Frequently asked questions

 

• How to sign into your account on a computer
  
  

• How to sign into your account on a mobile device
  
  

• How to check the items you have on loan
  
  

• How to renew your items
  
  

• How to browse the catalogue
  
  

• Browsing tips and tricks
  
  

• How to reserve an item
  
  

• How to create a wishlist
  
  

• Using wishlists
  
  

• How to view and update your profile account preferences

How to sign into your account on a computer

1. Click the Account/Login icon on the top right hand menu bar
   
   
   
   
2. Select the login icon from the bottom of the drop down menu
   
   
   
   
3. Enter your library membership number in the Borrower number or username box, followed by your PIN or password
   
   If you have recently joined online and have a temporary number that begins UNREG00000000 please enter this
   
   
   
   
4. Click on the Login button

 

 

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How to sign into your account on a mobile device

 

 

 

1. Click on the 'hamburger' menu icon on the top right of the screen - this looks like three horizontal lines
   
   
   
   
2. Click on Login at the bottom of the menu options
   
   
   
   
3. Enter your library membership number in the Borrower number or username box, followed by your PIN or password as above.

 

 

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How to check the items you have on loan

 

 

 

1. Once you have logged into your account you will be taken to the 'My Shelf' page which displays a list of items on loan, together with any reservations you have placed and also a list of titles you have previously borrowed in your loan history
   
   
   
   
2. You will see book jackets displaying the items you currently have on loan and how many days are left until they need to be renewed.
   
   
3. You can select any individual title to see more details including the exact due date and how many times the item has previously been renewed.
   
   
   
   
4. It is often simpler to click on the 'Renew all' option as this will display your items in list view which is perhaps easier to read
   
   
   
   
   

 

 

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How to renew your items

 

 

 

1. Log into your account as above which will take you to your 'My Shelf' page
   
   
   
   
2. If you have a single item to renew you can select that item and click on the 'Renew' icon
   
   
   
   
   
3. Click on 'Proceed' to go ahead
   
   
   
   
   
4. You will then see a message at the top of the screen confirming 'Your loan has been renewed successfully'
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Using the 'Renew all' function
   
   To renewal multiple items on loan click on 'Renew all'.
   
   
   
   This will display a list of all items available for renewal and will by default select all of them. If there are any titles you would like to exclude simply remove the tick to the left of the item details. When you are ready click 'Renew Selected'
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. You will see confirmation your loans have been renewed successfully
   
   

* Important information *

 

There are times where your renewal will be rejected. For example, if the item is reserved for another library member, or if you have reached the maximum limit of 10 renewals in which case you would need to visit your local library. Please check that all of your loans have been renewed. There will be messages to assist.

 

i   If the item has been reserved by another library member you will see a message as follows on the screen:

If this is the case please contact your local library who will be able to arrange for a 2 day extension to your loan.

 

ii   If you have any items that have reached their maximum renewal limit they will appear lower down on the 'renew all' screen under the heading 'Loans not available for renewal' and you will see the renewal count showing as 10. In this case please visit your local library who will be able to re-issue the item to you, allowing for a further 10 renewals subject to reservations being placed.

 

Tip -> Please always scroll to the bottom of the list of loans to ensure you check for any items that cannot be renewed.

 

 

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How to browse the catalogue

 

 

 

1. To begin a catalogue search click on the search icon in the top right hand menu. This will open a field for you to type a title, an author, a keyword or a subject. When you are ready press Enter.
   
   
   
   
   
2. It is likely you will see more than one edition of the title you are looking for. To find out more click on the image of the book. This will give you more information about the particular edition of the item you are looking at.
   
   
   
   
   If you click on the left side of the window where the book jacket is displayed you will see information about the publication date, the format, e.g. Hardback, Paperback, Large print, and the ISBN.
   
   
   
   On the right hand side you will see a synopsis of the book and at the bottom of the screen it will show what format it is available in:
   Book - eBook - AudioBook
   
   
   
   Tip -> you will only see formats available for that particular edition. If you don't see what you are looking for you can try another, or use the filters (see below).
   
