Using the Catalog

The catalog is the place to go to find things to check out, AND it's where you can manage your library account.

To access the catalog in Spanish, click "Select Language" (upper right corner) and choose Español. 

Para acceder al catálogo en español, haga clic en "Select Language" (Seleccionar idioma, esquina superior derecha) y elija Español.

Find things to check out

Manage your account

Log into the catalog to manage your library account:

Catalog FAQs

Searching

Want to find books similar to ones you like, or find more titles on a specific subject? Here are several ways.

Use the catalog

  1. Starting from the library catalog, search for a title, author, or topic of interest, and refine your search results as necessary.
  2. Scan the list of results and click on the title of one that seems like what you're looking for.
  3. Look over the description and subject terms to see if the title sounds like what you want. If so, you have two options:
    • Click on a subject term link to do a new search and get a new list of titles on your chosen topic. Note: this works well for nonfiction topics. Scan the new list of titles, based on the subject search, to find additional titles of interest to you.
    • OR (for print-format books only), click on Reviews, Read-alikes, & Series Info from NoveList to see similar genre, style, or series. Note: this works well for fiction titles. Review the suggested books & authors. Hover over or click Why this match? to see how they are alike. Click on links to see more information, suggestions, or item details in the catalog.

Use NoveList Plus

  • Try our NoveList Plus online resource to search, browse, or combine appeals to find something you might also enjoy, then click the links to our catalog to see if we own copies and in which format(s).
  • Use NoveList's Read-alike feature—search for a book or author, and see if it has "Title Read-Alikes" or "Author Read-alikes."

Get personalized reading suggestions

Fill out our Personalized Reading Suggestions form and tell us about books and authors you enjoy and what appeals to you about them. Within a few days, we'll email you a list of three to five reading suggestions chosen just for you.

 

Changed: 04/05/2022 - 11:36

Try these tips for searching the FVRL catalog on a desktop computer or a mobile device. (Our library catalog app options are similar, but fewer.)

Take advantage of tabbed search results.

When you search the catalog, the results are displayed under different tabs, depending on what type of material they are.

  • Search Results: Books, DVDs, CDs, board books, Large Print, eBooks & eAudiobooks available from OverDrive, and more. It also includes a number of our "eResources" which have the material type "eLearning Resource" or "eResearch Resource.
  • Articles: Links to articles in our electronic resources
  • CloudSourceOA: Free, full-text articles that you don't have to log in to view

Use filters before you search to narrow down your results.

These filters are in the top menu bar of the catalog (not of our website). You'll find them under "Search Options" in mobile. They're optional, but can be useful.

Search for a particular type of material, for example books, audiobooks, or DVDs

Use the default "Everything" drop-down menu (you'll find it under "Search Options" in mobile). You can choose one of these options:

  • eBooks & eAudio
  • Print & Physical Material
  • Articles
  • CloudSourceOA
  • Books
  • Audiobooks (CDs or Playaways)
  • Large print materials
  • Graphic novels
  • Book discussion kits
  • Magazines
  • DVDs
  • eResources

With one of these format choices selected, you can:

  • Put nothing in the search box and select "Search." This is especially useful if, for example, you want to see a list of all the DVDs or all the book discussion kits in the catalog.
  • Put search terms in the search box to narrow your search, and select "Search."

Search only a particular field, for example author or ISBN

Use the filter in the blue bar with the default of "All Fields" (find it under "Search Options" in mobile). This filter can be applied in addition to the materials filter.

All Fields, title, and author searches are for print and digital materials.

