Bibliocommons OPAC FAQs

  • General Questions

    In addition to search and borrowing management features you expect, this site enables you to add your thoughts about titles you’ve borrowed from your library. This content can be as simple as a one-click star-rating you give to a DVD you borrowed, or it can be a carefully considered summary of a book you’ve just finished. You can also add comments, quotations, age suitability ratings, content advisories, similar titles, and tags to help others find the item by searching. How much content you add is up to you.

    Why Add Content?

    You may wonder “Why should I bother? I’m really busy. And does anyone really care what I think?” Here are just a few reasons why you should take a few seconds to offer some feedback on titles you’ve borrowed.

    • Help other library members. Every one of us has an area of interest or expertise. Know something about woodworking, genealogy or Italian cooking? Got an opinion on the best books for pre-schoolers, or which Oscar Peterson recordings are the classics? Share it. The content you add guides other members to discover items of interest to them, and helps them determine if you would be a good person to “follow” as a source of recommendations.
    • Help your library. You know how important your library is to your community. Adding content to the catalog makes it a more valuable asset to your library.
    • Voice your opinions. Everyone has an opinion about a movie they’ve watched or a book they’ve just read. Share yours. It’s fun.
    • Track your borrowing. Star-rating or commenting on titles can help remind you what you’ve enjoyed when you’re choosing new titles in the future.

    Note: For information on the different types of information you can add, see the individual help topics on star-rating, comments, videos, tagging, summarizing, quotations, age suitability, and content advisories.

    Desktop Computer Requirements

    To view the catalog, you can use any of these web browsers:

    • the two most recent versions of Google Chrome,
    • the two most recent versions of Firefox,
    • Microsoft Edge, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 running on Windows 8 or 10
    • Safari versions 8, 9 and 10 on Mac OSX 8, 9, 10.

    As future versions of popular browsers are released, you’ll be able to use those as well. Older versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari may not work reliably on every page of the website. JavaScript must be enabled on whichever browser you use.

    Your computer must have a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or larger.

    Mobile Browsers

    On your mobile device (tablet or smartphone) you can use Google Chrome and Safari on:

    • iOS: 8.* and above
    • Android: Ice Cream Sandwich 4.* and above

    You can use the site to search the catalog and look for recently acquired and reviewed items. To place a hold, check your account, or use some of the site’s interactive features, you need to first log in.

    Logging in requires two things:

    • your library card number, or barcode. It is the 7- to 14-digit number on your card.
    • your PIN (personal identification number) or password. This will be at least 4 digits. The maximum will depend on the system your library uses. Some libraries use the last 4 digits of your phone number, others use your birthdate, or your postal or ZIP code. Some allow only numbers, while other libraries may permit a combination of letters and numbers.

    Once you have registered with the site you can choose to log in with a username you created, rather than your library card number. You may find it easier to remember, especially if you need to access your account when you don’t have your card with you.

    ► To log in to your account

    1. On the menu at the top right, click Login/Register.
    2. On the Log In page, enter your barcode or username, and your PIN/password.
    3. Click Log In.

    You’ll see the Recent Activity dashboard. If you were in the middle of doing something, such as placing a hold, you’ll return to what you were doing prior to logging in.

    Problems Logging In?

    Can’t remember your user name? A user name contains only letters, numbers and underscores. If that doesn’t help you remember it, log in using your library card number. Your username is for your convenience. You can always log in with your library card number.

    Can’t remember your PIN/password?  your PIN will be:

    • a 4-digit number,
    • your birthday, in mmddyyyy format,
    • a combination of letters and numbers, of 4 or more characters.

    If you can’t remember your PIN, you can reset it. Click the Forgot your PIN? link. You’ll get an email with a link in it that will enable you to create a new PIN.

    Still can’t log in? Contact your library.

    Why do I have to register?

    Registration is a one-time process that allows you to create an easy-to-remember login name, or username, that you can use instead of your barcode to check your account. If you have a Google or Hotmail account, you already know about usernames. If not, think of a username as your library nickname. Need ideas? Use your initials and your street number (SDK203), your dog’s name, or something about you (Twilightfan), that’s short and easy for you to remember. Remember that the public comments and lists that you post will include your username. Registration is required to take advantage of all of the features of the site, including the ability to manage your renewals and holds, contribute ratings and reviews, and follow others to see what they’re enjoying.

    Do I have to provide my birthdate?

    No, your birthdate is not required for registration. If the library already has this information on file, it will be shown on the registration page and saved to your account. Your local library may allow you to delete this information after you register. Check with your library about their policy. If the library does not have your birth date on file with your library card, it will not be displayed on the registration page, and you don’t need to provide it if you so choose. But note that if you decide not to provide your birth year and month, the system will assume you are a minor, and for safety reasons, some features will not be available to you. In the United States, minors are not able to send or receive messages, create a username, or write comments. In other jurisdictions, minors cannot send or receive messages.

    Do I have to provide my email address?

    An email address is optional. It will be used if you forget your PIN/password and request a reset. Your library may also use your email address to send you notifications of items ready for pickup, coming due or overdue.

    What if my name or birthdate shown is incorrect?

    You should complete the registration online even if the data is incorrect. Please ask a staff member at the circulation desk to update this information the next time you visit the library to ensure the library’s records are accurate.

    Q: Why do I need to register?

    A: Registering allows you create an easy-to-remember username you can use to log in, so you don’t have to type your barcode every time you want to check your account. Registration also allows you to get personalized recommendations, contribute ratings and reviews, and communicate electronically with your library and other users.

    Q: What is a username?

    A: A username is a name that you can use instead of your barcode to check your account. Think of a username as your library nickname. You can use your real name, but something more anonymous is recommended. Need ideas? Use your initials and your street number (SDK203), your dog’s name, or something about you (Twilightfan), that’s short and easy for you to remember. Remember that the public comments and messages that you post will include your username.

    Q: Will my username be seen by others?

    A: Yes, if you choose to contribute comments, lists or other content, your username appears beside anything you contribute.

    Q: What if my birth date or name is incorrect on the registration form?

    A: You should complete the registration online even if the data is incorrect. Please ask a staff member at the circulation desk to update this information the next time you visit the library to ensure the library’s records are accurate.

    Q: Why do I have to provide an email address?

    A: An email address is optional. If you ask to have your PIN/password reset, an email with a reset link is sent via email. If you don’t provide an email address and you forget your PIN/password, you’ll need to contact the library to reset or recover it.

    Q: Our family has one email address that we all use, but we each have our own library card. Can we all register with the same email address?

    A: Yes, multiple library accounts can use the same email address.

    Q: When I first register, do I have to change my PIN?

    A: No. Some libraries offer the option to change PINs but it is not required. Many libraries use the last four digits of your phone number, your zip code or something that could be equally easy to guess. Your account will be more secure if you change it.

    Q: Should I use my real name or a username?

    A: That’s entirely up to you. Keep in mind that when you add comments or summaries to titles you’ve borrowed, your name will appear next to the comment, and be visible to other members. Also bear in mind that the name you choose may be indexed with your public contributions in search engines such as Google as they crawl the web.

    Q: Why can’t my child type a username when registering?

    A: For users in the United States, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act requires web sites that collect personal information from children to obtain parental consent. For this reason, children under 13 are not allowed to display their real names, nor can they type their own usernames, enter comments, or add other kinds of content that require typing, since these could be used inappropriately. To generate a username, a child can select a combination of color and animal name.

    Q: Are there other restrictions for usernames?

    A: Your username must be unique, but otherwise you have a great deal of flexibility when you create a username. The name can be up to 24 characters long, and you can use any combination of letters and numbers, as well as underscores ( _ ). It cannot consist entirely of numbers, or use spaces or other non-alphanumeric characters. The best username is one that is easy for you to remember.

    Q: I’ve already memorized my barcode. Can I use my barcode as a username?

    A: No, unless it contains both letters and numbers. A username can’t consist entirely of numbers.

    Q: Can I use my username to log in?

    A: Yes, you can use your username or your library card number. However, a username is easier to remember than a long string of numbers. You can’t use your real name to log in, but you can display your real name on the site if you want to.

    Q: Can I change my username?

