MINERVA

Own in circleWe are thrilled to announce that as of July 29, 2025 Dyer Library/Saco Museum has joined the MINERVA consortium, a shared library system that brings together over 60 libraries of all types from across the state! What does that mean for our patrons? Access to more physical and digital resources, shorter wait times for popular books, a better online user interface, and more freedom to borrow items from all around Maine. All patrons will also need an updated library card, available at the Circulation Desk and Youth Services Desk.

Below you will find more information about requesting, taking out, and returning items using MINERVA. If you have additional questions or experience any problems, please contact us at 207-283-3861 or circ@dyerlibrarysacomuseum.org. Thank you for your patience as well all learn to navigate this new system!

You can search the MINERVA catalog for items circulating from Dyer Library, as well as other consortium libraries in the state of Maine.

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If you find what you’re looking for when you search the catalog, you will be able to request it for yourself or by contacting the library. Items in the Dyer Library catalog will be pulled and held at the main circulation desk each morning; items from another Minerva library will be delivered through the state library courier service and sent to Dyer Library for you to pick up here.

If you see that copies are available, you can order them by selecting “Request” – if Dyer Library has a copy available, it will go to a Dyer Library patron before it goes to anyone at other libraries. To request the item, you will be prompted for your name and patron barcode (14 digits starting with 24072, located on the back of your library card.) If you do not know your patron barcode, please contact the library. When you request an item, a confirmation message will appear to let you know you were successful. Later you will be notified when your hold is ready for pickup at the front circulation desk. Default contact is email, but for those who don’t have one on file we’ll call by phone. 

If you are unable to find what you want in Dyer Library or Minerva, please contact the library or email circ@dyerlibrarysacomuseum.org and we can do a wider search to find the item for you. We can find most items!

With your Dyer Library Card, you can walk into another participating library and borrow items. Those items can be returned to any participating library. Not all libraries are participating in Reciprocal Borrowing; though locally, McArthur Library (Biddeford), Scarborough Public Library, and Libby Memorial Library (Old Orchard Beach) are participants. You will need to present a valid library card in good standing in order to borrow items at other libraries.

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We have issued new physical cards to many of our patrons – but if you do not have a new card please come in and update your account if you haven’t yet. You will need to do so to continue using our physical and digital services; it takes only a minute.

When you come in, the best way to find your account is to scan your library card or type in your specific card number. We can still find you by name but instead of a system with just our local cardholders, we now need to sort through 60+ other towns and cities as well! We will need to ask you additional questions to ensure we’re matching you to the right account. Your card is always the best way of ensuring a smooth checkout. 

Some of our circulation rules have changed with the migration.

Items can be renewed once; if you need more time after your renewal period, please let library staff know and we can check availability of additional renewals.

Items Checkout Renewal
Books, Magazines, Media 21 Days 21 Days
Telescope, Park Pass, other Special Equipment 7 Days No renewal

With a more complex system comes some helpful automated features. For example, our system will send you an email reminder 2 days before the due date of your items. If an item is not returned on time, it is overdue. After 5 days overdue, you will receive a first reminder. After 10 days overdue, you will receive a second reminder. 

After 20 days overdue, you will be sent a bill for an item. Once you are billed for an item, your account is blocked until the item is returned or you contact us to discuss a renewal. When your account is blocked you will not be able to participate in reciprocal borrowing or request additional items. Dyer Library does not charge overdue fees, however, for interlibrary loan items that aren’t returned in a reasonable timeframe (45 days is the maximum,) there may be fees applied from the lending library.

We understand that life gets busy and things happen; if you are unable to return a book or pay the fees, please let us know – we want to work with you to resolve the issue. If a book is lost or damaged, we ask that you pay the cost of replacing the item. Please let us know if this is a hardship for you.

We are able to transfer some of our patron account data to the new system – holds placed, current checkouts, etc. – however, some of it cannot migrate with us to the new system. Dyer Library staff will have access to your old account data through the end of October 2025 to ensure a clean transfer.

In the new system, you will be able to:

  • See your circulation history after 7/29/25 (you must log into your account, select “Reading History” at the bottom of the menu on the left to opt-in to this feature)
  • Build preferred searches and title lists
  • Receive SMS (text) notices (patrons must opt-in for SMS notices)
  • See current checkouts and renew items from home
  • Place, suspend, and cancel holds from home

To login to your account, you will need your patron barcode (14 digits starting with 24072, located on the back of your library card. Ignore the spaces!) If you do not know your patron barcode, please contact the library. The link below will open the Minerva site in a new tab, where you can login.