Here are answers to some of the questions we’ve received from customers about our new catalog.
- How do I place a reserve (hold)?
- How can I see a list of all the items I placed on hold?
- What is “My List”?
- What kind of information is included in the different sections of My Account?
- My Account: How can I tell if titles are “In Transit”?
- My Account: The catalog used to tell me when reserves were pending on titles on my account and how many times I’ve renewed an item—what happened?
- Why doesn’t the computer remember my library card number when I move from “Review My Account” to “Renew My Materials”?
- I used to use CINCH to access Newsdex. Now what do I do?
- I’m using the catalog at home and want to change the pickup location that displays when I place a hold on a title to my home branch.
- You didn’t ask, but…
How do I place a reserve?
In our new system, “reserves” are referred to as “holds.” To place an item on hold and have it sent it to your local branch, follow these steps:
Search for a title in the catalog
Select Place Hold
Enter your full library card number and PIN
Select a pickup location from the pull-down menu
Select Place Hold
Your hold (reserve) has now been placed. You will be notified by email, phone, or postcard when the title is ready to be picked up.
Tip: To save yourself the trouble of having to enter your library card number and PIN every time you place a hold, log-in to the catalog before you start your search. The log-in box is located in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
How can I see a list of all the items I placed on hold?
To review all the items you’ve placed on hold, click on the “My Account” link and then choose the “Review My Account” option.
Tip: You can also work with your account from our main Web site. Just click on the “My Account” tab.
What is “My List”?
The “My List” feature can be used to create reading lists or bibliographies, which can be printed or emailed. It is not possible to place holds on items in “My List.”
What kind of information is included in the different sections of My Account?
There are up to three section in “My Account.”
Checkouts · a complete list of titles are currently checked out on your library card
Holds · a complete list of titles that are currently on hold (reserve) for you
Bills · an itemized listing of unpaid charges on your account (overdues, damaged items, lost material, etc.)
My Account: How can I tell if titles are “In Transit”?
In our new system, the “Availability” column is used to inform you when an item is ready to be picked up at Agency X (the CINCH equivalent of “Waiting”). The catalog no longer displays “In Transit” when an item is moving between locations.
Tip: Did you know that hold and overdue notices can now be delivered to your email account or voice mail? To sign up, contact Circulation Services (513-369-6913) or any of our neighborhood branches.
My Account: The catalog used to tell me when reserves were pending on titles on my account and how many times I’ve renewed an item—what happened?
When working with your account, it is no longer possible for you to see whether or not reserves are pending on items that are checked out on your library card. It is also no longer possible for you to tell how many times an item has been renewed.
Many of our customers have expressed an interest in seeing features (such as these) that were previously available in CINCH added to “My Account.” We will strongly encourage the vendor to make these changes to future releases of the software that supports the catalog.
Why doesn’t the computer remember my library card number when I move from “Review My Account” to “Renew My Materials”?
To avoid this problem (and save yourself the trouble of having to enter your library card number and PIN every time you place a hold), log-in to the catalog before you start your search. The log-in box is located in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
I used to use CINCH to access Newsdex. Now what do I do?
Newsdex is now a web-based database, like our catalog. A link to Newsdex can be found in the “Research & Homework” section of the Library’s homepage.
I’m using the catalog at home and want to change the pickup location that displays when I place a hold on a title to my home branch.
If you are reserving books from your home computer, the default pickup location that displays is the agency where you originally applied for a library card. Changing this location is easy—just call your local branch and they can update your record.
You didn’t ask, but…
- Unless you’ve changed it, your PIN is the last 4 digits of the phone number you gave us when you applied for your card.
- The catalog is unavailable Monday-Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:40 a.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:10 a.m. while system maintainance is being performed
- Please contact your local branch or Circulation Services (369-6913) if you have any questions about your account.
- If you have a question about our catalog that is not addressed here, please email us.