    A: Yes, you can change your username at any time. Keep in mind that any content you added previously will show your new username.

    Q: How does this login/password relate to the login/password in the old catalog?

    A: It’s the same. If you change your PIN and log in using the old system, or to any other system that uses your library card, you’ll need to use your new PIN.

    Q: I’m having trouble logging in. What should I do?

    A: If you’re logging in for the first time, you’ll need your library card number or barcode, and your PIN. The barcode is the number on the back of your library card. Depending on your library, your PIN may be anywhere from four to 25 digits long, and it may be just numbers or alphanumeric. Some libraries default to the last four digits of your phone number or your zip code. If you’ve already logged in successfully, you have a username, so you can log in with the username or barcode.

    Q: If I’ve been away from my computer, sometimes I have to log in again. Why?

    A: The system is designed to log you out automatically if you haven’t done anything for 30 minutes. This is a security feature, to protect your account from unauthorized use in the event that you forget to log out.

    Q: Can I change my PIN to be more than four numbers?

    A: Depending on your library, you may be able to use up to 25 alphanumeric characters. Ask a librarian if your system allows that.

    Q: I can’t remember my username. What do I do?

    A: Log in with your library card number or barcode. When you’ve logged in successfully, your username appears at the top right of the page.

    Q: I can’t remember my PIN. What do I do?

    A: There’s a Forgot your PIN? link on the Login page. Enter either your username or your library card number (barcode), and then click Send. You’ll get an email with instructions on how to change your PIN. To use this feature, you need to have already registered. If you haven’t already registered, or the library doesn’t have an email address on file for you contact your library branch to reset your PIN.

  • Borrowing

    ITEM TYPE

    COLLECTION 

    LOAN PERIOD
    New movies and New Nonfiction DVDs Adult & Juvenile Media 7 days
    All Other Movies and Nonfiction DVDs, TV Shows,
    Anime DVDs & Video Games     		Adult & Juvenile Media 14 days
    New Fiction and Lucky Day* Books
    *    Lucky Day Books are extra copies of popular titles—you won't find them listed in the catalog, aside from copies that are currently checked out, so you must visit the library in person and look on the shelf to see if it is your Lucky Day.
         		Adult & Juvenile Books 14 days
    Laptops and Hotspots (Age 18 & up only) Technology 14 days
    Book Club in a Bag and Storytime Kits Adult & Juvenile Kits 6 weeks
    SAD Lamps, Starlings, and other Equipment Adult & Juvenile Equipment 14 days
    Board Games Adult & Juvenile Board Games 14 days
    Celebration Picture Books Juvenile Picture Books 14 days
    All Other Library Materials Various 28 days

     

    Miscellaneous Loan Periods

    Button-makers circulate for 2 hours (inside the library only)

    Your library does not keep records of your borrowing without your permission. However, when you enable the Borrowing History feature, the system will start building a list of all the titles you borrow.

    You can turn on the Borrowing History feature in the registration process and start saving your titles immediately, or do so later.

    ► To enable or disable Borrowing History

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click My Settings.
    3. On the My Settings page, under the Account Preferences heading, find your Borrowing History setting.
    4. Click Change.
    5. On the Borrowing History page, click the current setting to change it.
    6. Click Save.
    7. You’ll see the message “Your new information has been saved.”

    Notes: 

    • When this feature is disabled, any existing Borrowing History titles that have not been added to your Completed shelf or to a list will be permanently deleted.
    • If you don’t see a Borrowing History option under Account Preferences, this feature is not enabled at your library.

    Your Borrowing History page is visible only to you. Please consult our Privacy Policy to learn more about how your library protects your private information. There’s a link to the Privacy Policy at the bottom of every page.

    The Fees page displays a list of messages from your library, including library fines.

    ► To view your fees and fines

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click Fees.

    A colored indicator at the top of the Fees page displays the total amount you owe.

    The default sort order is by fee date. You can also sort the list by amount, fee reason or title.

    To pay your fees, visit your library or send payment in the mail. Your library may also allow you to pay your fees online.

    Note: The content of the Fees page is visible only to you. Please consult our Privacy Policy to learn more about how your library protects your private information. There’s a link to the Privacy Policy at the bottom of every page.

    If you no longer want an item you have requested, you can cancel your hold.

    ► To cancel a single hold

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to your On Hold page.
    3. Find the title you want to cancel.
    4. Click the Cancel button next to the item.
    5. Click Yes, cancel hold to confirm.
    6. You’ll see the message “Successfully cancelled holds.”

    ► To cancel multiple holds

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to your On Hold page.
    3. If necessary, filter your holds by clicking Not ready under the My Borrowing summary on the left of the page.
    4. Do one of the following:
      • Click the checkbox next to each item you want to cancel.
      • Click the checkbox above the items to select all of the items on the page.
    5. Click the colored Cancel button at the top of the page. The number of items affected appears in brackets on the button.
    6. Click Yes, cancel holds to confirm.
    7. You’ll see the message “Successfully cancelled holds.”

    If you don’t want an item you have requested to become available when you’re unable to pick it up, you can pause the hold. Pausing, or suspending, retains your place in line until you’re ready to resume. It’s useful if you have items on hold and go on vacation, or already have things checked out you haven’t finished yet.

    ► To pause a single hold

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to your On Hold page.
    3. Find the title you want to pause.
    4. Click the Pause button below the item.
    5. Depending on the system your library uses, you may also be prompted to choose a start date, or a start and end date. Pick your dates, and then click Yes, pause holds.
    6. You’ll see the message “Successfully paused holds.”

    ► To pause multiple holds

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to your On Hold page.
    3. If necessary, filter your holds by clicking Not ready under the My Borrowing summary on the left of the page.
    4. Do one of the following:
      • Click the checkbox next to each item you want to pause
      • Click the checkbox above the items to select all of the items on the page.
    5. Click the colored Pause button at the top of the page. The number of items affected appears in brackets on the button.
    6. Depending on the system your library uses, you may be prompted to choose a start day, or a start and end date. Pick your dates, and then click Yes, pause holds.
    7. You’ll see the message “Successfully paused holds.”

    From the On Hold page, you’re able to keep track of the titles you’ve requested, and where and when they will be available for pickup. By default, items on the page are sorted by hold position, with items ready for pickup first. If you prefer, you can sort the page by status, title, author or format.

    You can also cancel and pause your hold requests. To change the status of a request, click the Pause or Cancel button for the item you want to change. Active and paused holds are each shown in separate blocks. You can use the filters on the left side of your On Hold page to see only ready-to-pick up items, active holds, and paused holds.

    You can activate a paused hold by clicking the Resume button.

    Note: Use this page to manage holds. To place a hold, do a search, or view a title’s details page. See below.

    The content of the On Hold page is visible only to you. Please consult our Privacy Policy to learn more about how your private information is protected. There’s a link to the Privacy Policy at the bottom of every page.

    Placing Holds

    You place holds on items you want to borrow from search results, or from a title’s details page. If you want to pick up the item at a specific location, you can see which branches currently have the item, as well as the circulation status of all available copies.

    ► To place a hold from search results

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Enter some keywords and run your search.
    3. Find the title you want.
    4. Titles with at least one copy in the library show Available. To see the current status of all copies of the item, click the availability details link.
    5. Click the Place a Hold button.
    6. In the Place a Hold popup, select the branch where you’d like to pick up the title. The default location is your home branch, or the one you specified on your Preferences page as your preferred location. (If your library has only one location, or you’ve enabled single-click holds, you won’t see this option.)
    7. Click the Confirm Hold button.

    Your requested title will now appear on your On Hold page.

    Note: You can skip the step of choosing a pickup location every time if you enable single-click holds.

    ► To place a hold from a title’s details page

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Find the title you’d like to place a hold on by searching or browsing the catalog. Go to its details page by clicking its title.
    3. The total number of copies and number currently available is shown. To see the location and current status of each available copy of a title, click the Availability by Location link.
    4. Click the Place a Hold button.
    5. Select the branch where you’d like to pick up the title. The default location is your home branch, or the one you specified on your Preferences page as your preferred location. (If your library has only one location, you won’t see this option.)
    6. Click the Confirm Hold button.

