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Library Card/Account

Finding/Getting/Using Materials

Searching for information

Librarianese - Learn to speak like a librarian


Library Card/Account

How do I get a library card?
You can get a library card by filling out a Patron Registration Form at your local library, and turn it in at the circulation desk. Please have two forms of ID with you. You can also download the form here: Patron Registration Form

How much do library cards cost?
Library cards are free to all residents of Delaware. Replacements for lost cards carry a processing fee of $2.00. Out of state visitors can also receive a library card after paying a $25.00 borrower fee. Library visitors may purchase an temporary visitor card for $10.00. This card grants access to the available computers in the public libraries, borrowing of no more than two items with shortened loan periods, and expires after 31 days.

What is my library account?
When you complete the form for a library card an account with your local public library is set up. You have online access to this account by using the barcode number on the back of your library card and P.I.N. number you received when you registered. These numbers together identify you and provide security for your account information. While logged into your account you can see a list of the items you have checked out, lists of favorite authors and subjects and any fines or charges you have. You also have access to the licensed databases and electronic resources.

How do I log into my library account?
To access your library account, simply go to the main catalog and type in your library card number in the filed labeled I.D. and type in your P.I.N. number in the field labeled PIN. Click Login and from there click on My Account at the top of the page to view your library account. Browse the catalog with all the features accessible by Delaware residents, request an item from any of our 33 member libraries, or check your wish lists of books you'd like to read.
Click to see Log In Demonstration

How do view my checked out items?
Once you have logged in you can view your account details from the Review My Account screen. Simply click on My Account in the Menu (Green) bar then click on the Review My Account link. Depending on the activity in your account you will see: all your checkedout items, holds (items from other catalog libraries), bills, and requests (messages to and from library staff).
Click to see How to View My Checked Out Items Demonstration

How do I change my P.I.N. number?
First, login to your library account with your library card number and the P.I.N. that you received when you registered for your card. Then click on the link that says, "My Account." Click on the link for, "User PIN change," this brings you to the form to change your pin. You will need to put in your library card number again and your current P.I.N., below that you can enter your new pin, confirm it by entering it again in the box below, click on the "Change PIN" box and you are done. Remember to write down your new pin. P.I.N. numbers can be any combination of letters or numbers 4 to 10 characters long.
Click to see P.I.N. Change demonstration

What if I forget my P.I.N. number?
Patrons may request their P.I.N. information in person at any library, or it can be emailed on request to an email address currently in the user's record. Use the "contact us" link in the main library catalog to send your request, providing your library card number, if you already have an email address on file.
Wilmington Institute Patrons only may receive their PIN numbers by phone request.

What are the library fines?
When library items are kept past their expected return date the library will fine your library account a set amount each day that the items are not returned. The fines vary depending on the item and where they were checked out. These fines will appear on your account and once the item is returned will stop accumulating. You can see a list of various items and their circulation rules here: Circulation Rules Please contact your local library for specific items and cases or if you have any questions.

How do I pay my fines and or bills?
You can pay your fees at your local public library in cash, check, or credit card (where acceptable).

How can I receive notices by Email?
If you update or add your email address to your library account, you will start receiving email notices for returns due in three days , overdue library materials, and available holds. Depending on your local library policy, some of these emails may duplicate notices received by phone or mail. To update or record your email address, speak to any library staff member the next time you are in the library. If you do not want to receive any email notices, ask a member of your local library staff to remove your email address from your record.

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Finding/Getting/Using Materials

How do I use the library catalog?
You can find books, DVDs, and CDs using the Quick Find box on the main page. Simply enter words from either the author's name or the title in the Search Terms field and hit the blue Search button directly below. The catalog will look for the words you have entered in the records of all of the Delaware Library Catalog libraries, and bring up a new page listing the results in alphabetical order. Scroll up and down the page and view additional pages to locate the record that you want. The brief record in this list will show you if a copy is available and which libraries they are in. You can click on Full Record for more info, or click on Place Hold to have the item sent to your local library (see next item.)

