Catalogue and Account Guide FAQs

  • Adding Ratings, Comments, and Other Content

    You can request an item for our collection if we don't have a copy.

    If you don't want to suggest we buy a title, but you'd still like to add it to one of your shelves (For Later, Completed, In Progress), you can search for the item under Lists instead of Keyword.

    Lists created by users at other libraries can have titles that aren't in our collection. You can add the item to your shelf from here. 

    Each time you contribute information such as ratings, tags, comments or summaries, you receive community credits. Community credits are a way you can keep track of your contributions to the library’s catalogue, and to the wider community of library users.

    To see the details of how you earned your credits, click My Account, and then click Community Credits.

    The simplest way to start earning community credits is to add titles to your shelves: each star rating, tag or other comment that you add earns one credit. When you create a list of at least five titles, you earn 5 credits.

    Your list of community credits is private. 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.

    Note: Not every library uses community credits. If you don’t see Community Credits on your menu, your library has not enabled this feature.

    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 library. When another library member views your collection, 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. Go to one of your shelves. For example, the Completed shelf.
    2. Click the Add Details link next to the title you want to keep private.
    3. Click the Keep this item private checkbox.

    You can also do this from the title’s bibliographic details page.

    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 contributions, uncheck the Keep private checkbox, 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. Click the My Settings link at the top of any page.
    2. On the My Settings page, click the Privacy tab.
    3. 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.

    Note: Changing a shelf’s privacy setting does not affect items already on the shelf, only new items you add to it.

    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. At the top of the page, click the Add More link to display the menu.
    2. Click Private Note.
    3. In the Private Notes popup, enter your notes in the text box.
    4. When you are finished, click Save.

    ► To add a private note from your shelves, Checked Out or Recently Returned

    1. Click the Add More link to display the menu.
    2. On the menu, click Private Note.
    3. Enter your note in the text box.
    4. Click Save.

    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.

    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 catalogue.

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

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

    1. At the top of the page, click the Add More link to display the menu.
    2. Click Summary.
    3. In the Summary popup, enter your notes in the text box. You can use up to 4000 characters, or about 600 words.
    4. When you are finished, click Save to add your summary to the title.

    ► To add a summary from your shelves, Checked Out or Recently Returned

    1. Click the Add More link to display the menu.
    2. On the menu, click Summary.
    3. In the Summary popup, enter your notes in the text box. You can use up to 4000 characters, or about 600 words.
    4. When you are finished, click Save.

    Tip: 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.

    When you suggest a similar title, you receive a community credit.

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

    1. At the top of the page, click the Add More link to display the menu.
    2. Click Similar Titles.
    3. In the Similar Titles popup, click the Add link.
    4. In the Find Similar Titles box, enter the keywords to use to find the item, and then click Search to find it in the catalogue
    5. Your search results appear in the popup window. If the title you want is displayed, click the Add link next to it. You can also modify your search to display different results.
    6. When you have finished adding related titles, click the Close link in the Search Results popup window to close it.

    ► To add a similar title from your shelves, Checked Out or Recently Returned page

    1. Click the Add Details link to display the menu.
    2. Click Similar Titles.
    3. In the Similar Titles popup, click the Add link.
    4. 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.
    5. Your search results appear in the popup window. If the title you want is displayed, click the Add link next to it. You can also modify your search to display different results.
    6. When you have finished adding related titles, click the Close link in the Search Results popup window to close it.

    Sometimes a good quotation is great way to give others an idea of what is in store for them if they borrow a title. The quotations you contribute will be visible to other library members when they look at this title’s details page.

    Why Add Quotations?

    Quotations give others a taste of the book or movie. They help guide other members to discover items of interest to them, and add value to your library’s catalog. You can add as many quotations as you like.

    Every time you share a quotation, you will earn community credits.

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

    1. At the top of the page, click the Add More link to display the menu.
    2. Click Quotations.
    3. In the Quotations popup, click the Add a Quote link.
    4. Type or paste your quotes in the text box.
    5. When you are finished, click Save.

    ► To add a quotation from your shelves, Checked Out or Recently Returned

    1. Click the Add Details link to display the menu.
    2. On the menu, click Quotations.
    3. In the Quotations popup, click the Add a Quote link.
    4. Paste or type your quotation in the text box.
    5. When you are finished, click Save to add your quote

    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.

    Every time you contribute a content advisory, you earn community credits.

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

    1. At the top of the page, click the Add More link to display the menu.
    2. Click Notices.
    3. In the Notices popup, click the check box for the notice you think is appropriate. The popup expands to allow space for an explanation.
    4. Add an explanation of your notice.
    5. When you are finished, click Save to add your notice to the title.

    ► To add a content advisory from your shelves, Checked Out or Recently Returned

    1. Click the Add More link to display the menu.
    2. On the menu, click Notices.
    3. In the Notices popup, click the check box for the notice you think is appropriate. The popup expands to allow space for an explanation.
    4. Add an explanation of your notice.
    5. When you are finished, click Save.

    Tip: You may want to use an age suitability rating 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. Every time you add an age suitability rating to a title, you earn a community credit.

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

    1. At the top of the page, click the Add More link to display the menu.
    2. Click Age Suitability.
    3. 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.
    4. Click Save to save your recommendation to the catalog.

    ► To add age suitability from your shelves, Checked Out or Recently Returned

    1. Click the Add Details link to display the menu.
    2. On the menu, click Age Suitability.
    3. 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.
    4. Click Save to save your recommendation to the catalog.

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

    Tip: 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.

    ► To add tags from your shelves (For Later, Completed, or In Progress)

    Click on Add Tags

    Fill out the information you want to add. You can add more than one, separate with commas. 

    Select Done.

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

    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.

    Every time you add comments to a title, you earn community credits.

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

    1. At the top of the page, click the Add a Comment link.
    2. In the Comment popup, enter your thoughts in the text box. You can add up to 4000 characters, or about 600 words.
    3. When you are finished, click Save to add your comment to the title’s catalogue card.

    ► To add a comment from your shelves, Checked Out or Recently Returned

    1. Click the Add Details link to display the menu.
    2. On the menu, click Comment.
    3. In the Comment popup, enter your thoughts in the text box. You can add up to 4000 characters, or about 600 words.
    4. When you are finished, click Save to add your comment to the title’s catalogue car

    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.

    Star ratings guide other library members to discover items of interest to them. Any title that you rate with 4 or 5 stars 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 from a title’s details page, from your Completed, In Progress or For Later shelves, or from the Checked Out or Recently Returned pages. Stars are shown in yellow when you can add or change the rating. When the stars are shown in blue, this is the title’s average score of all the people who have rated it.

    Star rating is also the easiest way to earn community credits.

    ► To contribute a star rating

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

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

    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 catalogue 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. Using the Recently Returned feature, you can easily track what you’ve borrowed. 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,tagging, summarising, quotations, age suitability, and content advisories.

    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.

  • Exploring

    BiblioCommons has a feature called Personalised Promotions. It means when you do a search in the catalogue, you might get some recommended eResources, blog posts, lists or events.

    For example, I searched for "New Zealand”, I got two items then a link to a page on Aotearoa New Zealand. 

     Further down the page. I get links to CINCH Community Information Christchurch, and a blog post about a New Zealand book. 

    If you click on the Why am I seeing this? text, the disclaimer explains:

    You are seeing content created by Christchurch City Libraries Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi because it is related to items returned in search results, to your search terms, or has been specifically chosen to be featured by the library. This feature does not track your personal searching activity or use your library account information to determine what content to display. 

