVDs, audiobooks, music CDs and more to be delivered to their local branch, say county library officials. Link-plus’s goal is speed, with most items arriving within a week.

“We’re so excited to leverage the massive collections of other libraries and make over 9 million additional items available for checkout,” said Jaime Anderson, Sonoma County Library collection services division manager. “Link-plus expands on the spirit of libraries to freely share resources and will greatly benefit our patrons.”

When the Sonoma County Library catalog does not have the item that a cardholder would like to check out, they can search the Link-plus catalog. Most materials loan for 21 days, with one renewal (subject to approval of lending library). Patrons can place requests online and monitor the progress of requests any time through their Link-plus account.

The library will still offer traditional interlibrary loan service for materials unavailable within Link-plus.

To learn more, visit sonomalibrary.org/linkplus or navigate through the Books and More page of the website. Link-plus is free with a Sonoma County Library card.