How long can I keep items?
Items can be checked out for a period of time depending on where the items are checked out. Also due to high demand some items may have a shorter periods. You can see a list of various items and thier circulation rules here: Circulation Rules Please contact your local library for specific items and cases or if you have any questions.

How can I read reviews of items in the catalog, or write one?
There are a number of ways for Delaware Library Catalog patrons to see reviews of items. Access to the Novelist Reader's Advisory database is available through the NoveList link in the green database bar of the catalog screen, or by clicking the Novelist "N" icon in catalog records (where available). In many records, users can select the "look inside" tab to see reviews and other expanded content. The Delaware Library Catalog recently added LibraryThing for Libraries Reviews to most of its book records, presenting reviews written by library patrons in Delaware and across the U.S., and giving the option for patrons to write their own reviews and have them published to the catalog. Click here for a tutorial, or here for a printable version (.pdf format).

How do I request items from other member libraries, or request an item that is checked out?
You may request items from other libraries in the Delaware Library catalog by placing a hold, on the item. Holds may also be placed on items that are currently checked out to other patrons. To place a hold you must first login to the catalog with you library barcode number and P.I.N. (If you do not know your P.I.N. you can ask for it the next time you visit your local library.) Once logged in search for the item or items you wish to have held. You can hold these items by clicking on the Place Hold button in the list of items or if you are in looking at a particular item, click on the Place Hold link on the left side of the screen. You will be taken to the hold screen. You must select the library where you will pick up the item from the pull down list of member libraries. You must select a library before finishing the hold process. A default hold expiration date will be set but this can be changed by clicking on the calendar beside the window. You can also specify a suspension period for the hold by entering a start and end date in the fields. Your hold will not be filled during this period, and is useful for times when you know you will not be available to pick up the hold, (such as vacations and such). These fields are optional and do not need to be filled in to place the hold. See the demonstration, "How Do I Suspend my Holds," for more information. Once you are all done click the Place Hold button to complete the process.
Click to see How to Place a Hold

How do I know how many items can be held & what items can be held?
You may place a maximum of 15 items on hold. Most items in the Delaware Library catalog can be held by patrons.

Why am I getting a "Hold not Allowed" message?
You may see this message when you try to place a hold on an item that is in a non-holdable location, is part of a specific item type or collection that has particular limitations on availability, or is not available for another reason. If a library is closed for renovation or relocation, its items may not be available for holds for some period of time, since they may be in storage or in a work zone not immediately or safely accessible by staff.
The following is a list of item locations and item types which cannot be put on hold. Please contact the library where these items are located to find out how you may have access to these items. Other exclusions may apply at different times.

  • All Archives Materials
  • Career Reference
  • Material Being Cataloged
  • Microfilm/fiche
  • Music and Audio visual restricted collections at DTCC
  • Periodicals and magazines at Dover and Wilmington Public Libraries
  • Rare Books
  • Reference Collections at all public and academic libraries
  • Vertical File/Newspaper Index
  • Walk-In/Browse
  • Wesley Barrett's Chapel Collection
  • Wesley Cooper Collection
  • Wesley Juvenile Collection
  • Wesley Video Collection
  • Wilmington Public Library DVD

How do I get items from New Castle County libraries?
Delaware Library Catalog patrons can request items in the New Castle County libraries TIPCAT catalog. To request these items, simply ask your library staff. Staff can also find provide many items from outside the state using the Interlibrary Loan process.

How do I suspend my holds?
Hold suspension dates allow you to enter a range of dates when the system should not fill your hold. For example if you were going to be out of town from May 26 to June 2 you would not want the system filling your hold because you could not come in to pick up the item. So you would suspend your hold for that week. The hold will wait to be filled until that time has passed. You should NOT suspend holds that are available for pickup, since this will make the item available to the next patron in line. To set a suspension date you would place a hold and from the Hold Screen set a Suspension Start Date and Suspension End Date by clicking on the calendars beside the boxes for each date. You will want this period to cover all the days you will not be available to pick up the item should your hold be filled. You can also set a suspension range for existing holds by modifying them in our account. See the demonstration, "How Do I Modify my Holds."
Click to see How to Suspend Your Holds

