Library Catalog FAQ

Learn more about Lowell Public Library’s New Library Catalog!

 Table of Contents:

• About the New Catalog
• Signing in to Your Account
• Using the New Catalog
• Accessing eBooks, Music, and Movies through the Catalog
• Reading History
• Troubleshooting
• More Information

About the New Catalog

• What’s new?
  • The new catalog is designed to be a “one-stop shop” when searching for the various resources available through the library. (Keep reading to find out more!)
• What was wrong with the old catalog?
  • Nothing at all, and it is still available! But the new catalog has extra features that will give you an even better online catalog experience.
• What types of extra features does the new catalog have?
  • The new catalog is designed to gather as many of the library’s physical and digital items together as possible so that you can view them all in one place. For example, if you search for “The Berenstain Bears” in the new catalog, you might find items that are available in:
    • Our library and other Evergreen libraries
    • Libby
    • Hoopla
    • Kanopy
• Will I still see digital items (eBooks and eAudiobooks) in the Evergreen app or the old catalog?
  • No, only physical items will be seen in the Evergreen app/old catalog going forward. It is no longer necessary for the Evergreen team to add digital items to the old catalog, because the new catalog does such an awesome job of connecting all types of items (and more of them!). You can still use the Evergreen app to view and place holds on physical items, view the physical items you have checked out on your account, access your digital library card, etc. (Everything else in the Evergreen app is staying the same.)
• Is there a new app?
  • Not at the moment.

 Signing in to Your Account

• How do I sign in to my account?
  • Go to “Sign in” near the top of the page. Sign in to your account as usual with your library card number and current PIN/password.
    • Your library card number is your Username, and your PIN is your password.
• What if I don’t remember my PIN?
  • Call us at 219-696-7704 or stop by the library for help retrieving or changing your PIN.

 Using the New Catalog

• Can I see what items I currently have checked out?
  • Yes! You can see all items currently checked out, including Libby and Hoopla items.
• Can I create my own lists and save my searches?
  • Yes!
• Can I place items on hold through the new catalog?
  • Yes!

Accessing eBooks, Music, and Movies through the Catalog

 Libby

• What is Libby?
  • Libby is a way to access online versions of books, audiobooks, and magazines for free through your library. When you’re browsing the catalog, the items available to you through Libby will say “Check out Libby” next to them.
  • (Libby also give you access to extra resources, including video streaming, legal forms, SAT and ACT test preparation courses, and health and personal development courses. Check these out on our Libby resources page.)
• Do I have to sign in to Libby to check out Libby items in the new catalog?
  • No, but you do have to be signed in to your library account. If you are not already logged in when you attempt to place a hold, simply enter your library card number and PIN in the “Username” and “Password” sections when prompted.

Hoopla

• What is Hoopla?
  • Hoopla is a way to access online versions of books, audiobooks, music, movies, magazines, even comic books for free through your library. When you’re browsing the catalog, the items available to you through Hoopla will say “Check out Hoopla” next to them.
• Do I have to sign in to Hoopla to check out Hoopla items in the new catalog?
  • No and yes (we can explain!).
    • You do not have to be signed in to Hoopla to check out items, but you do have to be signed in to your library account. If you are not already logged in when you attempt to place a hold, simply enter your library card number and PIN in the “Username” and “Password” sections when prompted. You will then just verify your checkout when alerted to how many remaining checkouts are available to you this month.
    • You do have to be signed in to Hoopla to actually read, watch, or listen to your item. Simply enter your login information when prompted.

Kanopy

• What is Kanopy?
  • Kanopy is a way to access online videos and books for free through your library. When you’re browsing the catalog, the items available to you through Kanopy will say “Access with Kanopy” next to them.
• Do I have to sign in to Kanopy to access Kanopy items in the new catalog?
  • Yes, you will need to enter your Kanopy login information. To access a Kanopy item, follow these steps:
    • Select “Access with Kanopy.”
    • If you already have a Kanopy account, select “Watch Now,” then go straight to the “Log in” button at the top right of the screen and enter your Kanopy login information.
      • (You don’t have to enter your library card number and PIN here if you already have a Kanopy account. If you do, you will be told you already have an account and will be asked if you are trying to log in. If that happens, just select “Trying to log in?” to get to the login screen. If you forgot your Kanopy password, you can select “Forgot Password?” from there.)
    • If you have not yet created a Kanopy account, select “Watch Now,” then enter your library card number and PIN when prompted. Then you can create your Kanopy account and access your item.
    • Enjoy!