  • All fields
    Allows you to search more than one field at once, e.g. an author and title search. Also use "All Fields" if you're having trouble finding materials you suspect are there.
  • Title
    Can be used when you know most or all of a title. But one-word titles with subtitles can be tricky to find if you don't know the subtitle. In that case, you'd have better luck leaving the filter at "All Fields" and searching for the title and author last name.
  • Author
    Type in the name; no need to put the last name first.
    Note: Sometimes authors' first names in the catalog are not what you expect, or they don't even match the author's name on the book cover. One example is J. A. Jance. For all her print books in the catalog, she's listed as Judith A. Jance. If you do an author search for J. A. Jance, you'll only find her eBooks and eAudiobooks. To solve this problem, try searching for the last name only, or do an "All Fields" search. (A short explanation why: The author field is a "controlled vocabulary," which means a deciding body (not FVRL) has chosen a set name format for the catalog, which may or may not be what's printed on the book cover.)
  • Keyword in author headings
    This can be a useful search if you know part of the author's name. Instead of showing you a list of books, it shows a list of authors with similar spellings.

Subject, call number, ISBN, or series searches are for print materials only. (eBooks and eAudiobook records don't have these exact fields.)

  • Subject
    Useful when you are confident that you know the exact word or phrase for the subject you're seeking. Keep in mind that this is a "controlled vocabulary," so the term in your head might not match the one used in the catalog. (If you can find material in the catalog that has the subject you're looking for, look at the item description page to find the exact subject(s) used.)
  • Keyword in subject headings
    Find subject headings with the exact word or words you search for.
  • Call number
    This searches for physical materials by Dewey Decimal number. Also see: How to browse materials by call number.
    Example, 567.9 will bring up books, DVDs, and CDs about dinosaurs.
  • ISBN (International Standard Book Number)
    Useful if you know the ISBN of the particular book or edition that you're looking for.
  • Series
    Good choice if you're looking for books in a series. Keep in mind that not all records have information in the series field, so results may be spotty.

Here are tips to help you find exactly what you want.

Use a limited number of focused, distinctive keywords

Less can be more. For example, if you're searching for a book title, leave out short, common words like a, and, or the, and just use the most distinctive words. Type azkaban instead of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Find a book quickly by typing the author's last name and title keyword(s)

  1. Ignore the filters.
  2. In the search box, type a distinctive word or two from the title and the author's last name. Examples:
    • lightning thief riordan
    • blink gladwell

This works best on titles that don't have a lot of commentaries or spin-offs. (So maybe use author or title searches for books by classic authors like Shakespeare or Jane Austen.)

Leave the search box blank in certain circumstances

Did you know you don't need to type anything in the search box? Hitting "Search" with nothing in the search box is called doing a "blank search" and can be done in the catalog or from the search box in our website header. (It's actually a quick way to get from the website straight to the catalog.)

If you do a blank search with no filters set, your search results include everything that's in the catalog. You can then filter the results (see "Narrow your results further after you search" below).

You can also set filters before you do a blank search (see "Filter before you search" above). This is useful if you want a list of all of a certain type of material, such as DVDs or book discussion kits.

Get the catalog to stop showing items that are one or two letters off from what you typed in the search box

How? Put quotation marks around your search term(s).

Here's why. The catalog uses fuzzy logic when searching for words more than five letters long. It'll display exact matches first, but also any matches that have at least five of the letters in the same order. Using quotation marks tells the catalog, "I want this exact word or phrase, and nothing else."

For example, if you search for marmot, it finds lots of results including marmont and margot. But search for "marmot" with quotation marks, and you'll get exact results only.

Note: This seems to be an issue for physical materials, not eBook and eAudiobook results.

Filter the author, title, or subject in the search box itself

This is optional, but can be a nice shortcut. Here's how:

  • To limit the author, type AUTHOR= in front of the author's name, for example AUTHOR=austen
  • To limit the title, type TITLE= in front of the title name, for example TITLE="mansfield park" (and note how the quotations were used to find that exact title).
  • To limit the subject, type SUBJECT= in front of the subject, for example SUBJECT="marmots"
  • To exclude, type a hyphen first, for example -AUTHOR=
  • Use more than one of these limiters at the same time, if you want. For example, TITLE="harry potter" -AUTHOR="rowling" to find books with Harry Potter in the title that aren't by J. K. Rowling.

