Getting the Most Out of Our New Catalog
Last month we introduced you to our new catalog and some of its features. If you want to learn even more about what you can do in the catalog, bookmark our catalog page and keep reading!
Account Information
Our new catalog provides users more control over their own accounts than they had with our previous system. You can review your checkouts, renew materials, and place holds online. You can also customize notifications regarding your checked out materials and holds, as well as manage your privacy settings and personal information.
Current Borrowers
If you have borrowed materials from us in the past you do not need to set up a new account. However, you will need to set up a new password to gain access to your account. You can use the Forgot your password? feature to set up a password of your choice. Enter your email address (you do not need to enter anything in the Login box) and check your email for a link to log in to the public catalog, which will include your User ID. Clicking the link in your email will bring you back to the catalog and allow you to enter a new password. After this has been done you can log in to your account!
If the email you enter is not found in our system you will need to call the library for password assistance.
New Borrowers
If you have never borrowed materials from our library, you will need to register for an account at the Library Account Registration page. Once you have filled out the form with your information you need to type in the unique verification code to proceed with your registration. If you are a member of the Washington State Bar Association, please provide your bar number in the WSBA Number field. Please review our Borrowing Policy for borrower information. Prior to checking out materials, Washington state residents who are not WSBA members or state and local government employees borrowing in an official capacity must present a current (unexpired) government issued photo ID that contains an address and phone number, or a current photo ID plus a form of official mail or a legal form with a current address.
Account Actions and Settings
Log in to your account from our catalog by choosing YOUR LIBRARY ACCOUNT on the left side of the page or My Account underneath the large search box. Once you have logged in to your account you will see a summary of the items you have checked out. If your book(s) are eligible for renewal you can perform renewals by selecting the item(s) you wish to renew and clicking RENEW SELECTED or you can RENEW ALL. Click on the Holds tab to manage any holds that you have placed. You can cancel holds or suspend holds until a specified date or indefinitely.
You can manage your account using the links on the left side of the My Account page. Here you can request to update the personal information on your account using the Your Personal Details link. You can also change your password, see and clear your search history, and review your reading history, purchase suggestions you have submitted, and customized lists (more details on lists can be found in the Searching section below).
We recommend that you review the Your Privacy link. This feature allows you to define how long the system keeps your reading history. You can delete all of your reading history at any time while still choosing to save your reading history moving forward. Note that library staff cannot see your prior reading history. This is information that only you can access when you log in to your account.
You can also manage your messaging preferences by clicking on Your Messaging on the left side of your account page. These preferences control the way you receive messages from the library regarding books you have checked out or for which you have placed holds. The messages that you can customize are item due notices (to be received the day an item is due), advance notice of due dates, notices sent when a hold is ready, and notices sent when you have returned items or checked out items. Note that some borrowers, such as court borrowers and libraries, do not receive these messages.
You can choose to receive messages by email or SMS text. You must enter your SMS provider to receive texts. If you would prefer to receive a list of items, rather than a separate email for each checked out item, be sure to check the Digests Only box for the Item Due and Advance Notice messages. The system will automatically email overdue notices and bills to all borrowers. You will not be able to customize those messages.
You can log out of your account on your My Account or Your Summary page.
Searching
When you use our catalog for legal research you will find there are many features in the catalog designed to make your research easier. You can save items to lists, email yourself results from your cart, and place holds on items you would like to check out.
Basic and Advanced Searching
Searching on the catalog home page is simple. Enter a keyword, title, or author in the large search box for a simple search. There is a drop down menu to the left of the search box with options for searching title, author, subject, and other fields. The Title Phrase search can be handy, requiring you to type only a few words of the title you are looking for, rather than the entire title.
If you want a higher precision search, then choose the Advanced Search link to search multiple fields or to perform searches beyond simple keyword, title, or author searches. You can use many different search limiters on the Advanced Search page such as a publication date range, shelving location, or item availability. If you need to perform a new search at any step in your research, you can always click on New Search to get a refreshed search page. This will always take you back to the basic search home page.
Results Lists
After you have performed a search you can sort your results list using the drop down menu above the list. The default sort is based on relevance. You will also see a Refine Your Search column on the left. You can use the facets in this column to narrow your search further by author, location, topic, or additional limiters. Click the box to the left of a facet you would like to use and the search results will change to reflect the refined search.
Each result in the list will show you at a glance whether the book is checked out in the Availability field and the library location and call number in the Location(s) field. If the item is available online you will see this at a glance as well. Online availability will sometimes be through databases only accessible to library staff. Please contact us by phone or email if you have questions about online access.
Above the search results is an action bar that allows you to unhighlight/highlight search terms, select all items in the results list, clear selections, choose to save selected titles to your cart or a customized list (read on for cart and lists details), or place holds on selected items. You can select individual titles by checking the box to the left of the title in the list. Individual items in the results list also have a PLACE HOLD, SAVE TO LISTS, or ADD TO CART button.
If you click on a title in the results list you will see more detailed information about the item, including information about specific volumes and their availability and location. Use the right column in the record to perform actions such as to place a hold on the item, print the record, save the item to a customized list or your cart, generate a QR Code to send to your device, search for the title at another library, or share the record by email.
Customized Lists
If you are logged in to your account, you can create customized lists for later use. You can add titles to a list by checking the box to the left of a title in the results list and using the Add to and SAVE functions above the results list. Or you can add a title to a list directly from the record itself. You can save multiple lists and the system uses popup boxes for adding to current lists or creating new ones. You can manage your lists using the LISTS drop down menu on the top left side of the catalog page. Under the LISTS menu you will see that we have also created public lists that you can view, such as our New Books list.
You can download, email, print, edit, or delete a list from the action menu at the top of any list.
Your Cart
Your cart is a temporary holding place for items you are interested in during a research session. Once you have logged out or closed your browser the items in your cart will disappear. You can add titles to your cart by checking the box to the left of a title in the results list and using the Add to and SAVE functions above the results list. Or you can add a title to your cart directly from the record itself. You do not need to be logged in to your account to place books in your cart. You can review and manage your cart using the CART feature on the top left side of the catalog page.
You can download, email, print, or delete items from your cart. You can also place holds on selected items in your cart and add items from the cart to a customized list (if you are logged in to your account).
Placing Holds
***Note that books placed on hold will be available for checkout through our curbside service. Find information about this service here. Please call us at 360–357–2136 or email us at library.requests@courts.wa.gov for alternate return options if you are unable to return books during curbside service hours.***
You can place a hold on available or checked out items. Place a hold either by checking the box to the left of a title in the results list and using the PLACE HOLD function above the results list or you can place a hold directly in the record itself. If you are not already logged in to your account, you will be prompted to log in.
Once you are logged in you will need to confirm your hold by providing a date that the hold will no longer be needed, if you wish, and choosing the volume that you need (if it is a multiple volume set). You will need to place a separate hold for each volume you need, even if you need more than one volume of a title. We will notify you when your hold is ready for pickup.
Contact Us
If you need assistance with your account or searching the catalog, please call us at 360–357–2136 or email us at library.requests@courts.wa.gov.
Instructional Tutorials
For additional information on searching the catalog and using its additional features you can watch instructional tutorials here. Some videos that cover the features we have highlighted here are:
Patron Tutorial on Resetting / Forgetting Passwords on OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog)
Patron Tutorial on Logging into the OPAC
Patron Tutorial on Reading History and Privacy
Patron Tutorial on Changing Messaging Preferences on the OPAC
Patron Tutorial on Searching in the OPAC
Video Tutorial for Patrons using List on the OPAC