 Reading History

• Will the new catalog save my reading history?
  • It can if you want it to! But since it is a new catalog, you will need to activate that option first. Select your name at the top right of the screen, then select “Reading History” from the dropdown menu that appears. If you want to track your reading history, select “Start Recording My Reading History.”
• What about my old reading history? Will it transfer over to the new catalog?
  • It appears that most history transfers over, but not necessarily all of it.
• Will I lose any of my old reading history?
  • No, your full reading history will still be available when you access your account through the Classic Catalog.
• Can I export my reading history?
  • Yes, just follow the above guide for accessing your reading history, then select “Export to CSV.”
• I changed my mind—I don’t want to track my reading history anymore. Can I turn it off?
  • Yes! Just remember that doing so will also completely delete your reading history, so if you need to save what you have read so far, make sure to first export your reading history as described above. Follow the above guide for accessing your reading history, then select “Stop Recording My Reading History.” An alert will pop up asking you to confirm your choice.

 Troubleshooting

  Kanopy Issues:

• • I don’t see any Kanopy items when I do a subject search. Why not?
    • Kanopy does not sort their items by subject very well yet; try a different type of search instead (such as a keyword or title search).

• • I’m trying to access a Kanopy item. I entered my library card and PIN and got an error stating that I already have a Kanopy account and asking if I’m trying to log in. What do I do?
    • To access your item, just select “Trying to log in?” to get to the login screen; then enter your Kanopy login information. If you forgot your Kanopy password, you can select “Forgot Password?” from there.
      • For more information, see the section above: “Accessing eContent through the New Catalog (Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy items).”

    Libby/Hoopla Issues:

• • I just checked out an item from Hoopla/Libby, but I don’t see it in my list of Checked Out Titles. Why not?
    • Fear not, your item was checked out to you—it just takes a little time to show up sometimes. Check again in a few minutes—it should be there!

• • I tried to use the new catalog to borrow an item from Libby, but I got an error message saying the catalog could not connect to Overdrive. Why?
    • This can be a glitch that happens if your username for your account is different from your library card number. (This is not common and would only happen if you have changed your username in your Evergreen account in the past.) Try logging in to the new catalog with your library card number and current PIN instead of your username and PIN to see if that helps. (NOTE: You do not have to “fix” your username in your Evergreen account; the new catalog team is working to correct this issue. In the meantime, though, you should be able to use your library card number to access all materials in the new catalog.) If you are still having issues, give us a call at 219-696-7704 or fill out our contact form to see if we can resolve the issue.

  Search Issues:

• • I searched for an item that I know the library has, but I did not find it in the new catalog. What should I do?
    • Call us at 219-696-7704 or fill out our contact form so we can report and address the issue.
  • I tried to do an advanced search, but the Optional Filters did not load at the bottom of the screen. Why?
    • Sometimes if the page takes “too long” to load, the “Optional Filters” choice does not load properly. Try refreshing the page—it will work eventually! Or just submit a basic search and narrow it down with the filters that will come up afterwards. The new catalog team is working to reduce this issue.
  • I tried do do a simple search and got a red error message saying the search timed out and I should try a “simpler” search. My search was simple to begin with! What happened?
    • Sometimes the page takes “too long” to load, disrupting the search. Try the search again, or wait a few minutes to see if the site needs time to “catch up.” If you are still having issues, call us at 219-696-7704 or fill out our contact form so we can report and address the issue.

  General Issues:

• • Are there any other issues (besides those mentioned in the Search Issues above) that can happen if the page is loading slowly?
    • Yes, sometimes other issues can happen due to pages loading slowly:
      • Sometimes Browse Categories take a longer time to load and appear blank at first.
      • Sometimes “blank” searches (a way to view the entire catalog by selecting “Search” without entering any information in the search bar) give a timeout message like the one described above in the Search Issues.
    • Give the catalog a few tries to see if the issue will resolve itself, or wait a few minutes to see if the site needs time to “catch up.” If you are still having issues, call us at 219-696-7704 or fill out our contact form so we can report and address the issue.

 More Information

• The new catalog is fine, but I really like the the old catalog, even though it no longer has digital items. Can I still use it?
  • Absolutely! We still have links to the old catalog (AKA the Classic Catalog). The Classic Catalog can be accessed from the new catalog page two ways: (1) Through the hamburger menu (the three little horizontal bars toward the top right of the screen) or (2) under the Evergreen Indiana Info tab.
  • You can also log in to your account from the Classic Catalog page if you want to view older reading history that might not show up in the new catalog (learn more under “Reading History”).

New catalog made possible by