    Your requested title will now appear on your On Hold page.

    Notes:

    • If you need an item in a hurry, use the Availability by Location link to view locations that have copies available.
    • Some items, such as reference book or documents on microfiche, cannot be placed on hold. Inquire about these at the Reference Desk at your branch.
    • Some popular titles may not always be available as quickly as you’d like. Discover new works by exploring the recommendations, comments and tags submitted by other library members.

    If you’re not finished with the items you’ve borrowed, you may want to renew them instead of returning them to the library before they are due.

    You renew the items you’ve borrowed from the Checked Out page. By default, titles on the Checked Out page are displayed in order of due date, with overdue items listed first.

    ► To renew a single item

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click Checked Out.
    3. Find the title you want to renew.
    4. Click the Renew button below the item.

    A popup message will let you know if your renewal was successful.

    ► To renew multiple items

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click Checked Out.
    3. If necessary, filter your checkouts by clicking Overdue, Next Due or Due Later under the My Borrowing summary on the left of the page.
    4. Do one of the following:
      • Click the checkbox next to each item you want to renew
      • Click the checkbox above the items to select all of the items on the page.
    5. Click the colored Renew Selected button at the top of the page. The number of items affected appears in brackets on the button.

    A popup message will let you know if your renewals were successful.

    The Checked Out page displays all titles you currently have on loan from your library. You can use this page to view due dates, renew your loans, and contribute ratings.

    ► To view your checked out items

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click Checked Out.

    Titles listed on the Checked Out page are displayed in order of due date, with overdue items listed first, with the due date in red.

    Once you have returned a title, it will no longer appear on this page. However, if you rated it, the title will appear on your Completed shelf. You can also use the Add to My In Progress icon to save the title to a shelf.

    In addition, if you have enabled the Borrowing History feature, all returned titles will appear on your Borrowing History page, so you can keep track of what you’ve borrowed.

     

  • Searching and Filtering

    Your saved searches are displayed together, so you can easily run or edit them.

    ► To view and run your saved searches

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click My Settings.
    3. On the My Settings page, under the Account Preferences heading, find your Saved Searches setting.
    4. Click Change.
    5. On the Saved Searches page, click the search name to run it.

    Editing a Saved Search

    You can edit a search you’ve saved if you want to change some of the search criteria, but don’t want to re-create the entire search again.

    ► To edit a saved search

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click My Settings.
    3. On the My Settings page, under the Account Preferences heading, find your Saved Searches setting.
    4. Click Change.
    5. On the Saved Searches page, click the search name to run it.
    6. Do one of the following:
      • If you created your search starting with the search box at the top of the page, apply or remove search options, as appropriate.
      • If you created your original search criteria on the advanced search page, add or remove the criteria you want to change.
    7. Click Search.
    8. Click the Save Search link.
    9. If you would prefer to save the search with a new name, type the name.
    10. Click Save it.

    Deleting a Saved Search

    If you no longer require a search you’ve saved, you can delete it from your list of saved searches.

    ► To delete a saved search

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click My Settings.
    3. On the My Settings page, under the Account Preferences heading, find your Saved Searches setting.
    4. Click Change.
    5. On the Saved Searches page, click the check box next to the search name. You can select more than one if required.
    6. Click Delete.

    You can create custom search queries by typing your query directly into the advanced Boolean query box on the Advanced Search page. For example, you could enter…

    Anywhere:(canadian immigration)  -Title:(census)  language:(eng)  format:(BK)

    … to find books in English on Canadian immigration that do not have the word census in the title.

    The information below will help you construct your queries.

    Fields

    Advanced search makes it possible to indicate the kind of information you are looking for by specifying a field in the catalog. Below is a list of commonly used fields. Each field also has a two-letter code; either can be used to specify a field.

    Field Name Field Code Example
    Agerating ag ag:14A
    Anywhere an leprechaun or an:leprechaun
    Artist ar ar:beatles
    Audience ad ad:juvenile
    Author au au:enright
    Available av av:Main
    Award aw aw:giller
    Branch br br:Main
    Call Number ca ca:”J 637.4 GRE”
    Contents cn cn:(Hey Jude)
    ContentType cc cc:Fiction
    Contributor co co:shepard
    Edition ed ed:(special education edition)
    Format fo fo:dvd
    GeneralNote gn gn:(includes index)
    Genre ge ge:biography
    GenreHeading gh gh:memoire
    GenreTag gt gt:synthpop
    Identifier id id:972.81016Sch
    Language la la:fre
    Lexile lx lx:[200 TO 300]
    LocalHeading lh lh:local author
    Localid li li:436899
    Mood mo mo:dark
    New nw nw:[0 TO 30]
    Notes no no:(live recording)
    OnOrder oo oo:(true)
    Period pe pe:[794 TO 1185]
    Publisher pu pu:groundwood
    Pubyear py py:[1918 TO 1939]
    Region re re:babylon
    Series se se:(bartimaeus trilogy)
    Starrating sr sr:5  or sr:[4 TO 5]
    Subject su su:samarkand
    SubjectHeading sh sh:revolutions
    Summary sm sm:shylock
    Tag tg tg:(slow food)
    Theme th th:energy
    Title ti ti:macbeth
    Topic tp tp:volcanoes
    TopicTheme tt tt:geothermal

    To create a search, specify a field, followed by a colon “:”, followed by a word or value. For example:

    series:eye

    will find any work that is part of a series with the word “eye” in its name.

    If you don’t specify a field, the search engine will look for the word anywhere and search all fields. The following query will look for “eye” in the series field, and look for the word “witness” anywhere:

    series:eye witness

    Use parentheses to look for more than one word within a specified field:

    series:(eye witness)

    Boolean Operators

    Search terms may be combined using the Boolean operators AND, OR and NOT.

    Boolean operators must be ALL CAPS. However, field specifiers and words or values are not case sensitive.

    AND / OR

    AND is the default operator when more than one field is specified. In an AND operation, only works that meet all field constraints will be returned.

    Use OR to find all works that match one (but not necessarily all) of several field constraints.

    Use parentheses to group clauses to a single field, or to group OR clauses together. For example, to search for a work with a title containing “Poppins”, and either dvd or video-cassette formats, use the query:

    title:poppins format:(dvd OR vc)

    NOT

    The NOT operator excludes works that contain the term after NOT. The “-” symbol can be used in place of the word NOT, but must not be followed by a space. To search for works described by potter but not harry use either of these queries:

    Potter NOT Harry
    Potter -Harry

    The NOT operator cannot be used with just one term. For example, the following search will return no results:

    NOT Harry

    Wildcard Searches

    Wildcard searches use a special character, the * symbol, that may be replaced by zero or more characters to create a match. For example, to search for judicial, judiciary or judicious, you can use the search:

    judici*

    You cannot use a * symbol as the first character of a search.

    Another use for wildcards is to find a group of titles using call numbers. For example, ca:330* or callnumber:330* (if the call number does not contain a space), or ca:”J 636.7*” (quotes required if the call number contains a space). You can use either an asterisk ( * ) to represent multiple characters or question mark ( ? ) as a single-character wildcard.

    You can also search for a range of items. For example: ca:[“PRE” TO “PRO”].

    Range Queries

    Range queries enable you to match documents whose field values are between the lower and upper bound specified by the range query.

    pubyear:[1960 TO 1999]

    This will find works that were published between 1960 and 1999, inclusive.

    sr:[4 TO 5]

    This will find titles with average star-rating of between 4 and 5.

    Range queries can be inclusive or exclusive of the upper and lower bounds. Inclusive range queries are denoted by square brackets. Exclusive range queries are denoted by curly brackets.

    Escaping Characters

    Advanced Search supports escaping special characters that are part of the query syntax. The current list of special characters includes

    + – && || ! (  ) {  } [  ] ^ ” ~ * ? :

    To escape these characters use before the character. For example to search for (1+1):2 use the query:

    (1+1):2

    Note: The search syntax in the Advanced Search is largely based on Lucene.

    If you periodically search for titles by the same author, or on the same subject, you can save your search and run it again later. That saves you time, especially if the search you’re doing is complex.