    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 catalogue online, you can view five related titles under the Related titles heading on the record page you’re viewing.

    ► To view the Related titles

    1. Open the title, if you’re not already viewing the title’s details.
    2. Scroll down the page to  Explore further - Related titles

    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 see other titles on their Completed shelf.

    Patron names also appear on the Recent Activity page.

    Your Recently Shared page displays the 10 most recent items from people you follow. To see older items, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Show Older button to see the next 10.

    Click the Add to My Shelves link to save a recommendation to one of your shelves (such as For Later).

    If you find you are getting recommendations from one user that do not interest you, go to your I’m Following page and adjust the follow criteria for that user.

    Your Recently Shared page is constantly updated. Check it regularly.

    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 you loved. If another user shares your opinion, follow them for related items.
    • Find someone who has added a comment you really like, and follow them for similar titles.

    The Recently Shared page displays a continuous “feed” of titles from people you follow. 

    To follow someone, you select a user, and then specify subjects on which you think they have some expertise, such as humour, cooking, historical fiction, and so on. You can choose categories, or follow the user on all subjects. When that user rates a title, adds a comment, or contributes any other type of content to that title — a video, similar title, summary, age rating, and so on — the title will appear on your Recently Shared page.

    For example, suppose you are looking for quality books for pre-schoolers and are following Jane C for juvenile fiction. 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 Recently Shared page.

    The feed doesn’t just contain highly rated items. Sometimes, knowing that someone you trust dislikes something is as useful as knowing that they really enjoyed it.

  • FAQs

    NewsBank - Access New Zealand has full digital image versions of popular New Zealand Newspapers.
     
    Sign in to NewsBank - Access New Zealand with your library card and PIN or Password.
     

    1. Scroll down to the blue buttons on the right handside of the screen. Select any of these newspapers. 

    2. You will see two results. Select the second one (which says "image" under the format column).

    3. Choose the date you want to read, either from the links at the top or by clicking on the calendar.

    Your selected issue will load in the full digital image version. Enjoy!

    On November 13, 2024, OverDrive retired the MP3 audiobook format from OverDrive library websites and ended support for OverDrive's desktop apps for Windows and Mac (which only worked with MP3 audiobooks).

    You can listen to audiobooks using the following options:

    Q: What are shelves for?

    A: Your My Shelves pages gather in one place all the titles that you have read, watched or listened to (Completed), are currently enjoying (In Progress) or would like to borrow in the future (For Later). Items are added to your Completed shelf automatically whenever you add a rating, comment or other type of content. You can also add titles manually by clicking the Add to My Shelves link from search results, or a title’s details page.

    Q: Why are things automatically saved to my Completed shelf?

    A: Titles are saved to your Completed shelf when you rate, tag or add comments to them. It’s designed to provide a snapshot of you and your interests, a gathering together of titles on which you’ve offered an opinion. Although you can add titles manually, adding them automatically saves you time.

    Q: How do I add things to my shelves?

    A: On any of your My Shelves pages, click the Add New Title link, and then search for the title you want to add. In search results, and from a title’s details page, look for the Add to My Shelves link.

    Q: Can I add books I own and have at home?

    A: Of course. If the title is in your library’s catalogue, you can add it. If you wish, you can use the Edit Details sidebar to mark items you own.

    Q: If I already have a list of books in other places (for example, Amazon Wishlist, LibraryThing), can I import them here?

    A: Not at the moment. We hope to add that feature in an upcoming release.

    Q: Can other people see what’s on my shelves?

    A: Yes. However, if you would prefer that others not see a specific title on your shelves, you can mark the item as private. When another member views your shelf, the title will not be visible. The entries that are left in public view will be available to other users in your library, in other libraries, and on the World Wide Web. You can also specify a default privacy setting for each of your Completed, In Progress and For Later shelves. See My Account > Privacy.

    Q: What is the relationship between my privacy settings and the content I contribute, like comments and tags?

    A: By default, your shelves are shared and any content you add (for example, a comment) is shared with the community. If you mark an item as private, or if you have changed your shelf settings to private, then the content you contribute is not shared. If you want to change the share settings for all content you add, you can do so by clicking the My Settings link at the top of the page, and then clicking the Privacy tab.  If you want to mark one item as private, go to the shelf, click the Add Details link next to the item, and then click Keep this item private. For more details, see Excluding a Title from Public View.

    Q: What happens if the library discards an item I have on my shelf?

    A: Any item you add to one of your shelves remains there until you remove it, even if the library no longer owns

    Q: How can I change my name, address, telephone number, or correct my birth information?

    A: These key parts of your account information must be changed in person at your library or by telephone.

    Q: What are “preferred locations”?

    A: Because Christchurch City Libraries have more than one branch or location, and you use some more than others, you can define up to three locations as ones you use the most. The first location you specify is your default pickup location. If you are logged in and you place a hold, this location will be shown, so you don’t have to select it every time.

    All locations affect search results. An item appearing in search results will show Available at preferred location, Available in some locations, or No copies available. You may find this useful if you live near one branch and work near another, and you want to determine which one has an available copy of an item you want. If your library has only one location, you won’t see this option on the Personal Information tab of your My Settings page.

    Q: What’s a list?

    A: A list is a collection of titles related to a specific topic or idea of your choosing. Best Italian Cookbooks, 10 Books My Daughter Loves Best and Movies That Changed My Life are examples of lists you could create. A good list is a curated topic guide. A list shouldn’t be just a group of titles by an author, since you can do that just by searching, or a list of titles you want to borrow, since you have a For Later shelf for that.

    Q: Who can create lists?
     
    A: Anyone with a library card can create a list. You don’t have to be a library staff member.
     
    Q: How do I create a list?

    A: On your My Lists page, click the Add New List button. Once you’ve created the list, you can add titles to it.

    Q: Can other people see my lists?

    A: Yes. Part of the fun of creating lists is to share your expertise with others. When you create a list, you have the option of making the list public or private. By default, lists are public, and they appear on the Recent Activity page, so others can see them.

    Q: Can I change the order of items on a list?

    A: Yes. Each title you add to a list appears at the top. You can put the items in any order by dragging and dropping. To move an item, position your pointer over the two headed arrow to the right of the item, hold down your mouse button, and drag up or down. You’ll see a ghost image of the item as it moves. When the item is where you want it, release the mouse button.

    Q: How many titles can I put on a list?

    A: Up to 100. However, to be truly effective, a list of no more than a dozen is probably a good idea, unless the list is just for your own use.

    Q: Why is there a limit?

    A: Lists are designed to focus attention on the essential titles in a given subject area, for the benefit of other library members. A list that is too big isn’t helpful. For example, a list of all of Stephen King’s books isn’t much more helpful than a search. But if you’ve read every Stephen King book, a list of what you consider the 10 best would be of great value to someone new to King’s work.

    Q: Can I mix books and movies on a list?

    A: Yes. A list can contain any combination of titles and formats. You can also add Web sites to a list.

    Q: Why would I add a Web page to a list?

    A: Add links to Web sites to complement titles on your list. For example, suppose you create a list of books that provide advice to new immigrants. You could add links to Web sites that provide government services and forms, legal advice, or community-based organisations for new immigrants. If you created a reading list for your book club, you could provide links to online resources or reviews of the books you’re planning to read.