Be careful about adding more words to the search box

You might think that adding more words to the search box would increase your number of results, but that's not the case.

Why? Our catalog search is looking for items that have ALL of the words you typed in. So the more words you type, the more you're limiting your results.

Not all searches act this way. Some searches, such as our "Site and FAQs" search, will find results that have ANY of the words you type, and in that case, adding more search terms will increase your number of results. But that's not how our catalog works.

Narrow your results after you search.

All these filters are found in the left column if you're on a desktop computer. On a mobile device, tap "Filter Results" to find them. You'll only see options that apply to your search results.

Learn how to use the filters in general

  • Check the box to the left of the filter and click "Include." (On a desktop computer, you can save a click by just clicking the specific filter itself, for example "Board book" in the "Materials" filter.)
  • You can also select "Exclude" if you don't want to see that choice.
  • Use several filters at the same time and select several choices under each filter if you want.
  • Remove filters you've applied (which are displayed at the top of the filter list) by clicking the "x" or by starting a new search.

Only see titles that are currently available

Select "Only Show Available." Now you'll only see copies available for checkout or currently in transit to a new location.

This limit sticks to your next search, so be sure to click "Include Unavailable" if you want your future searches to reveal all.

This filter only applies to physical materials, not to eBooks or eAudiobooks.

Only see materials at your own branch

Under the "Library" filter, select your branch and "Include."

Filter for author, audience, material, eFormat, vendor, subject, pub date, language, library, genre/type or shelf

Do some of these sound familiar? They deal with the same fields as some of the pre-search filters, but they may give you more specific choices.

Author
Lists all the authors (and the different ways they're cataloged) for all the materials in your search results list.

Audience
Select adult, juvenile, large print, or young adult.
Large print is also listed in the pre-search filters as a material type. Using either large print filter will give you the same results.

Material
Here's another chance (besides the pre-search filters) to pick a material type—and there are more choices.

eFormat
Useful if you know the eFormat you're looking for. for example Kindle. (For a fuller explanation of these eFormat types, see the "Check them out" section of How do I use the FVRL catalog or app to borrow eBooks or eAudiobooks?

Vendor
Select your choice of eBook or eAudiobook vendors.

Subject
On a desktop computer, click "See all" to see the whole list.

Pub Date
On a desktop computer, you can set a date range with a slider or by typing in starting and ending years, then clicking "Include." On a mobile device, pick the years you want and tap "Include."

Language
Pick the language(s) you want.

Library
Pick a branch to see items whose current home is that location.

Genre/Type
Useful for narrowing down a fiction search.

Shelf
Possibly useful for narrowing down to a specific part of the library, but can be spotty.

Try the extra choices available on a desktop computer.

Change the order of your search results

Click the "Sort by" filter, which is on the right, just above the first search result. These filters work only if you have fewer than 300 results.

You may sort by:

Relevance
That's the default. Items that have your search term(s) in the title will be first in the list.

Publication date (ascending)
Results will start with the oldest published items.

Publication date (descending)
Results start with the most recently published items.

Author
Listed alphabetically from A to Z

Title
Listed alphabetically from A to Z

View search results as a grid of cover images (thumbnail view)

This view is great if you like to browse book covers. Here's how:

  • Click the icon that looks like four little squares, located above your first search result .
  • To make this view stick if you go to the next page of search results, you'll need to use the "Sort by" filter and select "Relevance (Default)."
  • To return to list style for good, either click the list view icon (three stacked horizontal lines with little dots next to them) and sort by relevance, OR click "Catalog" in the page header (this also clears the search and all filters).

Use browse search, call number browse, or power (Boolean) search

See What do those little icons below the search bar in the catalog mean? for all the details!


Still have questions? Please contact us!

 

Changed: 05/18/2023 - 17:09
Tags:

The round icons are links to three special search features that open on the search page, and which aren't available in the main search box.

Browse search

Click on this icon if you know how something begins, such as a title, author last name, series, etc.