    ► To save a search

    1. Log in to your account. You must be logged in to save a search.
    2. Run your search. See Using Advanced Search and Writing Your Own Queries for information on creating complex searches.
    3. If required, narrow your results by applying facets on the left side of the page. See Filtering Search Results for details.
    4. When you have refined your search, click the Save Search link above the search results.
    5. Give the saved search a name that will allow you to easily identify it later. If you already have a search by that name, you’ll have the option to choose a new name or overwrite your existing saved search.
    6. Click Save it.

    You can edit your saved searches after you’ve saved them. See Using and Managing Saved Searches for details.

    Search results show one item for every format your library holds for a title. For example, if your library owns print, eBook, audiobook and downloadable audiobook versions of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, you would see four separate cover images and the associated information for each format. Results are ordered by popularity.

    If you prefer, you can group your search results, so that all available formats of a title are shown together in a block, with a single cover image. This allows you to easily determine which formats your library owns, so that you can choose the one you want. Formats that are currently available appear in the group before formats that are not currently available to borrow. If you don’t need a specific format, you can quickly find one that is available now.

    A book and movie based on that book are grouped separately. Different editions of a book or versions of a movie may also be in their own groups. Translated versions of books are also grouped separately.

    To change your search results to grouped search view, click the grouped search button.

    Click one of the other two buttons to exit grouped search view.

    Differences from Other Search Views

    In addition to showing currently available formats first, the grouped search view differs from the other views in two ways:

    • Neither the cover image nor the title is linked to a details page, since they represent more than one format. To go to the details page for a specific format, click the format link next to the format icon.
    • The search results page displays 10 groups rather than 25 items, so the number of items on each page will vary. The page controls above the results show the total number of groups.

    The search box found at the top of every page should provide excellent results for most of your searching requirements. It has a default keyword search plus additional options, each of which has been tuned to get complete results for most search types.

    For those occasions where you have a particular kind of search in mind, you can use Advanced Search. It has tools that enable you to describe precisely where and how you want to search. You can do Boolean searches using the controls on the page, or by typing directly in the advanced Boolean query box.

    About Boolean Searches

    A Boolean search uses parentheses to group terms and “operators” such as AND, OR, or NOT to limit the search results. A search for potter NOT harry would find titles by Beatrix Potter but not about Harry Potter. On the advanced search page, this could also be entered as (potter) -(harry). Similarly, ( (mark twain) OR (samuel clemens) ) AND (tom sawyer) would look for either Mark Twain or Samuel Clemens, and Tom Sawyer.

    Constructing Queries

    You can use the tools on the page to construct a query. For most people, this is the best choice for doing an advanced search without having to know about how library catalog information is organized. The options you choose will be reflected in the custom Boolean query box.

    ► To construct a query

    1. Specify whether you want the search results to include all of your search terms, or any. All puts AND in the query box; Any puts OR.
    2. In the Includes section, specify the fields in the catalog you want to search, and then enter the word or phrase you want to find. For example, Title and canadian immigration.
    3. To search additional fields, click the Add Another link, and then repeat step #2.
    4. To exclude certain titles, select fields and enter terms in the but do not include section. For example, if you wanted to find information on Canadian immigration but exclude census data, you could select Title and then enter census.
    5. To exclude additional terms, click the Add Another link, and then repeat step #4.
    6. In the Limit my search by section, specify additional search options to restrict your search. For example, you specify only items available at your branch, only items in Spanish, and so on.
    7. When you are finished constructing your query, review it in custom Boolean query box, and then click Search.

    Writing Your Own Queries

    If you prefer to write your own queries, you can type them directly in the custom Boolean query box.

    For example, you could enter…

    Anywhere:(canadian immigration)  -Title:(census)  language:(eng)  format:(BK)

    … to find books in English on Canadian immigration that do not have the word census in the title.

    For details, see Writing Your Own Queries.

    If you are viewing a long list of search results, you can filter the view to help you find items of interest. For example, you may want to see only DVDs, or only books by a specific author.

    On the left side of the screen is a series of clickable headings to help you do this. For search results, you can select a specific format, or view only new items, currently available items, or electronic resources. You can also see only those items available at a specific branch, handy if you want to pick up something immediately.

    In addition, you can filter by:

    • Content (fiction/non-fiction)
    • Audience
    • Form/Genre (mystery, biography, and so on)
    • Topic
    • Region
    • Author
    • Language
    • Published date
    • Average rating, if added by other users
    • Tags, if added by other users
    • Reading Level (Lexile score)

    After each heading, the number of titles in the search result or shelf is shown, with the highest number of matches first.

    ► To apply a filter

    1. In the left sidebar, click the arrow next to a category to view the available options.
    2. Click the checkbox or heading you want to use as a filter. (If the heading has more than 10 items, click the Show more link to see more items in a popup window.)
    3. You can filter the titles further by selecting additional headings.

    Locking Your Filters
    Suppose you want to see if any of last year’s Oscar nominees for Best Picture are currently available at your branch. You search for the first title you can remember, apply a filter so that you only see DVD format and your home branch, find the movie, and then check its availability.

    To search for another title, you could repeat each step in this process. However, there is an easier way—you can lock your filters, so that the next search you do use all the filters you applied the first time.

    ► To retain your filters

    1. Do a search.
    2. Apply the filters you want to use.
    3. In the Active Filters box above your search results, click the pin. The pin moves right, and the text changes from OFF to ON. You’ll also see another pin icon in the search box, to remind you the filters are on.
    4. Run your next search.

    Note: Pinning your filters does not save them permanently. Once you leave the library website, the filters are reset.

    Removing Filters
    You can remove filters you no longer need, to change your search results. You don’t need to remove them in the order you added them, and it doesn’t matter if your filters are locked.

    ► To remove your filters

    1. To remove a filter, do one of the following:
      • For filters with a checkbox (for example, format, language), click the checkbox
      • For other filters, click the X next to the filter.

    OR

    1. Next to the Active Filters box, click the X next to any filter you want to remove. You can remove all of your filters at once by clicking Clear Filters.

    The easiest way to search the library catalog is to type one or more words in the search box at the top of the page, and then click the Search button (the magnifying glass). The search results include items with all of the search terms in either the title or author fields, or in headings or tags.

    If you want to find an exact group of words, such as global warming, you don’t need to put these in quotes, as you do in some search engines. Just type the words. The items that appear at the top of the results will be the ones that include the phrase global warming in the title.

    If you know the author or some words in the title, you can restrict your search by selecting Author or Title from the dropdown list. You can also search by Subject heading or Tag.

    How Search Works

    Search results are ordered based on the best match. The items at the top of the search results will be those that contain your exact search text, in the exact order you typed them (if you used more than one word). After exact matches, words in the title are given a priority, followed by author name, headings, and tags. Popular titles appear ahead of less popular ones.

    You can filter your search results by selecting from the headings on the left side of the page. For more details, see Filtering Search Results and Shelves.

    Additional Search Features

    You can restrict your search to exclude certain results. To leave out certain results, enter the word NOT (in caps) followed by the words to exclude. For example …

    potter NOT harry

    … will display titles by or about Beatrix Potter, but nottitles about Harry Potter.

    You can also search for titles only in a certain format or language. For example, if you are looking for the movie version of Black Beauty only, you could search using …

    black beauty DVD

    Or you could search for any Harry Potter titles in French in any format by entering …

    harry potter french

    Notes:

    • Caps, spaces and punctuation are ignored, so searching for J.K. Rowling is the same as searching for j k rowling.
    • If you know the exact ISBN number of a book, you can enter it in the search box.
    • In your search results, you can click an author or artist’s name to do a new search for items by that author or artist.
    • You can search by call number if you put the entire call number in quotes. For example, “J FIC Rowli”.

    Advanced Searches

    The quick search found at the top of every page should provide excellent results for most of your searching requirements. For those occasions where you have a particular kind of search in mind, you can use Advanced Search. It has tools that enable you to describe precisely where and how you want to search. You can do Boolean searches using the controls on the page, or by typing directly in the custom Boolean query box. To create an advanced search, click the Advanced Search link at the top of the page.

    For details, see Using Advanced Search.