    Q: What does it mean to annotate a list?

    A: Annotations are brief notes attached to items on a list, and are only visible when viewing the list. Unlike comments, they do not appear on a title’s details page. Annotations are especially useful to describe a Web page you’ve added to your list.

    Q: How can I see another member’s lists?

    A: Any time you see a comment on a title, you’ll see the name of the user who wrote the comment. Click their name to see titles on their shelves. When you’re viewing their shelves, you can see also see their lists by clicking the link near the top of the page. New lists are also shown on the Recent Activity page.

    Q: How do I save something from someone’s list to a list of my own?

    A: Click the Save link next to the title, then select the list name from the dropdown list.

    Q: What’s the difference between lists and shelves?

    A: Shelves are a place to gather together all of the titles that you have read, watched or listened to (Completed), are currently borrowing (In Progress) or would like to borrow in the future (For Later). You can add as many items as you want, you can make all or some of them private, and you can filter a shelf using the categories in the left sidebar.

    Lists are for more focused collection of items on a particular topic (for example, My Favourite Chicklit of 2011). Lists can also include links to Web pages. You can create as many lists as you want, but you are limited to adding 100 items per list. You can make the list public (viewable by others) or keep it private.

    Q: What happens if the library discards an item I’ve put on a list?

    A: Any item you add to a list remains there until you remove it, or delete the list, even if your library no longer owns the item.

    Q: How do I save something to this shelf?

    A: There are two ways to save a title to your For Later shelf. If you’re viewing search results, click the Add to My Shelves link next to the title, and then click For Later. You can do the same thing from a title’s details page.

    Q: How long are titles on my For Later shelf stored?

    A: Titles are kept indefinitely. Titles you place on this shelf (or any other shelf) will remain until you delete them.

    Q: What’s the maximum number of titles I can have on my For Later shelf?

    A: There is no maximum. You can have as many titles as you like.

    Q: Can other people see this shelf?

    A: Yes. Any item you add to this list can be made private (not visible to others). You can also specify a default privacy setting for every new item you add to this shelf. See My Account > Privacy for this setting.

    Q: Can I import the list of things I wanted to borrow from the old catalogue?

    A: If you created a list on the old catalogue, you may be able to import it into the new system. Look for an Import List button on your For Later shelf. Clicking the button does a one-time import of all of the items you saved to your list, and adds them to the For Later shelf.

    Q: What does it mean to “follow” someone?
    A: When you follow someone, it means you’re interested in what they’re reading, watching or listening to. You can follow someone on a specific topic, such as comedy films, or you can follow all of their interests. When someone you follow rates an item, or adds a comment, summary, similar title or recommended audience to an item they’ve shared, that item appears on your Recently Shared page.

    Q: How do I find people to follow?
    A: Look for comments by other members on books or movies that you really enjoyed. For example, if you’ve recently borrowed and enjoyed a certain book, see if anyone else added positive comments to it, and follow them.

    Q: If I follow someone, do they have to accept me before I get recommendations?
    A: No, there is no approval process. The next time the person you’re following rates an item or adds a comment, that item will appear on your Recently Shared page.

    Q: What are follow settings?
    A: Think of follow settings as advice from your friends on particular subjects. You may have one friend who shares your taste in pop music but not movies, and another with interested in the same political biographies you like. But your taste in movies isn’t shared by either of them. Instead, you have a co-worker who offers good advice on films to see. When you specify your follow settings, you’re saying “I’ll take suggestions from this person on this topic.”

    Q: When I follow someone, do they know?
    A: No, it’s entirely anonymous. However, this feature may be added in the future. Chances are good that if you like someone’s recommendations, they will like yours.

    Q: I’m always looking for books and movies to check out. How do I start getting recommendations?

    A: Find other users or library staff with similar tastes, in your areas of interest, and “follow” them. People you follow are other library members whose opinions you value on specific topics, such as knitting, Irish fiction or Indian cooking. You can start finding people to follow by looking for titles you particularly enjoyed, and seeing if others also commented on them positively. If someone left a positive comment, click the menu next to their name, and then click Follow.

    Q: Who decides what gets recommended to me?

    A: In effect, you do. By choosing people with similar interests, and picking the areas of expertise they have, you get a customised “feed” of everything they rate or comment on. The feed of titles appears on your Recently Shared page.

    Q: OK, now I have some books here. Why?

    A: Someone you follow has added a rating, comment, summary, age suitability, similar title or other type of content to a shared item on one of their shelves..

    Q: I am getting too many recently shared items from a user I am following. How can I limit what I receive from them?

    A: Adjust your follow settings.

    1. Go to your I’m Following page.
    2. Select Edit Criteria beside the username.
    3. Select the categories that you are interested in.
    4. Click Follow to save your new settings.

    A: Find other users or library staff with similar tastes, in your areas of interest, and “follow” them. People you follow are other library members whose opinions you value on specific topics, such as knitting, Irish fiction or Indian cooking. You can start finding people to follow by looking for titles you particularly enjoyed, and seeing if others also commented on them positively. If someone left a positive comment, click the menu next to their name, and then click Follow.

    Q: Who decides what gets recommended to me?

    A: In effect, you do. By choosing people with similar interests, and picking the areas of expertise they have, you get a customised “feed” of everything they rate or comment on. The feed of titles appears on your Recently Shared page.

    Q: OK, now I have some books here. Why?

    A: Someone you follow has added a rating, comment, summary, age suitability, similar title or other type of content to a shared item on one of their shelves..

    Q: I am getting too many recently shared items from a user I am following. How can I limit what I receive from them?

    A: Adjust your follow settings.

    1. Go to your I’m Following page.
    2. Select Edit Criteria beside the username.
    3. Select the categories that you are interested in.
    4. Click Follow to save your new settings.

    Q: Why should I bother contributing comments and ratings?

    A: Here are a few reasons:

    • Help other 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 make a good person to “follow” on a particular subject.
    • Help your library. You know how important your library is to your community. Adding content to the catalogue 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. Using the Recently Returned feature, you can easily track what you’ve borrowed. Star-rating or commenting on titles can help remind you what you’ve enjoyed when you’re choosing new titles in the future.

    Q: How does this help “make a better catalogue”?

    A: The information you add to items in the catalogue makes it easier for other members to discover new titles, and helps them determine if these items are of interest.

    Q: What’s the difference between a comment and a summary?

    A: Think of a comment like a review or an opinion. It’s your two cents worth. A summary is a synopsis, such the plot of a movie, or the contents of a non-fiction book.

    Q: What are tags? How are they different from library headings?

    A: Tags are keywords or labels. Tags can help you and others find new titles at your library, as well as help you organise items you’ve enjoyed. Library headings classify by subject matter; tags can do that too, but you can also use tags to suggest the emotional qualities of a book or movie. For example, you might describe a movie as comical, dark or sad, or a cookbook as comprehensive or easy-to-use.

    Q: Why would I use tags?

    Here are a few reasons you’ll find tags helpful:

    • Find new items, and help others do the same. Want to find more books that are inspirational? Search for books others have tagged with that word.
    • Organize your shelves. You can add private tags too, such “gift from mum” or “2009 book club” and then use those tags to filter your shelves.
    • Help your library. You know how important your library is to your community. Adding content to the catalogue makes it a more valuable asset to your library.

    Q: What’s a “private” tag?