   
   
3. Checking if a book is available
   
   Click on the format you are looking for, e.g. Books. If there are copies available you will see how many
   
   
   
   To find out the locations click on the number of copies drop down menu box:
   
   
   
   Tip -> If there are a large number of locations you can type the name of the library into the 'Filter by location' box.
   
   If there are no suitable locations you can choose to place a reservation at this point - see further information below.
   
   If there are no copies available for a title you are looking for you will only see the 'Place reservation' option:
   
   
   
   
   Your first search may not find exactly what you are looking for, or it may find too many results. There are many options available to refine your original search to narrow down the number of results.

 

 

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Browsing tips and tricks

 

 

 

Using filters

By default the search will begin by looking for a keyword and items available in Harrow Libraries.

 

1. Search Field & Search Area
   
   A good place to start is by using either the search field or search area filters.
   
   The search field will allow you to specify if you are searching for a title, author, subject, ISBN or series. Click on the appropriate option from the drop down menu. You will then see a new window open at the bottom of the screen. To go ahead you need to click on 'Apply filters'.
   
   Each time you make any changes to the filter remember to click 'Apply filters' for it to take effect.
   
   
   
   You may find that the book you are looking for is not available within Harrow Libraries, but may be elsewhere within The Libraries Consortium. Whenever you are unable to find what you need the best tip is to change the search area.
   
   Click on search area and scroll to the last option and select 'All locations'
   Tip -> remember to click on Apply filters
   
   
   
   Tip -> You can also use this field if you want to check if a neighbouring library authority as the item you are looking for.
   
   
   
2. Refining your search further using the other filters
   
   There are several options to the left of the screen that will allow you to narrow down your search by author, publication year, audio book and so on. You can set as many filters as you wish but it is best not to set too many as you may not get enough results. Just remember to click on 'Apply filters' each time. 
   
   
   
   
   Removing filters: As you add filters you will see them displayed to the left of the screen above the filter menu. You can remove these at any time by clicking on them to close the filter.
   
   Remember to click on 'Apply filters' after you have closed one to make it take effect.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Searching for books in other languages
   
   By default the catalogue will search for titles in English initially and if you enter a search term in a different language you will probably get a result saying 'No results can be found'
   
   
   
   To resolve this click on the button towards the top left of the screen that says 'Language: English' to close the filter. Apply the filter and you will see results in your preferred language
   
   Tip -> you may need to set the 'Search area' field to all locations to get better results
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

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How to reserve an item

 

 

1. Log into your account
   
   
2. Search for the item you would like to reserve
   
   
3. Check which edition you would like, e.g. hardback, paperback, audio
   
   
4. You should see your preferred pickup location displayed - this is usually your home library but you can select any library in Harrow
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Click on 'Place reservation'
   
   
   
   
   
   

You will see confirmation at the top of the screen that your reservation has been placed successfully.

1. Tip -> If you are browsing the catalogue and find a title that you would like to reserve you can click on 'Place reservation' at any time. If you are not already logged into your account you will be prompted to do so. When you return to the title details click on 'Place reservation' to confirm.

 

Other reservation functions:

Once you have placed a reservation you can check the details from the 'My Shelf' section your account page. You are able to make the following changes:

• Cancel the reservation
• Change the pickup location
• Suspend the reservation
  
  
  

1. To cancel a reservation click on the Cancel button, then click on 'Proceed'. If you decide you do not want to cancel the reservation click on 'Keep'
   
   
   
   
   
2. To change the pickup location for your reservation click on the 'Change' button. Select the library you would prefer to collect your item from, then click on 'Proceed'.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Suspending a reservation. You may wish to delay when you receive your reserved item if, for example, you are about to go on holiday. To do this click on the 'Suspend' button. Today's date will be entered in the 'start' box. You just need to enter a date in the 'End' box, then confirm by clicking on 'Proceed'. From this date you will go back on the waiting list for the item you originally reserved. 
   
   
   
   
   

 

 

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How to create a wishlist

 

 

You may like to create a wishlist of titles you would like to read. You can create a number of wishlists each with a different name.

 

1. Log into your account.
   
   
2. Select the 'My Lists' tab. Here you will see any wishlists you have already created, and can create a new list.
   
   
3. Creating a new list - click on the 'Create new list' button
   
   
   
   
4. Give your list a name, then click the 'Create' button. 
   
   
   
   
   
   You are now ready to start adding titles to your wishlist.