    Finding All Available Formats for a Title

    Search results show one item for every format your library holds for a title. For example, if your library owns print, eBook, audiobook and downloadable audiobook versions of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, you would see four separate cover images and the associated information for each format. Results are ordered by popularity.

    If you prefer, you can group your search results, so that all available formats of a title are shown together in a block. This allows you to easily determine which formats your library owns, so that you can choose the one you want. Formats that are currently available appear in the group before formats that are not currently available to borrow. If you don’t need a specific format, you can choose one that is available now.

    To change your search results to grouped search view, click the grouped search button.

    Click one of the other two buttons to exit grouped search view.

    Broadening Your Search

    When you do a keyword search using more than one term, the items that contain all or most of your search terms appear at the top of the results. The more words in your search, the fewer the results.

    At the top of the page, you’ll see a Broaden your search link. Click the link to re-run the search for items that include any of your search terms. Items that include all or most of the terms will appear first. For example, suppose you search for electrical appliance repair and get 0 results. If you use the Broaden your search link, you would see a number of titles, including many that deal with appliance repair. The broaden your search feature relaxes the search rules to find more items.

  • Exploring

    When you’re searching for books at your library, it’s easy to find related titles by browsing the shelves. This is particularly useful when you’re looking for books on the same topic that are shelved together.

    When you’re looking at the library catalog online, you can browse a virtual shelf to see titles that are related to one you’re viewing.

    ► To browse the shelf of your current title

    1. Open the title, if you’re not already viewing the title’s details.
    2. In the right sidebar, under the Explore Further link, click Browse by Call Number.
    3. In the What’s on the Shelves popup, click the left or right arrow to browse titles on the shelf next to this title.
    4. To view the details of a new title, click it.
    5. If you haven’t selected a new title, click the Close button when you have finished browsing.

    Your My Shelves pages are where you can keep track of the items you’ve read, watched or listened to, or plan to in the future. You can discover titles of interest to you by viewing another patron’s shelves.

    To see another patron’s shelves, click their name anywhere you see it. For example, if you see an interesting comment from another patron on a movie or book, click their name to go to their profile page, and then click Shelves. Patron names also appear on the Recent Activity page, and on lists.

    You can view the shelves of not only the people who use your library, but those of any other library system in the world using this system.

    Note: When viewing the shelves of a patron at another library, you may see titles that your library doesn’t own. If you find recently published titles of interest, you may wish to ask your library to purchase them.

    The Newsfeed page displays a continuous “feed” of titles from people you follow. If you are familiar with Twitter or other social media, you already understand how this works.

    For example, suppose you are following Jane_C. Jane adds Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar to her shelves and gives it a 5-star rating. This book would appear on your Newsfeed page.

    The feed doesn’t just contain highly rated items. For the people you follow, you’ll see:

    • items they added to their shelves,
    • lists they created,
    • comments and ratings they added to specific titles,
    • lists or comments by others that they liked.

    For information on how to follow someone, see Following Others.

    ► To view your Newsfeed

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click My Profile.
    3. Your newsfeed appears on the right.
    4. To see more of your feed, click the Show more button at the bottom of the page, .

    How to Get a Useful Feed

    The key to receiving a good feed of shared items is finding good people to follow. Here are some ideas to get started:

    • View the details of a book or movie you loved. If another user has commented favorably, follow them.
    • Find an interesting list on a subject that interests you, and follow its creator.
    • Check the Recent Activity page for lists and reviews from library staff and follow them. Library staff are usually indicated with a special icon, or identifiable by username.

  • Shelves

    Your For Later shelf is like a wish list, a place to keep track of titles you’d like to borrow at some point. You can make items on this shelf public (visible to others) or private.

    You can add a title to your For Later shelf from:

    • Search results
    • A title’s details page
    • Another patron’s Completed, In Progress or For Later shelf
    • Your Checked Out page
    • Awards and bestsellers pages
    • A list
    • The For Later page itself.

    ► To add a title to your For Later shelf

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. From any of an item’s details page, search results, awards and bestseller lists, or another patron’s shelves, click the Add to My Shelveslink next to the item.
    3. From the dropdown menu, click For Later.

    or

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click For Later Shelf.
    3. Click Add Title.
    4. Search for the title you want to add.
    5. Click the Add to link.
    6. Search for additional items if required, and then close the popup window.

    You can add as many titles to this page as you like. There is no limit.

    Your My Shelves pages enable you to keep track of library items you’ve borrowed, or plan to borrow in the future.

    The Completed shelf is where you can store everything you’ve read, watched or listened to. In Progress is the place for what you are reading, watching or listening to right now. For Later is like a wish list, a place to keep track of the books, movies and music you’d like to borrow in the future.

    When you are viewing one of the shelves, use the categories in the left sidebar to zero in on a smaller group of titles on your shelves. For example, you can filter your For Later shelf to show only DVDs you’d like to check out.

    You can add to your shelves from just about anywhere, including:

    • an item’s details page
    • search results
    • awards and bestseller lists,
    • another patron’s shelves.

    You can also add an item directly by using the Add Title link on any of the shelves.

    Items that you star-rate, comment on, tag, or summarize that are not already on your Completed shelf will be added to it.

    Viewing Your Shelves

    ► To view your shelves
    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click For Later Shelf, Completed Shelf, or In Progress Shelf.

    You can move between shelves using the links below your username.

    By default, titles are sorted by the date you added them, most recent first. By clicking the Sort bydropdown list at the top of the page, you can sort by date added, title, rating, or author.

    Adding, Moving and Removing Items from Your Shelves

    ► To add a title to your shelves

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. From any of an item’s details page, search results, awards and bestseller lists, click the For Later button, or click the arrow next to the button and select another shelf.

    or

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to your Completed, In Progress or For Later shelf.
    3. Click Add Title.
    4. Search for the title you want to add.
    5. Click the Add to link.
    6. Search for additional items if required, and then close the popup window.

    Once you’ve borrowed a title that was on your For Later shelf, you’ll want to move it to your In Progress shelf. Similarly, once you’ve finished a book that was on your For Later shelf, you can move it to your Completed shelf.

    ► To move a title to a different shelf

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to your Completed, In Progress or For Later shelf.
    3. Click the Move to my link.
    4. From the dropdown menu, click the appropriate shelf.

    You can also remove a title from your shelves if you no longer want it to appear there.

    ► To remove a title from your shelves

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to the shelf with the item you want to remove.
    3. Click the checkbox next to the title you want to remove.
    4. At the top or bottom of the page, click the Remove Selected button to permanently remove the title from your shelves.

    Notes:

    • Items remain on your shelves unless you remove them, even if the library no longer owns the title you added.
    • If you remove a title from a shelf, any content you have added, such as a rating or comment, is removed as well, and will no longer be visible if you search for and view that title again.

    Changing How Titles Are Displayed

    You can customize how titles are displayed on your shelves. This includes specifying whether or not you see images, and the number of items on the page. Which settings you choose may depend on the speed of your Internet connection.

    To change how the titles are displayed, click a different icon at the top of the page: Cover View or List View.

    To change the number of items on the page, select 10 or 25 from the dropdown list at the top of the page.

    Filtering Your Shelves

    You can further narrow the titles on your shelves by using the categories in the left sidebar. For example, to see if you’ve already read a book by a particular author, you can filter your Completed shelf by that author’s name.

    Changing the Shared View

    By default, items on your Completed, In Progressand For Later shelves are public. You decide how much or how little of your shelves you’d like to share with others.

    To exclude a title from public view, click the Add Details link to the right of the title to display the dropdown menu, and then click the Keep this item private checkbox. Private items have a small lock icon next to them.

    Adding Content to Titles

    Rating, tagging and adding comments are great ways to enrich the library’s catalog and to make it easier to navigate your shelves. Remember that you can always add more to a title you’ve rated, tagged or reviewed.

    ► To add details to a title

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to a shelf.
    3. To rate a title, look for the My Rating heading to the right of the title, and then click the star representing the rating you want to give.
    4. To add other information, click the Add Details link, and then click the type of information you want to add.
    5. Add your comments, tags or other content.