    A: Private tags are for your personal use, and are not visible to other members. You can’t use them to search, but you can use them to filter your shelves. For example, you could tag certain books “gift from mum” or “books I read on vacation”.

    Q: What are similar titles?

    A: Similar titles provide a way for library users to make connections between items in the catalogue. Now that your kids have read all the Harry Potter books, wouldn’t it be great to find something similar they’d enjoy equally? You can add suggestions to a title you think might interest others, and you can look for similar titles other have attached to a title they enjoyed. It’s all about discovery.

    Q: Is there a moderator for comments?

    A: No. Comments, summaries and other information you add appear in the library’s catalogue immediately. We assume that all users will exercise good judgment when posting comments. A reporting function enables the greater community to flag content that is objectionable.

    Q: Why do you have advisories for titles? Isn’t that censorship?

    A: Some members prefer to avoid books and movies that contain certain types of content, especially when borrowing for their children. Advisories offer a way to assist these members in their choices. If you’d prefer to evaluate every book or movie on its merit, you don’t have to add advisories or read them.

    Q: If I want to delete or edit comments or other content that I have contributed, can I?

    A: Yes, you can edit or delete a comment any time you like.

    Q: How long are my comments stored?

    A: Content you contribute has no expiry date. It is retained until you choose to delete it.

    Q: I’ve seen a comment I find inappropriate. What can I do?

    A: Beside each comment is a button that enables you to report inappropriate comments. Before you report something, ensure you’ve read the Terms of Use. There’s a link to it at the bottom of every page.

    Q: If I report a comment, does the author of the comment know?

    A: No, the author will never know who reported a concern.

    Q: What happens to comments when they are “reported”?

    A: If a particular comment is reported three times, it will be removed, and the author of the original comment will be notified.

    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 password/PIN reset, an email with a reset link is sent via email. If you don’t provide an email address and you forget your password/PIN, 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: 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 colour 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 memorised 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: 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 password/PIN. The barcode is the number on the back of your library card. If you do not have a password/PIN, contact the Library to set one up.

    Q: Why is my account not available?

    A: There is a scheduled outage of the library server to allow back-up of library data. This occurs at at 11pm on weeknights and 6pm on weekends and takes up to 30 minutes. During the back-up you can browse the catalogue (BiblioCommons) but you cannot Log In to your account or place holds. If you attempt to Log In during the back-up time an error message will appear stating your password is wrong.

    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 unauthorised use in the event that you forget to log out.

    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, click the Settings link at the top of any page.

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

    A: There’s a Forgot your Password? 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 password/PIN. To use this feature, you need to have already registered. If you haven’t already registered, contact your library to reset your password/PIN.

    Q: When I search for an author, do I have to type the last name first?

    A: No. You can type stephen king, or king, stephen. It doesn’t matter.

    Q: I don’t know the exact spelling of an author name. What should I do?

    A: When you begin your search, select Author as your search criteria. Type the first few letters of the author’s last name, and then pause for a second. You’ll see a list of authors. If you see the one you want, click the name to run the search. If not, try additional spellings.

    In addition, if you do a search and get 0 results, the system may offer suggestions for you to try. For example, if you type hemmingway, you won’t get any search results for Ernest Hemingway. However, you’ll see Did you mean hemingway? Click the name to search using that spelling.

    Q: Can I search by format? I want the Harry Potter movies, not the books.

    A: Yes, there are two ways to do this. The fastest way is to just type harry potter dvd in the search box. If you prefer, you can use the advanced search options. In the Includes box, type what you want to find, then select DVD from the Format options at the bottom of the page.

    Q: I got 0 results for my search. What should I do?

    A: Here are a few things you can try if your first search isn’t successful:

    • Check your spelling. On your results page, you may see a “Did you mean?” link with a suggestion. If not, review what you typed. If you’re searching by author or subject and are not sure how to spell something, type a few letters and pause. You’ll see a list of suggestions.
    • If you searched by author, title or tag, trying searching by keyword.
    • Don’t worry about typing an author’s name with the last name first. You don’t need to type, as an example, kinsella, sophie. Just type sophie kinsella.
    • If you know the ISBN of a title, you can use that as your search keyword.

    Q: What does “broaden your search” do?

    A: When you type a phrase in the search box, the search will attempt to find a title that includes all of the words. For a keyword search, if there are no titles that include all of the words, you’ll  see the option to broaden your search. This repeats the search using the same group of words, but the results displayed will include as many of the terms as can be found. The items with the most matching words will be first.

    Q: Why do I get different results using the advanced and basic searches using the same keywords?

    A: The advanced version searches more information in the library catalogue than the basic search. As a result, the results may vary slightly.

    Q: When filtering search results by language, what does “Include translations” do?

    A: The language facet shows you the primary language of each of the titles in your results, and allows you to filter your results by one or more languages. The number following each language indicates the total number of titles in that language. Some titles may be in more than one language. For example, a movie originally filmed in English may have been dubbed into Spanish or Chinese, or may have subtitles in those languages. If you would like to see those titles included in the language counts, click Include translations; when you apply a language filter, the results will include both translations and titles originally produced in the selected language.

    Q: A title I want says “Unavailable”, but I know the library has a copy.

    A: Unavailable indicates that all copies of the title are checked out, in transit, being repaired, or otherwise not circulating. You can still place a hold on an item shown as Unavailable.

    Q: What’s a Boolean search?

    A: 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 Beatrice Potter but not about Harry Potter. On the advanced search page, this could also be entered as (harry) -(potter). Similarly, ( (mark twain) OR (samuel clemens) ) AND (tom sawyer) would look for either Mark Twain or Samuel Clemens, and Tom Sawyer. For more details, see Using Advanced Search.

    Q: I often search for books on the same subject. Can I save my search so I don’t have to create it every time?

    A: Yes, you can save searches and re-run them later. See Saving Searches for details.

    Q: Why would I want to save a search?

    A:  By saving a search, you can re-run it by simply clicking the search name. This saves time. Saved searches are also a good way to keep track of a favorite author or topic.

    Q: How do I edit my saved search?

    A: Go to My Settings > Saved Searches and click the Edit button to re-run the search, make your changes, and re-save the search. If you change the search keywords, you are actually creating a new search, rather than editing your old one.

    Q: Can other users see my saved searches?

    A: No. Saved searches are always private.

    Q: How can I tell if the library has purchased something new by my favourite author?

    A: You can use an RSS feed to notify you when there are additions to the catalogue. RSS is a technology that alerts you about changes to websites that change frequently, such as blogs or news sites. An RSS feed will deliver information to you about recent changes, saving you the effort of checking the website frequently.

    To read an RSS feed, you’ll need to install an RSS reader, such as Shrook or FeedDemon that supports RSS 2.0.

    Once you have an RSS reader installed, search for the author (or topic) that interests you. At the bottom of the search results, look for the RSS icon:

    Click the button to capture the search. That will launch your RSS reader and prompt you to subscribe to the feed. Once you`ve subscribed, the reader checks for additions that match your search criteria. It fetches the first page of the most recently added titles, sorted by acquisition date, and checks the first item to see if it’s different from the previous search results. You can capture multiple authors or topics, and then just check your reader periodically for new items that interest you.

    Q: Which Web browsers can I use?

    Desktop

    Browser Supported versions
    Apple Safari Supported versions of Safari on maintained versions of Apple macOS
    Google Chrome Latest two versions of Chrome on maintained versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS
    Mozilla Firefox Latest two versions of Firefox on maintained versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS
    Microsoft Edge Latest two versions of Edge on maintained versions of Microsoft Windows.