  1. Type in your term(s).
  2. Click the appropriate green button: author, title, subject, series, or magazine title.

For example, try Percy Jackson and click the "Title" button to find all titles beginning with that phrase.

Call number browse

Click on this icon to search by item call number in a single library.

  1. Type in the start of a known call number e.g. 398.6.
  2. Choose a library.

You'll see a list of holdings, in order of call number. Try J DVD for kids' DVDs, SPA for Spanish language titles, or E for children's picture books.

Power search

Click on this icon to open a search that allows Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT).

  1. Type in your terms (author, title, subject etc). You can change the dropdown to have more than one of a type, for instance two authors.
  2. Choose AND, OR, or NOT.
  3. Search.

Compare a search for cat vs. one for cat OR kitten OR feline, or try a search for books by Patterson NOT James.

Important information for browse, call number, and power searches!

  • Don't use the back button in your browser, or it will break the embedded search. Instead, use the Go backPrevious, and Next buttons in the blue bar at the top or bottom of the embedded search frame.
  • Author names must be entered last name first with a comma, for example Austen, Jane or Whitehead, Colson.
  • When searching for a phrase, enclose it within single quotes, rather than double, for example 'bees'.

Still have questions? Please contact us!

 

Changed: 08/10/2022 - 08:34
Tags:

Borrowing

Here's how to borrow a Wi-Fi hotspot:

  • Use your library card to request a hotspot in the library catalog. Hotspots are not available to reciprocal cards at this time.
  • You can borrow one hotspot at a time per library card.
  • Hotspots are eligible for books by mail, but our Chromebook + hotspot kits are not.
  • The checkout period is three weeks. Hotspots are renewable (and will renew automatically) if there are no requests from other patrons.
  • We have two types of hotspots available:
  • If the hotspot stops working, please return it to us as soon as possible.

If you have additional questions, please Contact Us.


 

Changed: 04/05/2022 - 12:01

FVRLibraries offers eBooks and eAudiobooks for all ages in English and Spanish from OverDrive.

Although you can check out materials straight from the OverDrive website or by using the Libby or OverDrive apps, you can also locate and borrow OverDrive eBooks and eAudiobooks straight from the FVRLibraries catalog or catalog app. Here's how:

Do some one-time set-up with the vendor(s)

You may need to set up an account or download an app. Here's how to get started with OverDrive.

Find eBooks and eAudiobooks

In the FVRL catalog

  1. Change the drop-down menu from "Everything" to "eBooks & eAudio." (On mobile, this is under "Search Options.")
  2. Enter title, author, or keywords in the search box and search.
  3. Filter your results by using "Limit Search Results" on the left (on mobile, tap "Filter results") to filter by language, eFormat, subject, or more.

In the FVRL app

  1. Enter a title, author, or keyword in the search box and tap "Done" or "Return."
  2. At the bottom of the screen, tap "Search...All Collections."
  3. Under "Search in," select "eBooks & eAudio" and tap "Done" and "Apply filters."
  4. Scroll the search results and tap one you'd like to check out.

Borrow them

  1. Select "Borrow."
  2. Log in if you aren't already.
  3. Select a "Checkout" option:
    • eBooks
      • "Read now with Kindle" (or "Borrow Now - Kindle" on mobile): Download to your Kindle device or Kindle app. For detailed instructions, see "How to get Kindle books from Amazon" (start at step 6).
      • "Read now in browser" (or "Borrow Now - HTML) on mobile): To read in your browser with an internet connection, or to read in the Libby app. No downloading.
      • "Download EPUB book" (or "Borrow Now - Adobe Digital Editions" on mobile): To download to the OverDrive app or Adobe Digital Editions
    • eAudiobooks
      • To download, pick MP3.
      • To listen in your browser (must have internet connection), pick OverDrive Listen.

