There are a lot of things you can do with the library catalog! You can look at your checkout history, place reserves on library materials, renew what you have checked out, and request items we don't have. You can also sign up to automatically get placed on reserve for upcoming releases by your favorite authors and defer your reserves while you are away or busy. You can even install it as an app on your phone for easy access! There will be a video tutorial for that at the end.
Let's get started!
The catalog has two different views depending if you are using a computer or a mobile device. The books scrolling across the top are the newest things added to the collection. The Electronic Resources are available for use with your library card! In the What's Hot box, the first tab shows you what is popular right now. The second tab labeled What's New allows you to narrow your search of our newest additions by category, like seeing only new DVDs or Large Print. The Booklists tab contains curated lists such as award winners, themes, or staff picks.
At the top you will see a box that says Enter Your Search Here! This is where you can search for an author, book title or subject.
Let's get started!
The catalog has two different views depending if you are using a computer or a mobile device. The books scrolling across the top are the newest things added to the collection. The Electronic Resources are available for use with your library card! In the What's Hot box, the first tab shows you what is popular right now. The second tab labeled What's New allows you to narrow your search of our newest additions by category, like seeing only new DVDs or Large Print. The Booklists tab contains curated lists such as award winners, themes, or staff picks.
At the top you will see a box that says Enter Your Search Here! This is where you can search for an author, book title or subject.
To login to the catalog, you will need all of the numbers of your library card. Don't enter any spaces. The PIN default is Spencer's zip code unless you changed it yourself. If it's not working, give us a call at 712-580-7290 or email [email protected] and we can reset it for you.
On a desktop, you will enter your card number and PIN in the upper right corner.
On a desktop, you will enter your card number and PIN in the upper right corner.
In a mobile browser, you will also find it in the upper right corner. But you will have to touch a button that says Show Login. After that, the fields to enter your card number and PIN will appear.
Excellent! Now you are logged into your account! We are going to use the desktop view now. On the mobile view, the buttons will all be there, but arranged vertically rather than horizontal.
After you have logged in, now you will see a My Account button. Go ahead and click that.
After you have logged in, now you will see a My Account button. Go ahead and click that.
Here you will land on the Account Info tab. You can display your scannable barcode here. You can also change your password/PIN if you choose to do so. If you forget your password/PIN, not a problem! Just let us know and we can reset it for you. This tab also allows you to change or add phone numbers and email addresses.
The Notifications tab allows you to to change the way you get notifications. If the phone number we have on file is marked as a cell, we can send them as text messages. If we have your email address, we can send them that way. We can call you, too! There is also an option to have your checkout receipt emailed to you instead of getting a paper one handed to you when you checkout at the library. It's all up to you!
In the Items Out/Renewals tab, you can see all of the library materials you currently have checked out. It shows the date they went out, and the date they are due. If they are able to be renewed, there will be a button available for you to do so. You don't even have to call or stop in!
The Reserves/Requests tab has some very helpful features! If you have anything reserved, it will be in this screen. But, there's more!
Do you have some favorite authors? You've read all of their books? Super excited for the next book? Reserve Express is for you! All you have to do is select your authors. You can even choose between standard, large print, and audiobook! Once the materials are cataloged, the reserve list is automatically generated, and you will be on it! This way you don't have to keep track of new releases. You will get put on the list as soon as they are ready to go!
If you are leaving town or life is just kind of busy, you can put a pause on your reserves so you don't lose your spot in line. Click defer your reserves and you can enter the dates you will be unavailable. Once you return, you will pick back up at your original place in line.
The Bookmarks tab allows you to make a list of things you might want to check out later. See something that looks interesting, but maybe not right now? You can bookmark that for later reference. You can also see from this screen if these items are in or not. You can use this to curate a reading list, or to just quickly find something you know you will enjoy.
The History tab keeps track of your checkouts for the last four years. You can even export it as a spreadsheet. Did you forget the name of that book or movie you had last year? You can look it up here!
And here is an easy way to always have access to your library account!