    Mobile

    Operating system Supported versions
    Apple iOS
    • Supported versions of Safari on maintained versions of iOS.
    • Most recent version of Chrome on maintained versions of iOS
    Android
    • Most recent version of Firefox on maintained versions of Android
    • Most recent version of Chrome on maintained versions of Android.

    Supported operating system versions:

    No Longer Supported

    Browsers

    • All versions of Internet Explorer on all versions of Microsoft Windows, including applications that rely on the legacy MS TRIDENT rendering engine.
    • Legacy releases of Microsoft Edge on all versions of Microsoft Windows.

    Devices and Operating Systems

    • All browsers on Microsoft Windows Phone
    • All browsers on BlackBerry OS or BlackBerry 10

    Q: I use Internet Explorer  version 8.0, 9.0 or 10. Should I upgrade?

    A: Yes. Internet Explorer 8.0 (IE8) is an old browser that does not display modern web sites properly. You may find when using this site that certain features don’t work correctly. You’ll have a better online experience on all websites if you upgrade to a more modern browser.

    What browser should you use?

    For PCs, the browsers that provide the best performance and user experience are Mozilla Firefox, the most recent version of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, or Google Chrome, opens a new window. Your choice of browser upgrade may be limited by your operating system.

    What happens to your old browser?

    If you’re upgrading from one version of Internet Explorer to another, the older version will be deleted automatically. If you’re installing a different browser, you can have both on the same computer.

    What happens to Favorites?

    If you are upgrading from Internet Explorer 8.0 to another version of Internet Explorer, your Favorites will be retained.

    If you’re switching to Firefox, you can import your Favorites:

    1. On the Firefox File menu, click Import. Microsoft Internet Explorer should appear as a choice.
    2. Click Next, and then follow the on-screen instructions. Firefox refers to your collection of saved web site links as Bookmarks.

  • Getting Started

    The Recently Shared page displays a continuous “feed” of titles from people you follow. 

    To follow someone, you select a user, and then specify subjects on which you think they have some expertise, such as humour, cooking, historical fiction, and so on. You can choose categories, or follow the user on all subjects. When that user rates a title, adds a comment, or contributes any other type of content to that title — a video, similar title, summary, age rating, and so on — the title will appear on your Recently Shared page.

    For example, suppose you are looking for quality books for pre-schoolers and are following Jane C for juvenile fiction. 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 Recently Shared page.

    The feed doesn’t just contain highly rated items. Sometimes, knowing that someone you trust dislikes something is as useful as knowing that they really enjoyed it.

    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.

    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.

    If you can’t remember your Password/PIN, you can reset it. Click the Forgot your Password? link. You’ll get an email with a link in it that will enable you to create a new password. Your password/PIN can be between 4 and 25 characters in length.

    You can't use special characters when you make your password/PIN. Special characters include the following:
    ; & " / ` % + ? ' + : $ ^ # * ( ) - = { } [ ] < > . , ~  +

    Still can’t log in? Contact your library.

     

    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. For additional information about registering and logging in, please see the Settings FAQs, opens a new window

    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.

    You can use the site to search the catalogue 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 between four and 12 digits.

    Once you have registered with the site you can create a username and use that to log in, 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.

    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 messages that you post will include your username, or any alternate display name that you choose at a later date. Registration is required to take advantage of all of the features of the new site, including the ability to manage your renewals and holds, receive personalized recommendations, contribute ratings and reviews, and communicate electronically with your library and other users.

  • Lists

    You can add a title to a list from any title’s details page by clicking the Save to a List link, and then selecting a list.

    To add to your lists from Recently Returned or Checked Out pages, click the Save to a Shared List link, and then select a list. You can add the title to an existing list, or create a new list and the title will be added automatically to that list

    You can add titles from the catalogue, or Web page links to a list when you create it. Catalogue titles can also be added later, from a variety of pages.

    ► To add a catalogue title to your list

    1. Go to your My Lists page.
    2. Click the list you want to edit.
    3. On the list page, click the Add an item link, and then click Add a Catalogue Item.
    4. In the Add an item popup, search for the title you want to add.
    5. When you’ve found the title you want, click Add.

    Note: An item stays on your list until you remove it or delete the list, even if the library no longer owns a copy of the title.

    ► To add a Web page to your list

    1. Go to your My Lists page.
    2. Click the list you want to edit.
    3. On the list page, click the Add an item link, and then click Add a Web Address.
    4. In the Add a Webpage popup, type or paste in the Web page address. A Web page must start with http:// or https://.
    5. Optionally, add a title for the page. The title is the text you’ll see on your list that identifies the Web page. If you don’t add a title, the Web page’s own title will be used.
    6. Click Add to add the Web page to the list.

    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.

    By default, each new item you add to a list appears at the top. You can put the items in any order by dragging and dropping.

    To move an item, move your pointer over the two headed arrow to the right of an item, hold down your mouse button, and drag up or down.

    You’ll see a ghost image of the item as it moves. When the item is where you want it, release the mouse button.

    You can add a title to a list from any title’s details page by clicking the Save to a List link, and then selecting a list. Save the title to borrow at a future date by clicking the Mark for Later link.

    To add to your lists from your Recently Returned or Checked Out pages, click the Save to a Shared List link, and then select a list. You can add the title to an existing list, or create a new list and the title will be added automatically. Finally, your My Lists page enables you to create, view and modify lists of any titles in the catalog.

    You can add up to 32 titles to each list. Your For Later list has no limit.

    For details, see Adding Titles to Lists.

    Lists are perfect for keeping track of titles that you’ve read in particular subject areas, or for grouping related titles. Creating lists is also a great way to help other library patrons discover new works.

    You will see lists in several locations on the site:

    • When you browse the details of a title, you’ll see links to everyone’s lists that contain that title.
    • The lists you create are also shared with other users when they view your collection. (The exception is lists you have chosen to keep private.)
    • Users’ lists are also featured in the left sidebar of the Recent Activity page.

    Note: To track titles you want to borrow in the future, use your For Later shelf. You can add as many titles to a shelf as you like, and apply facets to filter the shelf if you have a large number of titles.

    ► To create a new list from your Lists page

    1. Click the Create a New List link.
    2. On the Create a List page, give your list a unique title.
    3. Select the type of list you want to create. This will help inform others about the list’s contents.
    4. Add a description, if you wish. A description is optional.
    5. If you want to hide your list from the shared view, click the Make this list private checkbox.
    6. Click Create List to save your list.
    7. To add a title to the list immediately, see Adding Titles to Lists, below.

    A list is a collection of titles related to a specific topic or idea of your choosing. You can share it with other library members or keep it private for your own use.

    When you're finished editing your list, you can choose who will see it.

  • Managing Your Borrowing

    It can be hard work if you have to manage other people's library cards as well as your own. You can use CCL Mobile - the Library App to easily borrow and place holds for more than one library account. 

    CCL Mobile Apps allows you to add multiple accounts, making it easy to manage individual accounts within the app. Find out how this feature works and get started setting up more than one account on your Android or iOS device.

    This is useful if:

    • You are looking after the library cards of your children and borrowing books for them;
    • You borrow books for elderly relatives, or people in your care.