    Note: For information on the different types of content you can contribute to a title, see the individual help topics on star-rating, comments, tagging, summarizing, quotations, age suitability, and content advisories.

  • Ratings, Comments, and other Content

    This site enables large numbers of users to contribute content. The reporting system allows other users to identify inappropriate comments, lists, and other community-created content that contains spoilers or offensive content, or violates the Terms of Use, while preserving everyone’s ability to express themselves. Reporting inappropriate content is referred to as flagging.

    Types of Community-Created Content You Can Flag

    You can flag any of these types of content:

    • Comments
    • Quotes
    • Notices
    • Summaries
    • Videos
    • Lists

    How Flagging Works

    If two people report a single piece of posted content as containing spoilers, the comment will be automatically flagged as contains spoilers.

    If three people report a piece of posted content as containing offensive material it will be automatically flagged as contains offensive materials. In both of these cases, the comment will not be removed, but you can go to My Settings and have content of these types hidden by default.

    If three people report a piece of posted content as a violation of the Appropriate Use Standards, the flagged material will be reviewed against the Terms of Service. If it is determined that the content violates the Appropriate Use Standards, the content may be removed, depending on the home country of the author and of the users flagging the material.

    Flag Type
    # of Flags
    Action
    Spoiler
    		 2
    Displays spoiler alert.
    Offensive material
    3
    Displays offensive material alert.
    Violates Terms of Use
    3
    Potentially removed, depending on country of creator and report.

    ► To report an inappropriate comment

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On a title’s details page, find the comment you want to report.
    3. Click the flag icon below the comment.
    4. Choose whether you would like to report the content as offensive, contains spoilers, or violates appropriate use standards

      • If you report content as offensive, add a brief explanation about what you find objectionable.

      • If you report content as violating the appropriate use standards, you will be asked to confirm that you have reviewed the appropriate use standards.
    5. Click Submit to send your note.

    Notes: 

    • Reporting is anonymous. The author of a flagged comment will not know who objected to it, and there is no indication on the comment itself that it has been flagged.
    • You can also report inappropriate lists.
    • You can’t flag inappropriate usernames or tags, but you can report these to your library.

    There may be a few titles on your shelves that you do not want to allow others to view. If so, you can hide these titles from the public view of your shelves. When another library member views your shelf, neither the title nor any comments or tags you have added to it will appear.

    ► To hide the title and its contents from public view

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to the shelf containing the title you want to make private.
    3. Click the Add Details link next to the title you want to keep private.
    4. At the bottom of the menu, click the Keep this item private checkbox.

    Notes: 

    • Excluding items from public view is handy when you are working on drafts of a comment or summary and are not yet ready to share your work with others. Once you’re happy with your contribution, uncheck the Keep this item privatecheckbox, and your finished work will be viewable by other library members.
    • You can also make a list private. For details, see My Lists.
    • You can make a title public, but add a private note to it. For details, see Private Notes.

    ► To specify a default privacy setting for a shelf

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click My Settings.
    3. On the My Settings page, under the Privacy heading, find your My Shelves setting.
    4. Click Change.
    5. Use the checkboxes for the Completed, In Progress and For Later shelves to specify whether new items you add to each of these shelves are public (viewable by all) or private.
    6. Click Save Changes.

    Notes: 

    • The privacy setting for a shelf only affects titles you add after you make a change. It does not affect the privacy of titles that are already on the shelf.
    • When you make your shelves private, ratings, comments and other content you add to a title are not visible to other library users.

    You can add a private note to any title on your shelves. Private notes are not visible to other library members or staff.

    ► To add a private note from a title’s details page

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to the shelf containing the title.
    3. Click the Add Details link next to the title, and then click Private Note.
    4. In the Add a Private Note popup, type your note in the text box. You can add up to 4000 characters, or about 600 words.
    5. When you are finished, click Post Private Note to save your note.

    Notes:

    • Private notes are different from Personal tags. You can use personal tags to filter items in your collection. Private notes are not used for filtering.
    • You can see your private notes when you hover your mouse over titles in your collection.
    • You might use a private note to record your reading progress if you have to return a book to the library before you finish it.

    Use summaries to provide a synopsis of a title. Your summary will be viewable by other users when they view information on this title.

    Why Add a Summary?

    Summaries help other users evaluate a title when they view its bibliographic information, help them determine if you would make a good person to “follow” as a source of recommendations, and add value to your library’s catalog.

    You can add a summary from a title’s details page, or from one of your shelves.

    Every time you add a summary to a title, you earn a community credit.

    ► To add a summary

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Search for the title you want.
    3. On the title’s details page, scroll down to the Community Activity section.
    4. Click the Summary tab. (If the Summary tab is not visible, click More first.)
    5. Click Add a Summary.
    6. In the Summary popup, enter your notes in the text box. You can use up to 4000 characters, or about 600 words.
    7. When you are finished, click Post Summary to add your summary to the title’s catalog record.

    ► To add a summary from a shelf

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to the shelf containing the title.
    3. Click the Add Details link next to the title, and then click Summary.
    4. In the Add a Summary popup, type or paste your thoughts in the text box. You can add up to 4000 characters, or about 600 words.
    5. When you are finished, click Post Summary to add your summary to the title’s catalog record.

    Note: Summaries are designed so that you can provide a brief plot synopsis for a work of fiction or a movie, or a content outline for a documentary or non-fiction book. To offer your opinion on the title, add a Comment.

    Use the Similar Titles feature to recommend titles that have something in common—content, tone, style or plot—to the one you are viewing. It’s most useful for making connections between titles that aren’t obvious. For example, you could suggest Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness as a title similar to the movie Apocalypse Now, since the book was used as a source for the movie, and the two share a dark tone.

    Why Suggest Similar Titles?

    By suggesting a similar title, you may help other users to discover new works they would enjoy. It’s a chance to use your knowledge and experience to make connections between titles that might not be apparent to the casual browser.

    ► To add a similar title from a title’s details page

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Search for the title you want.
    3. On the title’s details page, scroll down to the Explore Further section.
    4. Next to the Similar Titles heading, click Add+.
    5. In the Similar Titles popup, click the Add link.
    6. In the Find Similar Titles box, enter the keywords to use to find the item, and then click Search to find it in the catalog.
    7. Your search results appear in the popup window. If the title you want is displayed, click the Add to link next to it. You can also modify your search to display different results.
    8. When you have finished adding related titles, click the X in the popup window to close it.

    ► To add a similar title to an item on a shelf

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to the shelf containing the title.
    3. Click the Add Details link next to the item to display the menu.
    4. Click Similar Titles.
    5. In the Similar Titles popup, click the Add link.
    6. In the Find Similar Titles box, enter the keywords to use to find the item, and then click Search to find it in the catalog.
    7. Your search results appear in the popup window. If the title you want is displayed, click the Add to link next to it. You can also modify your search to display different results.
    8. When you have finished adding related titles, click the X in the popup window to close it.

    Content notices enable you to flag titles that may contain coarse language, violence, sexual content or frightening scenes. Advisories you contribute will be viewable by other library members.

    Why Add Content Notices?

    Content notices advise other library members about certain types of content, in case they would rather avoid such material.

    ► To add a content advisory from a title’s details page

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Search for the title you want.
    3. On the title’s details page, scroll down to the Community Activity section.
    4. Click the Notices tab. (If the Notices tab is not visible, click More first.)
    5. Click Add Notices.
    6. In the Notices popup, click the check box for the notice you think is appropriate.
    7. If you choose Other, add an explanation.
    8. When you are finished, click Post Notice to add your notice to the to the title’s catalog record.

     

    ► To add a content advisory to an item on a shelf

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to the shelf that contains the title you want.
    3. Click the Add Details link next to the title, and then click Notices.
    4. In the Notices popup, click the check box for the notice you think is appropriate.
    5. In the Notices popup, click the check box for the notice you think is appropriate.
    6. If you choose Other, add an explanation.
    7. When you are finished, click Post Notice.

    Note: You may want to use an age suitabilityrating in conjunction with your content notice.

    Age suitability information helps other users find age-appropriate titles in the library’s collection.

    Why add an age suitability rating?

    Age suitability ratings guide other library members to discover items suitable for them or their children.

