My Library

HELP - How do I ... ?

Renew items, reset my PIN, view checked out items, reserved items, and charges. Freeze a reserve. Request email notification. Pay library charges online. Preferred Searches. Tips for Searching.

How do I reset my PIN (Personal Identification Number)?

If you are having trouble logging in or want to choose a new PIN, please follow these steps.

  1. Click on the Forgot my PIN? link on the Your Account page.
  2. Enter you Library Card Barcode number. A PIN reset message will be sent to the email address we have on file.
  3. Follow the link provided in that email message and you will be able to reset your PIN.
  4. Use your new PIN to log in to your account.

Your PIN is personal information. We cannot view or update your PIN as it is encrypted on our system.

How do I Renew items online?

  1. Log in to Your Account.
  2. You will see a link marked Items currently checked out with the number of items you have checked
    out. Click the link to view the materials you have checked out.
  3. Select the materials you want to renew by checking the boxes in the RENEW column and then click the Renew Selected button. If you want to renew everything, click the Renew ALL button.

    4. Be sure to scroll down and check the status box for each title you wish to renew, looking for messages printed in red, because not all items will be eligible for renewal. This may be because:

    - it is too soon to renew (you may renew your items up to two days in advance).

    - another patron has placed a hold on your item and you need to return it.

    - you have generated $10.00 or more infines and your library account has been blocked.

    - you have previously renewed it.

    For more information refer the How to Borrow page on our website.

  4. Click on the Return to Your Account button at the top of the page.
  5. Click on the Log out button to exit.

If for any reason you cannot renew your items online, please call the library for assistance at 604-925-7400.

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How do I view the items checked out on my card?

  1. Log in to Your Account.
  2. You will see a link marked Items currently checked out with the number of items you have checked out.
    Click on the link to view materials you have checked out.
  3. Click on the Return to Your Account button at the top of the page
  4. Click on the Log out button to exit.

If there is not an Items currently checked out link on the screen, you have nothing checked out on your card.

How do I digitize my barcode?

Make your iPhone, iPod touch, Android, or Blackberry smart phone your library card with CardStar. The CardStar app allows you to consolidate your reward and membership cards from libraries, grocery stores and others onto your smart phone. It's FREE and can be setup in minutes!

  1. Install the CardStar app on your smart phone (www.mycardstar.com).
  2. Open CardStar and select [+] to add a new barcode
  3. Under Select Merchant, select and expand the Merchant menu.
  4. Select Library , select West Vancouver Memorial Library and select Save on the top right.
  5. Select Number and type in your library card number. Select Save on the top right

Try it our at one of our self check-out machines!

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How do I view items I have on reserve?

  1. Log in to Your Account.
  2. You will see a link marked Requests (Holds) with the number of items you have on reserve. Click on the link to view items you have on reserve.
  3. Click on the Return to Your Account button at the top of the page.
  4. Click on the Log out button to exit.

If there is not a Requests (Holds) link on the screen, you have nothing on reserve on your card.

How do I cancel a reserved item?

  1. Log in to Your Account.
  2. You will see a link marked Requests (Holds) with the number of items you have on reserve. Click on the link to view items you have on reserve.
  3. On the left side of the screen there is a Cancelcolumn, click on the box beside the reserved item you want to cancel.
  4. Click on the Update List button to cancel the reserved item.
  5. Click on the Return to Your Account button at the top of the screen.
  6. Click on the Log out button to exit.

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How do I freeze a reserve?

You can freeze a reserve(s) while you are away from home. This allows other reserves in the queue to be filled until you reactivate the reserve. Remember to reactivate your reserve when you return home.

  1. Log in to Your Account.
  2. You will see a Requests (holds) link. Click on the link to view your reserves.
  3. On the right side of the screen there is a Freeze column, click on the box beside the reserve you want to freeze.
  4. Click on the Update List button to freeze the reserve.
  5. Click on the Return to Your Account button at the top of the page.
  6. Click on the Log out button to exit.