    CCL Mobile - the Library App

    Download from:

    Android devices - Google Play Store

    iOs devices - App Store

    Multi-Accounts User Experience

    The multi-accounts feature makes it easy for you to add multiple accounts to the app, switch between them from within the app, and remove accounts. The user avatar, as well as home screen personalization, provides visual identification for which account is the currently active one.

    The home screen is personalized to display the active user’s full name or username (depending on the user’s display preferences).

    Users can add and access multiple library cards from the My Library Cards screen. Cards are added by tapping on the ‘Add card’ button and logging in with that account.

    The dot indicators correspond with the number of accounts that have been added. In the example on the left, there are two accounts. The card with the label ‘In use’ is the currently active account, and the active account is always in the first position.

    An avatar at the top of the screen indicates which account is the currently active one. The avatar can be found on the following screens:

    • My Borrowing
    • My Shelves
    • Unregistering account
    • Bib page

    In addition to the user avatar, the bib page displays the active user’s information in the availability panel.

    Tapping on the avatar activates the account switcher, which allows the user to switch to a different account. The ‘YOU’ label is displayed for the currently active account.

    User information for the active account is also displayed in the Settings screen. Tapping on this takes you to the My Library Cards screen.

    How to Add an Account

    It is easy to add more than one account. This is done by adding cards from the My Library Cards screen.

    1. On the Home Screen, tap on the library card icon.
    2. From the My Library Cards screen tap ‘Add a card’.
    3. Enter the login credentials for the card you would like to add. Logging in requires:
      • Library barcode (this is the 7- to 14-digit number on the library card) OR username.
      • PIN (personal identification number).
    4. Upon successful login, the library card will be added, but will default to an “inactive” state. If you would like to switch to this account immediately, then tap “Use this card” (see How to Switch an Account).

    Some additional notes:

    • There is a maximum limit of 8 cards that can be added.
    • When you log in with a new account from the login screen, that card is automatically added and will become the active account.
    • Added accounts do not persist across multiple devices you might have BiblioApps installed on. Accounts need to be added for each device separately.

    How to Switch an Account

    The active account can be switched from multiple places in BiblioApps.

    Switching accounts from My Library Cards

    1. Swipe to the card that you’d like to activate. (The currently active account is always the first card in the collection of cards).
    2. To activate a card, tap on the Use this card button.
    3. Alternatively, tap on the ellipsis on the card to be activated, then tap on the Use this card button from the bottom sheet.
    4. Upon successful activation, a success message will be presented, and the activated card will take the first position.

    Additional notes:

    • A library card is still scannable when in an “inactive” state, so switching the account is not necessary for the purposes of scanning.
    • You can also switch accounts from the Setting screen. Tapping on ‘Manage cards' will take you to the My Library Cards screen.

    Switching Accounts Using the Avatar

    Tapping on the user avatar brings up the account switcher. The avatar is visible on the following screens:

    • My Borrowing
    • My Shelves
    • Unregistering account
    • Bib page

    To switch accounts using the avatar:

    1. Tap on the avatar located at the top right of the screen.
    2. The account switcher will display from the bottom of the screen. Select the account you’d like to activate. (The currently active account is the first one presented, and displays the ‘YOU' label.)
    3. Upon successful activation, a success message will be presented. The avatar will be updated to the newly active account.

    How to Remove an Account

    Removing accounts from BiblioApps is done from the My Library Cards screen.

    1. On the Home Screen, tap on the library card icon.
    2. Swipe to the card that is to be removed.
    3. Tap on the ellipsis, then tap on the Remove card button.
    4. The user will be asked to confirm removing the card. 
    5. Tapping on Confirm removes the card, and a success message is displayed.

    Additional notes:

    • The currently active account cannot be removed. To remove the card for the active account, activate a different card first.
    • Logging out of the app does not remove cards. Cards are removed explicitly by following the steps above. However, deleting the app does remove all the stored accounts. Upon reinstalling the app, cards will need to be added again.
    • Unregistering an account removes the card from the app.

    Opting Out of Multi-Accounts

    Currently, individuals do not have the option to opt out of multi-accounts. If a user does not want anyone adding or switching to their account, a user can change their PIN. This will mean any other user attempting to switch to the account will need to remove and re-add the account with updated credentials.  Note: adding an account requires both the barcode and the PIN for the account.  A user cannot add an account with only the barcode.

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

    A coloured indicator at the top of the Fees page displays any money owed.

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

    Find out how to pay.

    Note: The content on 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.

    You place holds on items you want to borrow from search results, or from the sidebar on the left of 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. There is a limit of 15 holds on your card. 

    ► To place a hold from search results

    1. Enter some keywords and run your search.
    2. Find the title you want.
    3. 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.
    4. Click the Place a Hold link.
    5. In the Place a Hold popup, select the branch where you’d like to pick up the title. The default is the 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 button.

    Your requested title will now appear on your Holds page.

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

    1. Find the title you’d like to place a hold on by searching or browsing the catalogue. Go to its details page by clicking its title.
    2. 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 View Availability Details link.
    3. On the left sidebar of the title’s details page, click the Place a Hold button.
    4. Select the branch where you’d like to pick up the title. The default is the 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.)
    5. Click the Confirm button.

    Your requested title will now appear on your Holds page.

    Notes: If you need an item in a hurry, use the On the shelves now at dropdown list 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.

    From the Holds 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 suspend your hold requests. To change the status of a request, use the checkbox next to each title, and then click the appropriate button. Cancelled and suspended holds are each shown on separate pages. You can activate suspended holds from the Suspended page.

    The status of items ready for pickup are shown in green. Items not yet available are shown in red.

    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 on the Holds 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.

    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 and comments.

    Once you have returned a title, it will no longer appear on this list. However, if you rated it or added comments, the title will appear on the Completed page of My Shelves. You can also use the Save feature to save the title to your shelves or one of your lists. In addition, if you have enabled the Recently Returned feature, all returned titles will appear on your Recently Returned page, so you can keep track of what you’ve borrowed.

    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.

    ► To renew an item

    1. Check the checkbox next to the titles you want to renew.
    2. Click the Renew button.

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

  • Networking

    When you ignore another user, you do not see 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. When you see a comment whose author you would like to ignore, click the arrow next to their name.
    2. On the menu, click Ignore.
    3. A message appears that the user has been added to your Ignored Users list.

    ► To ignore a user after viewing their collection

    1. At the top of the user’s collection page, click the Ignore link.
    2. A message appears that the user has been added to your Ignored Users list.

    ► To stop ignoring a user

    1. On the My Networks menu, click Ignored Users.
    2. Find the user’s name on your Ignored Users page.
    3. Click the checkbox next to the user’s name, and then click the Unblock User button.

    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.

    Your Sent Messages page displays messages you’ve sent to other library members and staff. You get to your Sent Messages page by clicking the mail icon at the top of any page, and then clicking the Sent tab.

    Unlike emails, these messages don’t have a subject line. Instead, the Sent Messages page displays the first few words of the note in the Message column. To read a message, click the underlined text.

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

    You can precisely customise the type and quantity of recommendations you receive from other library members by carefully choosing your categories. For example, you may wish to follow another member for fantasy fiction, but you may not be interested in that person’s taste in children’s literature. You can review the categories you have selected for each of you follow on the I’m Following page. Building a set of people to follow is a great way to connect with like minds. Following others creates a whole new way to find the hidden gems in the collections of participating libraries.

    Note: The content on your I’m Following 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. There’s a link to the Privacy Policy at the bottom of every page.

