Help Center

• Searching
• Searching (Advanced)
• Search Types
• Relevance/Grouping
• Saving your searches
• Renewals
• Ratings
• Limit search to available items
• My Bag
• My Lists
• My Account
• Status
• Reading History
• PINs

Searching

Type the keyword you want to find. For example:

• design
• bleachers grisham

Search Tips

Wildcards	Words may be right-hand truncated using an asterisk ('*') in place of other characters. The '*' wildcard may also be embedded in a search string. You may use '?' to replace a single character anywhere within a word. Examples : environment* polic*, wom?n
Boolean Operators	Use "and" or "or" to specify multiple words in any field, any order. Use "and not" to exclude words. Example : stocks and bonds Example : (alaska or canada) and (adventure and not vacation)
Field limits	A field limit causes the system to search only the specified field for the specified word(s).
Grouping/ Relevance	Keyword search results are usually grouped by relevance to bring the most likely titles to the top of the list. Each group represents a similar level of relevance and results are sorted within the group by date or title. To get an ungrouped result set, use boolean operators to form a complex query.

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Advanced Keyword Search Tips

Multiple Words

When searching multiple words the system will automatically supply the Boolean "and" operator between each word; multiple words entered for the search will all occur somewhere in the retrieved records though not necessarily in the order entered. Both examples on the right will retrieve the same results.

Phrase Searches

Search for complete phrases by enclosing them in quotation marks. Words enclosed in double quotes will appear together in all results exactly as typed.

Wildcards

*   Matches any number of non-space characters, starting at the specified position in the word. For example, "comput*" will match all words that begin with "comput" (e.g., "computer", "computation", etc.).
The '*' wildcard may also be embedded in a search string.

?   You may use a question mark ('?') to replace a single character anywhere within a word.

Boolean Operators

Use AND or OR to specify multiple words in any field, any order. Use AND NOT to exclude words. Select the operator you wish to use from the selection list on the Advanced Search form.

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Search Types

Searches types may specified by selecting a field from the first selection list, the default search is keyword. These limits appear before the word or phrase to be searched. A field limit causes the system to search only the specified field for the specified word(s).

Search Types and their meanings:

• Author: Search only author fields
• Title: Search only title fields
• Subject: Search only subject fields
• Note: Search only note fields
• Subject: Search only subject fields

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Grouping/Relevance Ranking

Keyword search results are usually grouped by relevance to bring the most likely titles to the top of the list. Each group represents a similar level of relevance and results are sorted within the group by date or title. You may also change a relevance ranked search to date or title by clicking on the date or title links.

 Most relevant titles 

 Highly relevant titles 

 Very relevant titles 

 Relevant titles 

 Other relevant titles 

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Preferred search

If you have a favorite author or subject for which you often search when using the catalog, you can save the search with the click of a button. This will prevent you from having to key in the search each time and let you place reserves on new materials quicker.

How to:

1. Log in to My Account.
2. Click on the "New Search" button.
3. Search for your favorite author, subject, title, etc. or create an advanced keyword search including limits to material type, language, publication year, etc..
4. When your results are displayed, click the button marked "Save as preferred search".
5. The next time that you log in to My Account, you can click the "Preferred Searches" button to see a list of your saved searches.
6. Click on the search link associated with any of the preferred search terms in the list to quickly execute your search.

Automatic email alert

You can receive alerts for new materials added to the library collection which match your searches. Just check the "Mark for Email" box and be sure that your patron record information includes your current email address. Every Monday, the catalog searches for new titles that match your criteria and will send you an email when a new title is available.

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Renewals

Library cardholders may renew their own materials online. All material may be renewed except for materials with reserves and materials on which you owe fines.

How to:

1. Log in to My Account.
2. The default view will list the materials you have checked out.
3. Select the materials you want to renew by checking the boxes in the RENEW column and then click the Renew Selected button. If you want to renew everything, click the Renew ALL button.
4. If you cannot renew items, a message will appear on the screen. If you are successful, a new due date will appear in the "STATUS" column. Always check the STATUS column for information on the success or failure of your renewal.