Please note: the OverDrive app was discontinued on May 1, 2023. As Amazon has not yet accepted the Libby app to the Amazon Appstore, the OverDrive app will remain available for Kindle Fire users to download and access until further notice. Users with Kindle Fire devices can also sideload Libby manually following these steps.


Still having issues? Please use our Help form, or try the help sites from OverDrive or Libby.

 

Changed: 05/02/2023 - 12:52

What is a hold?

"Placing a hold" is a way to reserve items in our catalog.

  • If all copies of the item you want are checked out, placing a hold puts you on the waiting list.
  • If a physical item you want is at a different FVRL branch, placing a hold tells us to send it to your library to pick up.

How do I place a hold?

Here's how to place holds for physical items (and digital items from OverDrive).

Place holds in the FVRL catalog

  1. Go to the FVRL catalog and find something to borrow.
  2. Click the green "Place hold" button. (On a mobile device, tap the three green dots to find "Place hold.")
  3. Log in with your library card number and PIN, if you weren't already.
  4. Select your pickup library (or email address for digital items). You may also need to pick a volume number or year for magazines, graphic novels, or other periodicals.
  5. Select "Place Hold(s)."
  6. You'll see a message verifying the success of your hold(s). Click "OK" (or for digital items, just click the X in the corner of the message window).

Place holds in the FVRL app

  1. Open and find something to borrow.
  2. Tap the title you want.
  3. Tap "Place Hold."
  4. Confirm your pickup library (or email address for digital items). (You may also need to use "Select copy" to pick a volume number or year for magazines, graphic novels, or other periodicals.)
  5. Tap "Place Hold."
  6. You'll see a message that your hold was placed. Click "OK."

Place holds in the Libby app, OverDrive website, or OverDrive app

Place holds on eBooks and eAudiobooks through the OverDrive site or its apps by tapping "Place hold" or "Place a hold" next to the title you want.

What if I can't place a hold?

If you're having trouble placing a hold, or you get a "privilege is expired" notice, it probably means that you need to renew your account.

How many holds can I have?

Physical items

Our different cards have different limits:

  • Regular cards: 50 holds
  • Educator cards: 50 holds 
  • Limited cards: 3 holds

Digital items

  • eBooks and eAudiobooks from OverDrive: 10 holds

What is a "pending" or "placed" hold?

If your hold's status is "pending" or "placed," that means that it's not ready for pickup yet.

  • Maybe all the copies are currently checked out.
  • Maybe a copy is being sent to your branch for pickup.
  • Maybe your hold is on a new book that we haven't processed yet.
  • Maybe you haven't reached the top of the holds queue for that title.

Depending on the circumstances and number of copies, it can take anywhere from days to weeks for the title to become available for pickup. You'll likely see a place in queue number listed. If it says 1, that means you'll get the next available copy. If it says 4, that means 3 people are ahead of you in the waitlist.

I chose the wrong pickup location! How do I change it?

  1. Log in to your account (or our app).
  2. Select "My Account."
  3. Select "Holds."
  4. Select the hold you'd like to change (click the check box, or tap the three vertical dots in mobile, or tap the title in our app).
  5. Select "Change Pickup Location." 
  6. Pick the correct location and hit "Change." ( "Save" if you're in mobile, or "Change Pickup Location" in our app)
  7. Click "OK" to confirm.

If your hold is currently showing as available for you to pick up but isn't at the branch you wanted, please contact us with this information:

  • Your card number
  • Your PIN or birthdate
  • Title of the item(s) 
  • The branch you want as your pickup location

You can also change your default pickup location at any time by logging into your library account and editing your preferences.

How do I suspend or cancel a hold?

Suspend your hold

Suspending a hold lets you keep your place in line, but the hold won't become available until after the date you set.