How do I modify my holds?
You can modify all your existing holds right from within the catalog. First you must log into the catalog with your library barcode number and P.I.N. Click on the My Account link in the "green" menu bar. To see your holds click on the link, Review My Account. This will provide you with a list of all your current holds. The list will include the titles and authors of your hold items, thier status, pickup library, and expiration date. Holds will have a status of Available when they are at the pickup library and ready for pickup. Holds that have not been filled yet will show a status of Hold Placed. To edit a specific hold, click on the Edit Hold button on the right side of the screen. From this screen you can change your pickup library (as long as your hold is not marked as Available), change your hold's expiration date and set a suspension period. To change your Pickup library simply click on the pull down list of member libraries and select a different library. The record will be updated when you finish and your hold will now go to that library. If you hold is already listed as Available then changing the pickup library will have no effect, the hold is already waiting for you at the library you originally chose. You can change the hold's expiration date by clicking on the calendar and setting the month, year and day. Your hold will remain in the system until this day passes. Finally you can set a suspension period, which will prevent your hold from being filled between the dates you set. You can set a start date by clicking on the calendar the same way you changed the expiration date. Then set the end date. Your hold will be filled after the suspension period passes and the item becomes available. When everything is set click on the Edit Hold button to modify the hold. At the confirmation screen click the OK link to return to your account information. See the demonstration, "How Do I Cancel my Holds."
Click to see How to Modify Your Holds

How do I cancel my holds?
To cancel your holds, log in the catalog and pull up your account information by clicking on the My Account link in the "green" menu bar. To see the list of your current holds click on the Review My Account link. To cancel a specific hold just put a check in the box to the left of the hold in the list. To cancel all your holds click on the Cancel All Holds button. Even holds that are marked Available can be canceled. When you are done making you selections (if you are not cancelling all of your holds) click on the Cancel Selected Holds button. You will then be shown a confirmation screen with a list of the holds you just canceled. Click the OK link to return to your account information.
Click to see How to Cancel Your Holds

How do I renew my items?To renew items that are currently checked out to you, first log in to your library account with your User ID (library card number) and P.I.N. Go to your account by clicking on the My Account link in the green Menu Bar. Once in My Account click on the Renew My Materials link to open the item renewal screen. Here you will see a list of all the items checked out to you and their due dates. You can select specific items to renew by clicking on the box beside them. If you wish to renew all your items click on the button beside, "Renew All." Then click on the, "Renew Selected Items," button below the list. You will then see a summary screen with all the items renewed and their new due dates. Click the OK link at the end of the list and you can continue searching the catalog or log out of your account. Most items can only be renewed 2 times. Dvds and Videos cannot be renewed. Always check with your local library for any specific examples. Patrons whose accounts have been blocked due to excessive fines or bills will not be allowed to renew their items and need to contact their local library.
Click to see How to Renew My Items Demonstration

How do I return items? To return items that are currently checked out to you, simply bring them to the circulation desk of any library during its hours of operation. When the library is closed, you may return books only using the after hours book drop. DVD's and other types of material may not be returned via the book drop due to the likelihood of damage. After-hours book drops are generally located near the main entrance of the library. Books returned on their due date via the bookdrop before the library opens for business the following day will not accrue fines.

How do I use an E-book? You can download e-Audiobooks to your home PC and transfer them to any WMA (Windows Plays for Sure) capable audio player. You can view e-books using the Adobe Reader application. Click here for more instructions.

How do I suggest items for purchase?
To suggest an item for purchase by one of the Delaware Library Catalog libraries, select the "I Need Material" link from the "green" Menu Bar on the catalog page. Then select Recommend to Order from the next screen and provide as much information about the suggested purchase as possible. Your recommendation will be reviewed by a member of library staff. This procedure is for general recommendations only, if you are specifically interested in borrowing this item, select the Inter Library Loan option instead.