    When you follow someone, it means you’re interested in what they’re reading, watching or listening to. You can follow someone on a specific topic, such as comedy films, or you can follow all of their interests. When someone you follow rates, comments on or adds other content to an item that matches your criteria, that item will automatically appear on your Recently Shared page.

    ► To follow someone

    When you see a rating or review that you agree with or enjoy, do this:

    1. Click the arrow next to their name.
    2. On the dropdown menu, click Follow.
    3. In the Follow popup, do one of the following:
      1. Click the first Follow button to follow this person for everything they read, watch or listen to.
      2. Choose specific categories. The number of categories you’ll see depend on whether you began from a specific title in the catalogue, or from another page, such as Recent Activity. When you’ve chosen your categories, click the second Follow button.

    Once you begin following another library member, go to the I’m Following page to fine-tune their follow criteria, or remove them from your networks altogether. You will find titles from people you follow on the Recently Shared page, in the Explore section.

     

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

    To help you find the users and content that will be of most interest to you, librarians have distinctive Licons, and people you are following show a checkmark.

    When you click the arrow next to a user name, you can:

    • view that person’s shelves
    • follow a person, or modify categories for people you’re already following
    • ignore the person, so you don’t see their comments or receive messages from them, or
    • send them a message.

    Tip: A fast way to see another user’s shelves is to click their name.

     

  • Search and Filtering

    Search the catalogue for the magazine by Title. Look for the record that has the format Magazine or Journal . For what we hold bring up the magazine record and hit the link to the left  View subscription and availability details. This will give you the locations of the magazines and lists each volume and whether it is available. Click Place a Hold to put a hold on a volume.

    If you are viewing a long list of search results, or looking at your own or another patron’s shelves, 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 pull-down menus and 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 restrict your results by Topic,Content, Form/Genre, Language, Published Date, Geographical Region, and Author. If users added tags to any of the titles, you can filter by these too. When viewing your own collection or that of another user, you can filter by topic, author or tag.

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

    ► To filter by a heading or tag

    1. Select from a dropdown list, or click the heading or tag you want to use as a filter. If the heading has more than 5 items, click the More link to see more items, or All to see everything. Particularly long lists will appear in a popup window. The filtered list appears, and the filter criteria are shown at the top of the sidebar.
    2. You can filter the titles further by selecting additional headings.
    3. To remove a filter, click its icon at the top of the sidebar. You don’t have to remove them in the order you added them. To get back to your original view, remove all of the filters.

    The Quick 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 Beatrice Potter but not about Harry Potter. On the advanced search page, this could also be entered as (harry) -(potter). 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 catalogue information is organised. 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 new zealand 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 does not include section. For example, if you wanted to find books on New Zealand 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 French, 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 advanced search query box. For example, you could enter…

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

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

    Typing in your own queries uses the same syntax as the query builder above uses and results in the same results, its just faster to use for advanced users.

    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.
    2. Click My Settings, and then click Saved Searches.
    3. Find the search you want to delete. The criteria you used for each search is listed next to its name.
    4. Click the check box next to the search name. You can select more than one if required.
    5. Click Delete.

    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.
    2. Click My Settings, and then click Saved Searches.
    3. Find the search you want to modify. The criteria you used for each search is listed next to its name.
    4. Click Edit Search.
    5. 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, and then click Search.
    6. Click the Save icon.
    7. If you would prefer to save the search with a new name, type the name.
    8. Click Save.

    Viewing and Running Your Saved Searches

    There are two ways you can see use a search you have saved:

    • On your personal landing page (the page you first see when you log in), your five most recently saved searches are listed. Click Recently Saved Searches, and then click the search name to run that search.
    • All of your saved searches appear on your Saved Searches page. You can view the page by clicking My Settings, and then clicking the Saved Searches tab.

    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. 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 and Shelves for details.
    4. When you have refined your search, click the Save Search icon 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.

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

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

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

    To escape these characters use the 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

    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.

    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 can also use the wildcard character in the middle of a term.

    col*r

    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"].

    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

    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)

    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.

    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)
    FictionType* ft ft:nonfiction
    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)
    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

    * Deprecated.

    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)

     

    You can create custom search queries using the Advanced Search page. Once you have perfected your search you can save it to reuse it or copy the URL to paste into a webpage or document.

    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 the library catalogue information is organised. 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 catalogue you want to search, and then enter the word or phrase you want to find. For example, Title and new zealand 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 does not include section. For example, if you wanted to find books on New Zealand 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 French, and so on.
    7. When you are finished constructing your query, review it in custom Boolean query box, and then click Search.

    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 Beatrice Potter but not about Harry Potter. On the advanced search page, this could also be entered as (harry) -(potter). Similarly, ( (mark twain) OR (samuel clemens) ) AND (tom sawyer) would look for either Mark Twain or Samuel Clemens, and Tom Sawyer.

    If you are viewing a long list of search results, or looking at your own or another patron’s shelves, 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 pull-down menus and 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 restrict your results by Topic,Content, Form/Genre, Language, Published Date, Geographical Region, and Author. If users added tags to any of the titles, you can filter by these too. When viewing your own collection or that of another user, you can filter by topic, author or tag.

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

    ► To filter by a heading or tag

    1. Select from a dropdown list, or click the heading or tag you want to use as a filter. If the heading has more than 5 items, click the More link to see more items, or All to see everything. Particularly long lists will appear in a popup window. The filtered list appears, and the filter criteria are shown at the top of the sidebar.
    2. You can filter the titles further by selecting additional headings.
    3. To remove a filter, click its icon at the top of the sidebar. You don’t have to remove them in the order you added them. To get back to your original view, remove all of the filters.

    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.

    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.

    • 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”.

    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 not titles 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

    Not sure how to spell an author’s name? Select Author from the dropdown menu, and then type a few letters of an author’s name to see suggestions. For example, if you can’t remember if it’s Ernest Hemmingway or Ernest Hemingway, just type ernest h and then pause. A list will appear with suggestions:

    Typing the beginning of the author’s last name —hem — would also display a list. Click the name to search on that name.

    You can also use this feature if you want to browse subject headings and then use them to search. Select Subject from the dropdown list, and then type a keyword. For example, if you type gardening, you’ll see a list of subject headings about gardening. Click one to search using that subject heading.

    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.

    The easiest way to search the library catalogue is to type one or more words in the Quick Search box at the top of the page, and then click Search. 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 orTitle from the dropdown list. You can also search by Subject heading or Tag.

    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.

    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.

    • 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”.

    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 not titles 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

    Not sure how to spell an author’s name? Select Author from the dropdown menu, and then type a few letters of an author’s name to see suggestions. For example, if you can’t remember if it’s Ernest Hemmingway or Ernest Hemingway, just type ernest h and then pause. A list will appear with suggestions:

    Typing the beginning of the author’s last name —hem — would also display a list. Click the name to search on that name.

    You can also use this feature if you want to browse subject headings and then use them to search. Select Subject from the dropdown list, and then type a keyword. For example, if you type gardening, you’ll see a list of subject headings about gardening. Click one to search using that subject heading.

    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.

    The easiest way to search the library catalogue is to type one or more words in the Quick Search box at the top of the page, and then click Search. 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 orTitle from the dropdown list. You can also search by Subject heading or Tag.