  1. Log in to your account, or open our app.
  2. Select "My Account."
  3. Select "Holds."
  4. Select the title by clicking the box next to the cover image, or by clicking the three vertical dots on a mobile device, or by tapping the title in our app.
  5. Select "Edit/Suspend Hold(s)" or Suspend Hold.
  6. Enter the starting and ending dates for the suspension. (For digital holds, the start time is now. You just enter the ending date.)
  7. Select "Suspend," or tap "Suspend Hold" in the app.
  8. Select "OK" to confirm.
  9. Change your mind? You can cancel a suspension before it runs out:
    1. Click the green "Cancel Hold Suspension(s)" button, or "Resume Hold" in the app.
    2. Click "Yes" to confirm, or "OK" in the app.

Cancel your hold

  1. Log in to your account.
  2. Select "My Account" in the top menu.
  3. Select the "Holds" tab.
  4. Select the hold you'd like to cancel by clicking the box next to the cover image. or tapping the title in the app.
  5. Click the "Cancel Hold(s)" button.
  6. Click "Yes" to confirm, or "OK" in the app.

How will I know when my hold is available?

Physical items

We'll notify you by email, text, phone, or mail, depending on the contact information we have for you. If we have an email address or you have requested text messages, that's what we'll use. Otherwise we'll phone, but if we have no phone for you, we'll mail your notice.

You can also check in our app or the library catalog to see if your holds are available. Just look in the "My Account" section. Available physical titles will have a status of "being held" in the app or "pickup by ..." in the catalog.

Here's how to update your contact information.

eBooks and eAudio

How do I pick up my available physical holds?

Use curbside pickup or visit the library where your holds are available. Check for curbside or in-branch hours.

How long do I have to pick up or borrow an available hold?

Physical items

You have 10 calendar days to pick up physical items before they are either sent to the next person in the hold list or put back on the shelf.

If you can't get to the library to pick up a hold within those 10 days, you may ask a trusted friend or family member to do it for you (with either your card or your card number and PIN).

 eBooks or eAudio

You have three days (72 hours) to log in to OverDrive and borrow, suspend (i.e. "deliver later"), or cancel the title.

If you don't check out the available title within that period, your hold will automatically suspend for seven days, and you'll be notified the next time the title is available. If you don't check out the title the second time around, the hold will be cancelled.

I can't pick up my physical holds before they expire—can you extend the deadline?

We can extend the deadline if no one else has requested them. Contact us, and we'll see what we can do.

Can I see my hold history?

We don't keep a record of your holds on physical items.

However, if you're using the Libby app, you can see your eBook and eAudio hold history in your "Timeline."


Need more help? Please contact us!

 

Changed: 04/18/2022 - 16:10

Collections

Here's how to borrow a Wi-Fi hotspot:

  • Use your library card to request a hotspot in the library catalog. Hotspots are not available to reciprocal cards at this time.
  • You can borrow one hotspot at a time per library card.
  • Hotspots are eligible for books by mail, but our Chromebook + hotspot kits are not.
  • The checkout period is three weeks. Hotspots are renewable (and will renew automatically) if there are no requests from other patrons.
  • We have two types of hotspots available:
  • If the hotspot stops working, please return it to us as soon as possible.

If you have additional questions, please Contact Us.


 

Changed: 04/05/2022 - 12:01

How to request a purchase

We welcome suggestions for the collection via our Request a Purchase form, which will require you to log in with your library card number and PIN. We will not consider requests for books more than six months in advance of publication, or one month for eBooks. There's no charge for making a request.

You can also ask the library to borrow items from other library systems. Learn about our interlibrary loan service (ILLiad).

How to check the status of your request

We don't contact you when we decide to buy an item or not, but here's how to check on the status of your request:

  1. Click on "My Account/Renew" in the upper right corner of any page of our website, and sign in to your account with your library card number and PIN.
  2. Select "My Account" in the header.
  3. Select the blue "Requests" tab.
    • If your request is listed, we're still considering it.
    • If your request isn't listed, it could mean a couple of things, depending on what you requested.
      • Physical items: Either we decided not to order it, or we decided to order it and you'll find it on your holds list.
      • eBooks or eAudio:
        • Check the OverDrive website or Libby app to see if we have the title. (It could take a week or so for it to appear.) If you find it, then you can borrow it or place a hold.
        • If we decide not to purchase it, the book will disappear from your "Requests" list, but it won't show up in OverDrive.