Using wishlists

 

 

Once you have created some wishlists you can:

• Add titles
• Remove titles
• Move titles from one list to another
  
  

1. Log into your account and select the 'My Lists' tab. 
   
   
2. Adding a title to your wishlist
   When you find a title that looks interesting and you would like to add it to your wishlist click on the book jacket to display the title information, then click on the 'Open lists panel' icon. This is found to the right of the book synopsis and has a left facing arrow next to a plus symbol:
   
   
   
   
   Select the name of the wishlist you would like to add this title to:
   
   
   
   
   You will then see a message to confirm the title has been added to your wishlist successfully:
   
   
   
   Tip -> You can also create a new wishlist from this screen by clicking on the 'Add the title to a new list' button.
   
   
   
3. Removing a title from your wishlist
   To remove a title from your wishlist log into your account and select the 'My Lists' tab. Click on the title you would like to remove, then click on the 'Open lists panel' icon. Click on the 'Remove' link. You will receive a confirmation message that the title has been successfully removed.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Moving a title between lists
   You can move an item between existing wishlists by selecting it, clicking on the 'Open list panel' icon, and finally clicking on the plus button to the right of the list you would like to move the item to:
   
   

Other functions

1. Rating a title
   You can give a title a rating by clicking on the upwards thumb 'Like' button, or the downwards thumb 'Dislike' button at the top of the right hand menu.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Sharing a title
   You can share details of a title with friends by clicking on the 'Open sharing panel' icon at the bottom of the right hand menu.
   
   
   
   
   This opens a panel giving you five sharing options. From left to right you have:

• Copy the URL: this allows you to copy the web address of the catalogue page with the relevant title details
• Suggest the title to a friend by email
• Tweet about the title
• Post on Facebook about the title
• Share the title on WhatsApp

 

 

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How to view and update your profile and account preferences

 

 

From your account you can:

 

• Check items on loan, reservations and loan history from the 'My Shelf' tab
• Create and view wishlists from the 'My Lists' tab
• View any Events you have added to your Favourite Events list
• View and update your account settings from the 'My Profile' tab

Viewing and making changes to your account settings

 

Log into your account and select the 'My Profile' tab. This is broken down into three sections:

1. My details
   
   Here you can check your basic account details. You can also upload a picture to represent your account by clicking on 'Update avatar', or you can change your PIN by clicking on 'Reset my PIN'.
   
   To make any changes to your library account, e.g. change of address, new email address, please contact your local library.
   
   
   
   
   
2. My Charges
   
   Details of any fees and charges in your account will shown here. You can make payments in your local library either by card using one of the self-service kiosks, or in person at the staff enquiry point.
   
   
   
   
   
3. My Preferences
   
   
   There are a number of preferences you can set:
   
   Colour Theme - this will be set to 'auto' by default, but can be change from a light to a dark theme.
   
   
   
   Genres - here you can set your preferred reading genres which will influence the titles displayed on the homepage under 'We Think You May Like'. You can leave this blank, or add / amend it at any time.
   
   
   
   Formats - here you can set your preferred methods of accessing library materials, books to read, audio books to listen to, DVDs to watch, or events to attend.
   
   
   
   Pop-up Messages - when you carry out actions online the platform will generate a range of pop-up messages such as confirmation of renewals, reservations placed, welcome and goodbye messages when logging in and out of your account. By default these remain on the screen until you click to close them. Here you can change this to 'I would like the messages to disappear automatically after...' 
   Simply click on the button next to this message to select it, and use the scale below numbered 2 - 15 seconds to set how long you would like the message to remain on screen before it automatically closes.
   
   
   
   Notifications - here you can choose how you would like to receive notifications such as reservations that are available to collect, pre-overdue notifications, and overdue messages. 
   
   Tip -> You need to ensure your current mobile number and/or email address are correctly registered with us.
   
   
   
   Marketing - here you can indicate if you would like to receive information about library services. You can change your preference at any time. If you would like to receive notifications regarding any changes of services offered, library events, or important library member communications please set this to 'Yes'.
   
   
   
   

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