If you do not see a Requests (holds) link, then you do not have any reserves on your account.

How do I reactivate a reserve on freeze?

  1. Log in to Your Account.
  2. You will see a link marked Requests (Holds) link. Click on the link to view items you have on reserve.
  3. On the right side of the screen there is a Freeze column, click on the box beside the reserve you want to reactivate.
  4. Click on the Update List button to cancel the reserved item.
  5. Click on the Return to Your Account button at the top of the screen.
  6. Click on the Log out button to exit.

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How do I view unpaid overdue charges?

  1. Log in to Your Account.
  2. You will see a link marked Unpaid fines and bills with the amount due. Click on the link to view outstanding charges.
  3. Click on the Return to Your Account button at the top of the page.
  4. Click on the Log out button to exit.

If there is not a Fines and Bills link, you have no outstanding charges.

Please note that charges for material currently checked out are not assessed until the item(s) are returned. You may be charged for items that are overdue. Please refer to the library's circulation policies for more information.

How do I pay library charges online?

  1. Log in to Your Account.
  2. Click on the Unpaid Fines and Bills link to view the charges on your account. You can pay any charge over $5.00 by VISA, MasterCard, or American Express. The Pay online button will not appear if you owe less than $5.00.
  3. Click Pay Online. Your browser must allow pop-up windows. Personal and credit card details are protected. We use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology to secure our site.
  4. Select the charges you want to pay or uncheck the boxes for the items you do not want to pay. Click Recalculate Total to adjust the total to be paid.
  5. Complete every field under Billing & Credit Card information. The name must match the name on the credit card. Enter your email address if you want to receive a receipt of your payment. Click Submit
  6. The next screen will ask you to confirm the information. Edit if necessary and click Submit.
  7. Print receipt or click Close Window. Charges will appear on your statement as West Vancouver Memorial L.
  8. Important: Click Return to Your Account to refresh the screen.
  9. Click on the Log out button to exit.

If you cannot pay your charges online, please call the library for assistance at 604-925-7400.

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How do I start to save titles to Your Reading History?

  1. Log in to Your Account.
  2. Click on theYour Reading History button.
  3. Click on the Opt In button to begin to save your checkout history.
  4. Click on the Log out button to exit.

Please note: By subscribing to Your Reading History, you acknowledge that West Vancouver Memorial Library's online library system will retain your checkout activity for your personal use. You may unsubscribe from this service or remove any or all titles from Your Reading History at any time. Collection of information in Your Reading History is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act. The Library will not divulge this information to outside parties unless required to do so by law.

How do I delete titles in Your Reading History?

  1. Log in to Your Account.
  2. Click on theYour Reading History button.
  3. On the right side of the screen there is a Freeze column, click on the box beside the reserve you want to reactivate.
  4. You can delete some or all of the titles in your history. Remember to mark the title(s) you would like to delete and click Delete Marked. To delete all of the titles in Your Reading History, click Delete All.
  5. Click on the Log out button to exit.

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How do I stop saving titles in Your Reading History?

  1. Log in to Your Account.
  2. Click on theYour Reading History button.
  3. Click on the Opt In button to begin to save your checkout history.
  4. Click on the Log out button to exit.

Please note: By subscribing to Your Reading History, you acknowledge that West Vancouver Memorial Library's online library system will retain your checkout activity for your personal use. You may unsubscribe from this service or remove any or all titles from Your Reading History at any time. Collection of information in Your Reading History is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act. The Library will not divulge this information to outside parties unless required to do so by law.

How do I delete titles in Your Reading History?

  1. Log in to Your Account.
  2. Click on theYour Reading History button.
  3. You must delete all of the titles in your history before you can opt out. Click Delete All to delete the titles in your history. Click on the Opt Out button.
  4. Click on the Log out button to exit.

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How do I request email notification?

Please give us an email address to receive email notification for reserves and overdues instead of phone notification.