Still have questions? Please contact us!

 

Changed: 03/10/2023 - 14:52

Lucky Day books are extra copies of popular titles—you won't find them listed in the catalog, aside from copies that are currently checked out, so you have to visit the library in person and look on the shelf to see if it is your Lucky Day.

If you check out a Lucky Day copy of a book you had on hold, the computer will automatically cancel your hold for you, since you don't need to be on the wait list for it any more.

You may have only two Lucky Day titles checked out at one time. You can keep them for three weeks, but you can't renew them.


Still have questions? Please contact us!

 

Changed: 04/05/2022 - 09:57

Books

Of course we have books—we're a library! And besides print books, we have digital and audio options.

Books and eBooks...

Use the catalog links below to browse our physical collection.

  • Hardcover and paperback - We have books in many languages for all ages: kids, teens, and adults.
  • Large print - For readers who appreciate larger type.
  • Board books - Little cardboard books for babies and toddlers. We know they're going to get chewed, it's okay.
  • Picture books - Oversize illustrated storybooks to read aloud to children.
  • Easy readers - Short, illustrated stories at a beginning reading level, for children learning to read.
  • Reference books - For in-library use only.
  • Book discussion kits for book groups or book clubs - The kits include multiple copies of the book plus a discussion guide, in a handy plastic tote.

Go to our eBooks and eAudio page to access all our eBook providers including OverDrive, TumbleBooks, TeenBookCloud, and more.

...and audiobooks galore

We have many types of audiobooks in our physical collection:

We also offer downloadable or streaming eAudiobooks from OverDrive.

Movies, TV shows, and documentaries

Music

Magazines, newspapers, and microfilm

Online research and learning tools

These resources are available online 24/7, either at the library or away (using your card number).

Select the "Research & Learn" menu at the top of every page to find links to our online resources:

  • Find information on subjects ranging from business to genealogy, literature to science, hobbies to health, and auto repair to career help, in our research databases. 
  • Learn online - study a language, learn computer programming, take online courses in education, technology, business, or creative fields, or practice for a standardized test.
  • ConnectFVRL - homework resources for K-12 students.

And even more!

To find these special items, just click the links.

  • "Check Out Washington" - An activities backpack kit containing binoculars, field guides, educational materials, and a limited Discover Pass
  • Wi-Fi hotspots - If you're in an area with Verizon or AT&T cell coverage, you can use a hotspot to get internet service for free.
  • Chromebooks - Check out a Chromebook for two hours to use at your local library.
  • Chromebook kits - Check out a Chromebook and hotspot for a week.
  • Kill-a-Watt electricity monitors - Find out how much energy your devices are using.
  • Grow a Reader kits - Bags full of books and toys for preschoolers, with parenting resources, too
  • Experience Passes - Passes to local museums and attractions
  • Board games - Check out a game to play.

Still have questions? Please contact us!

 

Changed: 05/02/2023 - 13:31

Most of our collections can be found in our catalog (see Catalog Tips), but these can't:


Still have questions? Please contact us!

 

Changed: 04/25/2022 - 13:09

Account

  1. Log into your account.
  2. From the header, select "My account."
  3. Under the "Personal information" tab, select "Preferences."
  4. You may change these settings:
    • Default account tab: Determines which tab will display when you first open My Account: Personal Information, Checkouts, Holds, Bills, or Requests
    • Default checkouts view or Default holds view: Determines whether your physical library items or your digital library items will be featured. Whichever you select, you will still be able to see the others on your Checkouts and Holds tabs. 
    • Preferred list: We recommend having no default list to make it simpler to add a title to the correct list.
    • Preferred pickup library: Selecting your preferred library (or Books by Mail) will make placing holds go more quickly. You may always select a different pickup location when you place a hold.
  5. Click "Update."