    ► To add age suitability from a title’s details page

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Search for the title you want.
    3. On the title’s details page, scroll down to the Community Activity section.
    4. Click the Age Suitability tab. (If the Age Suitability tab is not visible, click More first.)
    5. Click Add Age Suitability.
    6. Do one of the following:
      • Check the All Ages checkbox if you think the title is suitable for anyone, or
      • Enter a minimum age if you think the title is unsuited for a younger audience, or
      • Enter a maximum age if you think older borrowers would not enjoy this title.
    7. Click Post Age Suitability to save your recommendation to the catalog.

    Note: You can specify an age range by adding a minimum and maximum age. For example, you might want to indicate that a book is best suited for pre-teens, between the ages of 9 and 12.

    ► To add age suitability from a shelf

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to the shelf that contains the title you want.
    3. Click the Add Details link next to the title, and then click Age Suitability.
    4. Do one of the following:
      • Check the All Ages checkbox if you think the title is suitable for anyone, or
      • Enter a minimum age if you think the title is unsuited for a younger audience, or
      • Enter a maximum age if you think older borrowers would not enjoy this title.
    5. Click Post Age Suitability to save your recommendation to the catalog.

    Sometimes you just can’t say it with words. For those occasions, you might want to attach a video to an item on your shelves to help other patrons determine if they’d like to borrow it. Some types of videos you can add to a title:

    • Interviews with authors about a work, or footage of the author reading from his or her book
    • Movie trailers
    • Music videos
    • Videos you create yourself describing your reaction to a book or movie, or illustrating some aspect of the title you’ve borrowed

    If a video is available on YouTube, Vimeo, opens a new window, SchoolTube or TeacherTube, you can add it to a title.

    Why Add a Video?

    Videos help other library members discover items of interest to them, and they add value to your library’s catalog.

    ► To add a video from a title’s details page

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Search for the title you want.
    3. On the title’s details page, scroll down to the Community Activity section.
    4. If the Video tab is not visible, click More, and then click Videos.
    5. Open a new browser window and find the video you want on YouTube, Vimeo, SchoolTube or TeacherTube. Copy its URL from your browser.
    6. Switch back to the catalog window, and then paste the URL in the Video box. You’ll see a preview so you know you have the right video.
    7. Add a title for the video. For example, “Wizard of Oz trailer”. This will appear directly below the video window.
    8. Add a description of the video. A description is optional.
    9. When you are finished, click Post Video.

    To play the video, click the Videos tab under Community Activity, and then click the video.

    ► To add a video from a shelf

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to the shelf that contains the title you want.
    3. Open a new browser window and find the video you want on YouTube, Vimeo, SchoolTube or TeacherTube. Copy its URL or embed code.
    4. Go back to your catalog window.
    5. Click the Add Details link next to the title, and then click Video.
    6. In the Video popup, add a title for your video.
    7. Add a description of the video. A description is optional.
    8. Paste in the video’s URL or embed code you copied from the video site.
    9. When you are finished, click Save to add your video to the title’s details page.

    Notes:

    • You can add as many videos as you like, but only one video to each title.
    • If you have a video of your own you’d like to add, you’ll need to create a YouTube account and upload the video first before you add it to a title on your shelves. YouTube accepts a variety of video file formats compatible with Windows, Mac and mobile devices, including MOV, MPEG4, MP4, AVI, WMV, MPEGPS, FLV, 3GPP and WebM.
    • To view a video, you need to have the Flash Player from Adobe Systems installed for your web browser. If you can play videos on YouTube, you’ll be able to see them in your library account.

    Tags are descriptive category labels or keywords that you and other library members attach to a title. Tags help you categorize titles in ways different from how your library classifies them. A tag can be a single word or a phrase.

    Why Add Tags?

    Tags help other members to find what they’re looking for, and enable you to organize your shelves in a meaningful way. Tags work alongside traditional indexing systems such as author, title and subject to enrich the library’s catalog.

    ► To add tags from a title’s details page

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Search for the title you want.
    3. On the title’s details page, scroll down to the Explore Further section.
    4. Next to the Tags heading, click Add+.
    5. In the Add Tags popup, click in each of the boxes to add that type of tag. You can add four types.
      • Genre tags tell others what type of work this is, such as mystery, anime, or self-help.
      • Tone tags might include gloomy, exciting or straightforward.
      • Theme tags describe topics or specific subjects, such as coming of age or baking the perfect cookie.
      • Personal tags are for your personal notes. Words you enter in this field are not visible to other library users, but you can still use them to filter your shelves. For example, you may want to use this to tag books read in summer 2007.
    6. You can enter single words or phrases. Use commas to separate multiple tags.
    7. Click the Post Tags button to add the tags to the title’s catalog record.

    Note: Tags are shown on a title’s details page. You can search for other titles with the same tag by clicking the tag word. You can also select Tags from the search dropdown list and enter words in the search box to find titles with the same tag.

    A comment is like a review. Use comments to provide your general impression of a title, and elaborate on your star ratings. Your comments will be visible to other users when they view information on this title.

    Why add comments?

    Comments guide other library members to discover items of interest to them. They also help other members decide if you would be a good person to “follow” as a source of recommendations.

    ► To add a comment from a title’s details page

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Search for the title you want.
    3. On the title’s details page, scroll down to the Community Activity section.
    4. Click Add a Comment.
    5. In the Add a Comment popup, type or paste your thoughts in the text box. You can add up to 4000 characters, or about 600 words.
    6. When you are finished, click Post Comment to add your comment to the title’s catalog record.

    ► To add a comment from a shelf

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to the shelf containing the title.
    3. Click the Add Details link next to the title, and then click Comment.
    4. In the Add a Comment popup, type or paste your thoughts in the text box. You can add up to 4000 characters, or about 600 words.
    5. When you are finished, click Post Comment to add your comment to the title’s catalog record.

    Star ratings are the easiest way for you to let others know what you think about a title.

    Why Add Star Ratings?

    Star ratings guide other library members to discover items of interest to them. Any title that you will be recommended to other users who are “following” you. Star ratings are averaged across all members who rate a specific title, and add value to your library’s catalog by highlighting high-quality items.

    You can add star ratings to a title from:

    • the title’s details page,
    • your Checked Out page,
    • your Completed or In Progress shelves.

    On a title’s details page, the orange stars are the average rating of everyone who rated it.

    ► To contribute a star rating

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Find the title you want to rate.
    3. Click the number of stars you think a title deserves. You can use-half star increments to be more precise.
    4. To change the rating, click a different number of stars.
    5. To remove your rating, move your pointer to the right of the last star, and then click the x when it appears.

  • Lists

    A list is a collection of titles related to a specific topic or idea of your choosing. Think of it as a subject guide. For example: Knitting Books for Beginners or The 10 Best Movies about Baseball would be suitable subjects for lists.

    Adding a Title or Webpage from the List Page

    You can add titles from the catalog, or webpage links to a list when you create it. Catalog titles can also be added from a title’s details page.

    ► To add a catalog title to your list

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to your My Lists page.
    3. Click the Edit button next to the list you want to edit.
    4. On the list page, click the Add to List button.
    5. Search for the title you want to add.
    6. When you’ve found the title you want, click the Add link.
    7. Repeat steps 4-6 until you’ve added all the titles you want.

    Notes

    ► To add a webpage to your list

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to your My Lists page.
    3. Click the Edit button next to the list you want to edit.
    4. On the list page, click the Add to List button.
    5. Click Web URL.
    6. Type or paste in the webpage address. A webpage must start with http:// or https://.
    7. Optionally, add a title for the page. The title is the text you’ll see on your list that identifies the webpage. If you don’t add a title, the webpage’s own title will be used.
    8. You can also add an annotation, to provide more information about the website.
    9. Click Add to add the webpage to the list.

    Adding a Title to a List from a Title’s Details Page

    You can also add a title to a list from any title’s details page.

    ► To add a title from a title’s details page

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Go to the details page of the title you want to add to a list.
    3. On the right side of the page, under the Listed heading, click Add+, and then click Existing Lists.
    4. In the Add to List popup, find the list you want, and then click Create Draft & Add or Add To Draft.
    5. Click the X to close the popup.

