Sometimes holds take longer than we would like.  Usually that is for one of three reasons.

1. You placed a hold on a book that we had “ON ORDER.” We sometimes order books before they are released.  For example, we pre-ordered copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows three months before it was published.  We could not fill the holds until the book was actually released by the publisher and sent to us.
2. You placed a hold on an extremely popular item and several people have placed holds ahead of you. You will get to check out the book as soon as your turn comes.   If a book is popular, we try to buy extra copies.  With our limited budgets, we are not always able to buy as many copies as we would like.
3. You placed a hold on an item that is lost or damaged by the person who had it checked out. If this happens, we try to order another copy.  It takes time for the new copy to arrive and be ready for use.  If the item is out of print and we are unable to order another copy, we will contact you and let you know that the hold cannot be filled.