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Searching for information

How can I find out when new material is available? You can receive email notifications when new items by authors that you select are added to the Delaware Library Catalog. First make sure that you have a current email address in your record, or update it next time you are in your library by asking any member of library staff. To add an author or topic to a list of favorites, log in to the library catalog with your library card number and PIN, and search for your favorite author or topic. Open any full record for the author or topic, and on the left hand side of the screen, under the image of the books jacket and the 'place hold' and 'add to list' buttons you will see a links to 'tell me when...' Selecting one of these links will set up an automatic email notice when new material is added by this author, or one this topic. You can select how often notices are sent to you by clicking the 'My Profile' link in the light blue bar above the search results, and selecting weekly, fortnightly, or monthly notifications. You can also select to have automatic notices sent for new material by authors of books you have checked out in the 'My Profile' screen.
Click here for a tutorial.

How do I find an article? The Delaware Library Catalog provides access to hundreds of magazines, newspapers, and academic journals through its subscriptions to e-resources and databases. This includes a huge amount of information that is unavailable on the "open" internet, through Google, Wikipedia, or the free content of newspapers and magazines. Full-text content from leading national magazines and some of the most important scholarly and peer-reviewed journals is available through our EBSCO databases, and current and back-issues of national and regional newspapers is available from ProQUEST. click here to access databases and e-resources.

How do I ask a question? You can connect live with a librarian using AnswerONline or by returning to the main page and clicking the AnswerONline icon in the Quick Links table. AnswerONline is a 24/7 service that connects library patrons with librarians using a familiar Instant Messager-type service.

How can I search the catalog directly from my internet browser? A quick way to check the library catalog while surfing the internet, without having to leave the site you are on, is to add the LibX browser add-on to your Firefox of Internet Explorer browser. This adds a toolbar to your browser that provides direct access to the holdings of the Delaware Library Catalog. LibX also automatically searches web pages to look for information about books, and inserts links which search the catalog for specific items referenced on the webpage. Click here for a demo and installation instructions, or click here to download the program.

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Librarianese - Learn to speak like a librarian

Many of the terms used in the library can be confusing to people who do not work in the library in general and anyone looking at this part of the page in specific. Here is a list, with definitions, of some of the more common library terms and acronyms used.

Burning
The process used to put information on an optical disc such as a CD or DVD.
Call Number
This is the number assigned by the library to an item that identifies its location on the shelf. Think of it as an address.
Dewey Decimal System Call Number, (DDC)
The library call number system developed by Thomas Dewey. The first line is the Dewey Number. This number is assigned by a cataloger and groups items together based on subject matter. The second number is called a Cutter number and usually consists of the first letter of the author's last name, a series of numbers and the first letter of the title of the book. Example: 944 [Dewey Number] B152h [Cutter Number] See also: A Closer Look at Dewey
E-book
Any book in digital format that can be downloaded through a computer network or the internet and viewed on a computer or loaded into an MP3 player or burned on a CD.
Fiction
A work of the imagination created by an author or authors.
Hold
A request for an item that is either currently checked out or in another library within the Delaware Library Catalog.
iBistro
The name of the software used to search the library catalog.
Item
Any of the materials you would use in the library including: Audio cassettes, Books, CDs, DVDs, Magazines, Videos, etc. Library of Congress Call Number (LC)
The library call number system in use by the Library of Congress. The first two lines represent the subject of the book. The third line represents the author's last name and the final line is the year the book was published. Example: LB2395 [Subject] .C65 [author] 1991 [year published].
MP3
MP3 stands for MPEG Audio Layer 3, this is a format for digital audio files.
Overdue
Any item that has not been returned by a specified (the return) date.
Inter-Library Loan, (ILL)
ILL is the acronym for Inter-Library Loan, the process used to get materials from libraries not currently members of the Delaware Library catalog.
Micro-Form
Library materials that are on film or fiche, (think photo negative), that must be read and or printed from Micro-forms machine.
Non-Fiction
A work that is not a product of the imagination but documents, reports or otherwise informs about a particular subject.
OPAC
The computer terminal used to search the library catalog.
P.I.N.
Is an acronym for Personal Identification Number, this used with your library barcode number is your access to your library account and many of the electronic resources.
Renew
A request to extend the time of a library loan.
Reserves
Items placed in a special collection for access by specific patrons.
Stacks
The shelves where the books are kept.

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