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Ratings

	Excellent. Highly recommend.
	Very Good. Exceeds expectations.
	Good. Met expectations but did not exceed them.
	Fairly low opinion. Recommend only with reservations.
	Extremely low opinion of this item. Would not recommend.
	Never been rated. No recommendation available.

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Limit Search to Available Items

Checking the box for Limit Search to Available Items will remove unavailable titles from your search results. Items that are checked out are considered available. This option will remove titles where all the items are Missing, Billed or In Process.

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Using the Bag

To add titles to a temporary list, use the bag feature. This feature is designed to help you export a list of titles, or to place multiple holds at one time.

NOTE: Items saved in your bag will not be retained once you end your session. To save items permanently, View Bag and click Add to My Lists.

Select individual items by marking the checkbox then click Add Marked to Bag.

If you want to add all the titles on a page to your bag, click Add All On Page

Once you add items to a bag, additional icons will appear above the search box.

To see the contents of your bag, click View Bag

To empty the bag, click Empty Bag

To remove an individual item from the bag, mark the checkbox for that title and click Delete Selected

Use the bag to request several titles at a time. View Bag and click Request Saved. You will be notified when the items are available.

You may export titles in your list and save or email them.

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My Lists

Use Save to My Lists to save a list of titles. The list will be saved in My Account until you delete it.

You may export titles in your list and save or email them.

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My Account

Login to My Account to review account information and take the following actions:

1. Items you have checked out - Renew items, View due dates and Add ratings
2. Holds - See titles on hold, Add ratings, View your position in the hold queue, Change your Pickup Location and Cancel holds
3. Unpaid fines or bills - View fine or bill information
4. Modify Personal Information - Update your Phone Number, Email Address and Notice Preference
5. Preferred Searches - Mark specific saved searches for email, cancel a preferred search
6. My Ratings - View a list of all the items you have rated, adjust or delete ratings
7. My Lists - View your saved lists

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Status

1. Available - this item is on the shelf
2. Adult Pending - item will be available soon
3. Billed - item was checked out and not returned
4. Branch Display - item is on display at the Hinkston Branch
5. Checked In - this item has recently been checked in, ask a librarian for assistance in locating this item
6. Children Pend - item will be available soon
7. Clms Retd - item is not available
8. Display - item is on display - ask a librarian for assistance in locating this item
9. ELC Display - item is on display in the Early Learning Center - ask a librarian for assistance in locating this item
10. Hinkston Pend - item will be available at the Hinkston Branch soon
11. In Transit - item is being shipped between our locations
12. Lib Use Only - for use inside the library only
13. Lost - item is not available
14. Lost and Paid - item is not available
15. Mending - item is awaiting repair
16. Missing - item could not be located where expected. The library is searching for it.
17. Non-circ - for use inside the library only
18. On Holdshelf - item is ready to fill a hold
19. Processing - item will be available soon
20. Storage - item is in storage
21. Withdrawn - item is being evaluated

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PINs

PINs have been preset by the Library to the last four (4) digits of your phone number, or, 1234 if no phone number is listed in your account. You may reset your pin at any time by logging in to My Card and clicking Modify PIN.

Your PIN must be composed of the numbers 0 thru 9 and be at least 4 digits in length. Letters, symbols, and punctuation are not permitted. PINs cannot be composed of the same number repeated (example 1111) or the same series repeated (example 1212 or 12341234). These examples will cause the system to display the message "Your PIN is not complex enough to be secure. Please select another one." If there are more than five (5) failed attempts to log in with the same barcode within one minute, the system will block access to the account for one minute.

If you forget your PIN, and you have an email address in your account, you can click the Forgot your PIN link on the My Card page. Enter your name and library card number into the form. You will receive an email with a link to reset your PIN. The email is good for three (3) hours. If you do not have an email address in your account, please contact Customer Service at (847) 623-2041 to have your PIN reset.

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Reading History

Information coming soon, you must Opt In for your reading history to be tracked. As always, your circulation history is confidential and private.