    Ordering Items on Your List

    By default, each new item you add to a list appears at the bottom.

    There are two ways to order the items on your list:

    • Dragging and dropping. You’ll see a ghost image of the item as it moves. When the item is where you want it, release the mouse button.
    • Click the up or down arrow next to the item to move it up or down one position.

    Note: To have new items appear at the top by default, click the gear icon while editing any list, and then click Add new items to the top.

    A list is a collection of titles related to a specific topic or idea of your choosing. An If You Liked… list is a specific category of list designed to let you share your expertise. For example, if you enjoyed the book The Fault in Our Stars or the movie version of The Hunger Games, what would you recommend that is similar?

    ► To create a new If You Liked list

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click Lists.
    3. Click the Create a New List button.
    4. Click If You Liked.
    5. Search for the title you like, the one that will be the basis for the list.
    6. When you find the title you want, click Use This.
    7. Explain why someone who likes your likes your list subject would like the other titles you’ve chosen.
    8. Click Add to List to add catalog titles or website URLs to your list. For details, see Adding Titles to Lists.
    9. When you’ve added all of your titles, click Finished Editing.
    10. Choose who can see your list.
      • Everyone. This is the best option for this type of list.
      • People in a specific location. This is useful for lists of local interest, such as school projects.
      • Anyone with the link. Use this when you want to share a list with someone, but don’t want to make it available to everyone.
      • Only me. This makes the list private. No one but you can see this list.
    11. Click Publish.

    Notes: 

    • Each change you make to a list is saved. The most recent version of your list appears in the Drafts section of your My Lists page. Once you publish it, the list appears in the Published section.
    • You can publish a list when you’ve added four or more items. Lists with fewer items are stored in the Drafts section of your My Lists page. Drafts are only visible to you.

    A list is a collection of titles related to a specific topic or idea of your choosing. For example: Knitting Books for Beginners or The 10 Best Movies about Baseballwould be suitable subjects for lists. Although lists are meant for sharing, you can decide who gets to see your list when you publish it.

    ► To create a new list

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click Lists.
    3. Click the Create a New List button.
    4. Click Guides and Recommendations.
    5. Select the type of list you want to create. This will help inform others about the list’s contents.
    6. Give the list a title. Others can search for your list by the words you use, so make the title informative.
    7. Add a description, if you wish, to elaborate on the title. A description is optional, but will help others find your list.
    8. Click Add to List to add catalog titles or website URLs to your list. For details, see Adding Titles to Lists.
    9. When you’ve added all of your titles, click Finished Editing.
    10. Choose who can see your list.
      • Everyone.
      • People in a specific location. This is useful for lists of local interest, such as school projects.
      • Anyone with the link. Use this when you want to share a list with someone, but don’t want to make it available to everyone.
      • Only me. This makes the list private. No one but you can see this list.
    11. Click Publish.

    Notes: 

    • Each change you make to a list is saved. The most recent version of your list appears in the Drafts section of your My Lists page. Once you publish it, the list appears in the Published section.
    • You can publish a list when you’ve added four or more items. Lists with fewer items are stored in the Drafts section of your My Lists page. Drafts are only visible to you.

  • Networking

    When you ignore another user, you do not see their comments on bibliographic records, and they cannot send you a message. Ignoring a user causes all of their comments to be screened so that they do not appear when you browse the library’s catalog.

    Why Ignore Other Users?

    This site provides all library members and staff with a forum to express opinions about books, DVDs and CDs they like or dislike. People’s tastes differ; there may be some opinions you would rather not read.

    When you ignore another user, that user isn’t notified, nor is their ignored status viewable by anyone else. Adding someone to your Ignored Users list doesn’t affect their standing with other users at your library.

    Ignoring doesn’t have to be forever. Any users you have chosen to block from your view are listed on your Ignored Users page, and can be easily removed from the list.

    ► To ignore a user

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. When you see a comment whose author you would like to ignore, point to their name (tap if you’re using a tablet or smartphone) and then click Ignore.
    3. A message appears that the user has been added to your Ignored Users list.

    ► To stop ignoring a user

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click My Settings.
    3. Find the user’s name on your Ignored Users page.
    4. Click Unignore User.
    5. A message appears confirming the user has been removed from your Ignored Users list.

    Note: The content on your Ignored Users page is visible only to you. Your library will not share this information with anyone, under any circumstances. Please consult our Privacy Policy to learn more about how your library protects your private information.

    You can communicate with other library members by sending brief text messages. If you’re familiar with text messaging on your mobile phone, or instant messaging on your computer, you’ll understand how this feature works.

    You can use this feature to engage others in conversations about titles you both enjoyed, or ask questions of others who have expertise in a particular area. For example, if you saw a summary that lead you to a book or movie you really enjoyed, you might want to send the author of the summary a quick message.

    ► To send someone a message

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Look for a user’s name, and then point to it until you see a popup.
    3. In the popup, click Message.
    4. In the Send a message popup, type the message.
    5. Click Send. The popup closes. A confirmation message appears.

    Notes:

    • All messages you send are shown on your Sent Messages page.
    • You can also reply to a message sent to you. Once you’ve read it, just type in the box below the message and click Send.

    Your Inbox displays messages you have received from other library members and staff. If you’re familiar with instant messaging on your computer, or text messaging on your cellular phone, then you’ll understand how this works.

    ► To view your messages

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click the envelope icon.

    Unlike emails, these messages don’t have a subject line. Your Inbox displays the first few words of the message in the Message column.

    To read a message, click the text in the Message column.

    To delete a message, click its checkbox, and then click the Delete button.

    If you wish, you can reply to any messages you receive from other library members or staff.

    ► To reply to a message

    1. Open the message by clicking the preview text under the Message column heading.
    2. In the reply box, type your message. You don’t need to pick a recipient. Your response will go back to the sender automatically.
    3. Click the Send button.

    Messages you’ve sent are stored for you and displayed on the Sent Messages page. In addition to replying to messages you receive, you can send a message to any user whose name you see on the site. Just look for their name on the Recent Activitypage, or attached to comments on a title.

    Note: If you receive personal messages from other members you’d rather not hear from, you can block them. When you do so, you won’t get any more messages from the person, and you will not see any of their comments or ratings on the site. When you block someone, that person is not notified you have done so.

    When you follow someone, it means you’re interested in what they’re reading, watching or listening to. Following someone with similar tastes is one way to discover new items in the catalog you may want to borrow. If you’re familiar with Twitter or Instagram, you already understand the idea of following someone.

    When people you follow contribute to the catalog, you’ll get a notification in your newsfeed. Your newsfeed will show:

    • items they added to their shelves,
    • lists they created,
    • comments and ratings they added to specific titles,
    • lists or comments by others that they liked.

    ► To follow someone

    When you see a comment or list that you agree with or enjoy, do this:

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. Hover over the contributor’s username.
    3. In the popup that appears, click Follow.

    Note: The number of people you follow, and the number who are following you, are shown on your profile page. To manage the people you follow, click the Following link on your profile page to see all of the people you currently follow.

    You will see other users’ names on many pages of the site, including the Recent Activity page, and the bibliographic records where other users have contributed comments.

    To help you find the users and content that will be of most interest to you, librarians are indicated by their library’s logo.

    When you click another user’s name, you’ll see their profile page. From the profile page, you can:

    • view that person’s shelves and lists,
    • send them a message,
    • follow a person, so that their activity—ratings and comments they add, for example—appears in your Newsfeed,
    • ignore the person, so you don’t see their comments or receive messages from them.

    Your profile is the page users will visit when they want to find out more about you. Any time you create content in the catalog (by creating a list or adding a comment or quote to a title), users will be able to click your username to view your profile.

    Your profile gives users links to your shelves, your lists, and your recent activity feed. You can customize your profile by adding a brief About Me, a link to your website or Twitter profile, and areas of interest to you. You can also present your own personalized rating scale, which will help other users understand what different star ratings mean to you.

    ► To view your profile

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click My Profile.
    3. To the right of your username, click Add/Edit Profile Details.
    4. Click the + icons to add information about yourself. All information is optional, but will be visible to other users who view your profile.