  • Settings

    Our BiblioCommons catalogue is a social catalogue, which means your comments and interactions will be visible to other users by default. If you'd prefer this information to be private, view or change your privacy settings by clicking the My Settings link at the top of any page. On the My Settings page, click the Privacy link.
    Read the BiblioCommons International Privacy Statement.

    Shelf Privacy

    You have three “shelves” to keep track of items you borrow. 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.

    Shelf privacy settings allow you to control whether or not items that you add to these shelves are visible to other library users by default. If these settings are off, anything you add is visible to others. If you plan to add ratings or comments to things you’ve borrowed, you should make them shared. Otherwise, no one else will be able to see what you’ve contributed.

    If you prefer to keep some or all of your shelves private, check the box next to the appropriate shelf. When you add an item to a private shelf, it will only be visible to you.

    Regardless of your default shelf setting, you can make individual items private or shared. See Excluding a Title from Shared View. That enables you to share the bulk of your items with others, while keeping a few titles private if you wish to.

    Note: You can also make a list private. For details, see My Lists.

    BiblioCommons believes that effective privacy controls are a cornerstone of open and engaged communities. To learn more about our stringent privacy standards, please consult our Privacy Statement. There’s a link to the Privacy Policy at the bottom of every page.

    In combination with your user name or library card number (barcode), your library gives you a password/PIN, to provide you with secure access to your library account. The password/PIN is provided by your library, but you can (and should) change it.

    If you forget your password, use this process to reset it.

    ► To reset your password

    1. On the Login page, click the Forgot your Password link.
    2. On the Forgot your Password page, enter your barcode.
    3. Click Send.
    4. In a few seconds, an email will be sent to the email address associated with your account.
    5. Open the email and click the link to launch your browser.
    6. On the Reset Password page, enter your barcode. Enter a new password/PIN and then confirm it by typing it again.
    7. Click Save.

    Use the new password/PIN the next time you log in.

    Note: If you don’t know your library barcode number, contact your library.

    You can't use special characters when you make your password/PIN. Special characters include the following:
    ; & " / ` % + ? ' + : $ ^ # * ( ) - = { } [ ] < > . , ~  +

    Because Christchurch City Libraries have more than one branch or location, you can define up to three locations as the ones you use most frequently. The first location you specify will be your default pickup location if you place a hold while you’re logged in. All locations you specify affect the display of search results. When an item is available at one of your preferred locations, it will show “available at one of my preferred branches” in search results. You may find this useful if you live near one branch and work near another.

    ► To define preferred locations

    1. If you have not already done so, log in to your account.
    2. Click the My Settings link at the top of the page.
    3. Click Preferences.
    4. Under the Preferred Locations heading, select the library you want to be your default pickup location from the list. Typically, the name of the branch that issued the card would already appear here as the default.
    5. If preferred, select a second and third branch from the next two lists.
    6. Click the Save button.

    Along with your barcode, you enter your password/PIN to log in to your account. It was provided to you when you got your library card. To maintain security, it’s a good idea to change your PIN from the default that was issued to you.

    ► To change your password/PIN

    1. If you have not already done so, log in to your account.
    2. Click the My Settings link under the Log in /My CCL link top right of the menu.
    3. In the Password field, enter your Current Password
    4. In the New Password field, enter the new password/PIN you want to use.
    5. In the Confirm New Password field, enter the new password/PIN again.
    6. Click the Save Password button.

    You can't use special characters when you make your password/PIN. Special characters include the following:
    ; & " / ` % + ? ' + : $ ^ # * ( ) - = { } [ ] < > . , ~  +

    Your email address is required if you ever need to reset your PIN/password. Your library may also use it to send you notifications of items that are overdue or for holds that are ready for pickup.

    ► To change your email address

    1. If you have not already done so, log in to your account.
    2. Click the My Settings link at the top of the page.
    3. In the Email field, delete the current email address and enter the new one you want to use.
    4. Click the Save button.
    5. You must enter a valid email address to change your email settings. Once you have entered a new address, a confirmation email will be sent to you. Your change will take effect only after you have responded to the confirmation message.

    Note: An email address is not required when you register. However, you cannot erase an existing address and leave the field blank.

     

    Your username is the name that will be displayed publicly next to any comments or summaries that you contribute to the site. You may also choose to use your real name. You created a username the first time you signed in and registered.

    ► To change your display name

    1. If you have not already done so, log in to your account.
    2. Click the My Settings link at the top of the page.
    3. Using the dropdown list opposite Display in Public, do one of the following:
      1. Click your real name to have that displayed to others, or
      2. Click your username. If you want to change your current username, type a new one in the Username field.
    4. Click the Save button.

    Notes:

    • Regardless of whether you use your real name or your username as your public screen name, you must choose a username. You cannot leave the Username field blank.
    • If there is an error in your recorded name, please contact your library.

    Use your My Settings page to choose your username, change the email address that your library will use to send you reminders and other notifications, and modify your PIN/password. If your library has more than one location, you can also specify up to three preferred locations, and your search results will show whether a particular title is available at one of these locations.

    To display the My Settings page:

    • Click the My Settings link at the top of any page
      or
    • Go to your account summary page (the one you see after you log in), and then click the Personal Information link under My Settings, at the bottom left of the page.

  • Shelves

    You can request an item for our collection if we don't have a copy.

    If you don't want to suggest we buy a title, but you'd still like to add it to one of your shelves (For Later, Completed, In Progress), you can search for the item under Lists instead of Keyword.

    Lists created by users at other libraries can have titles that aren't in our collection. You can add the item to your shelf from here. 

    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. From any of an item’s details page, search results, awards and bestseller lists, or another patron’s shelves, click the Add to My Shelves link next to the item.
    2. From the pull-down menu, click For Later.

    or

    1. Go to your For Later page.
    2. Click Add New Title.
    3. Search for the title you want to add.
    4. Click the Add link.
    5. 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.

    Rating, tagging and adding comments are great ways to enrich the library’s catalogue 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. Move the mouse pointer over the title on your Completed or In Progress shelf. To rate the title, click the star representing the rating you want to give.
    2. To add other information, click the Add Details link, and then click the type of information you want to add.
    3. Add your comments, tags or other content.

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

    By default, items on your Completed, In Progress and 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 private checkbox. Private items have a small lock icon next to them.

    You can customise 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, scroll to the bottom of the page, and then select 10 or 25from the per page dropdown list box.

    Filtering Your Shelves

    You can further sort the titles on your shelves by using the Narrow Shelf feature in the left sidebar. For details, see Filtering Search Results and Shelves.

    ► To add a title to your shelves
    1. From any of an item’s details page, search results, awards and bestseller lists, or another patron’s shelves, click the Add to My Shelves link next to the item.
    2. From the dropdown menu, select the appropriate shelf: Completed, In Progress or For Later.

    or

    1. Go to your Completed, In Progress or For Later shelf.
    2. Click Add New Title.
    3. Search for the title you want to add.
    4. Click the Add link.
    5. 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. Go to your Completed, In Progress or For Later shelf.
    2. Click the Move to link.
    3. 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. Click the checkbox next to the title you want to remove.
    2. At the top or bottom of the page, click the Remove 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.

    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: an item’s details page, search results, awards and bestseller lists, another patron’s shelves, and many other pages. Look for the Add to My Shelves link. You can also add an item directly by using the Add New Title link on any of the shelves.

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

    Viewing Your Shelves

    To view your shelves, click My… on the menu bar, and then click Completed, In Progress or For Later under the My Shelves heading.

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