  1. Log in to Your Account.
  2. You will see a Modify Email button. Click on the button and enter your email address.
  3. Click on the Submit button to save this information.
  4. Click on the Close Window button.
  5. Click on the Return to Your Account button at the top of the page.
  6. Click on the Log out button to exit.

To ensure you receive our circulation notices by email, please add the westvanlibrary@westvanlibrary.ca address to your list of pre-approved senders within your anti-spam program.


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Searching

Type the keyword you want to find. For example:

  • design
  • bleachers grisham
Search Tips
Wildcards Words may be right-hand truncated using an asterisk ('*') in place of other characters. The '*' wildcard may also be embedded in a search string. You may use '?' to replace a single character anywhere within a word.
Examples : environment* polic*, wom?n
Boolean Operators Use "and" or "or" to specify multiple words in any field, any order. Use "and not" to exclude words.
Example : stocks and bonds
Example : (alaska or canada) and (adventure and not vacation)
Field limits A field limit causes the system to search only the specified field for the specified word(s).
Grouping Keyword search results are usually grouped by relevance to bring the most likely titles to the top of the list. Each group represents a similar level of relevance and results are sorted within the group by date or title. To get an ungrouped result set, use boolean operators to form a complex query.

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Advanced Keyword Search Tips

Multiple Words

When searching multiple words the system will automatically supply the Boolean "and" operator between each word; multiple words entered for the search will all occur somewhere in the retrieved records though not necessarily in the order entered. Both examples on the right will retrieve the same results.

Examples

Using multiple words:
university science department
university and science and department

Phrase Searches

Search for complete phrases by enclosing them in quotation marks. Words enclosed in double quotes will appear together in all results exactly as typed.

Examples

A phrase Search:
"university science department"

Wildcards

*   Matches any number of non-space characters, starting at the specified position in the word. For example, "comput*" will match all words that begin with "comput" (e.g., "computer", "computation", etc.).
The '*' wildcard may also be embedded in a search string.

?   You may use a question mark ('?') to replace a single character anywhere within a word.

Examples

* Wildcard:
environment* polic*
comp*

? Wildcard:
wom?n

Boolean Operators

Use AND or OR to specify multiple words in any field, any order. Use AND NOT to exclude words. Select the operator you wish to use from the selection list on the Advanced Search form.

Examples

Using Boolean operators:
stocks and bonds
stocks or bonds
stocks and not bonds

Field Limits

Field limits may be specified by selecting a field limit from the selection list. These limits appear before the word or phrase to be searched. A field limit causes the system to search only the specified field for the specified word(s).

Field Limits and their meanings:

  • Author: Search only author fields
  • Title: Search only title fields
  • Subject: Search only subject fields
  • Note: Search only note fields

Grouping

Keyword search results are usually grouped by relevance to bring the most likely titles to the top of the list. Each group represents a similar level of relevance and results are sorted within the group by date or title. To get an ungrouped result set, use boolean operators to form a complex query.

Most relevant Most relevant titles 

Highly relevant Highly relevant titles 

Very relevant Very relevant titles 

Relevant Relevant titles 

Other relevant Other relevant titles 

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Preferred Searches

If you have a favourite author or subject for which you often search when using the catalogue, you can save the search with the click of a button. This will prevent you from having to key in the search each time and let you place reserves on new materials quicker.

  1. Log in to your Your Account.
  2. Click on the Search Catalogue button.
  3. Search for your favourite author, subject, title, etc. or create an advanced keyword search including limits to material type, language, publication year, etc..
  4. When your results are displayed, click the button marked Save as preferred search.
  5. The next time that you log in to Your Account, you can click the Preferred Searches button to see a list of your saved searches.
  6. Click on the search link associated with any of the preferred search terms in the list to quickly execute your search.
  7. You can be alerted of new materials added to the library collection which match your searches. Just check the Mark for Email box and be sure that Your Account information includes your current email address.

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