Need more help? Please contact us!

Changed: 04/05/2022 - 09:32

Our catalog has a feature called "My Lists," which you can use when you're signed in to your library account. (You can create temporary lists when you aren't signed in to your account, but they'll disappear when you close the tab or window if you don't save the list first.)

These directions are for the desktop version of the catalog. The function is the same on the mobile version, but we've tried to note where there are differences. Note: The "My List" feature is not available in the library catalog app.

Create a permanent list.

  1. Log in to your library account.
  2. Select "My Lists" in the menu at the top of the page.
  3. Click the + icon above the left column to create a new list. (In mobile, select the three vertical dots and tap "Add List.")
  4. Type in a name for your new list. Be aware that names can't be edited once the list is created.
  5. Select "Create."
  6. Your new list is now included with your other lists.

Create and save a temporary list.

Create a temporary list by adding titles to your list when you're not signed in:

  1. Select a title.
  2. Use the dropdown "Select an action" to pick "Add to my lists."

Remember, your temporary list will disappear when you close the window or tab. Here's how to save it first:

  1. Log in to your library account.
  2. Select "My Lists" in the top menu.
  3. If you're not already looking at "Temporary List," select it.
  4. From the "Select an Action" drop-down menu, pick "Save Temporary List."
  5. Name your new list (be aware that list names can't be edited) and save.
  6. Your new list now appears in the left column.

Add items to a list.

  1. From the FVRL home page or the catalog, search for items you're interested in.
  2. Select the catalog item(s) you want. (On a desktop computer, check the box to the left of the title. On a mobile device, click the three vertical dots to the right of the title.)
  3. From the "Select an Action" menu, choose "Add to My Lists."
  4. If you're logged in, you'll select a list from the drop-down menu and choose "Add."
    Note: If you check the box next to "Make this your default list" or "Always add to this list" you won't be offered a choice of lists when adding items in the future. This step will be eliminated, and all items will go directly to the default list. (You can manually move them to other lists later if you choose.) However, we suggest leaving this box unchecked.
  5. You will see a success message when the title(s) have been added. Close this window by clicking the X or selecting "Okay."
  6. To look at your list, click "My Lists" in the menu at the top of the page.
  7. In the column on the left, click the name of the list you want to see.

Edit or move items in a list.

Although list names can't be edited, you can copy, move, or delete titles from your lists. Here's how:

  1. Log into your library account.
  2. Select "My Lists" in the top menu. (On mobile, tap the hamburger menu to select "My Lists.")
  3. Click on a list title in the left column to see its contents. (On mobile, select the list from the dropdown menu.)
  4. Select item(s) you want to edit. (On mobile, tap the three dots to the right of the title.)
  5. Then "Select an Action" from the drop-down menu. Your choices are:
    • Place Hold(s)
    • Delete Selected
    • Email
    • Print
    • Move (to another list)
    • Copy (to another list)

Delete a list.

  1. Log in to your library account.
  2. Select "My Lists" in the top menu. (On mobile, tap the hamburger menu to select "My Lists.")
  3. You'll see a list of your lists in the left column. (On mobile, there's a dropdown menu of lists.)
  4. Click the box by the list(s) you want to delete. (On mobile, tap the three dots to the right of the list name.)
  5. Click the icon with the minus sign ("Delete lists") to delete your selected list(s). (On mobile, pick "Remove list.")
  6. Click (or tap) "Delete" to confirm.

Known Issues

  • If you save a list with more than 100 titles, the links will no longer work to take you to the catalog record. Instead, they display "The link to this item is no longer valid. The item could have been removed from the catalog or the link could have changed. Search the catalog for this title." The developer is working on a solution, but in the meantime, please save smaller lists.
  • Title links to all content that is not print/physical will result in "The record could not be found." You may borrow and place holds on titles right in My List. If you wish to view title details, highlight the title, copy, and paste it into the search box.

Still have questions? Please contact us!

 

Changed: 04/05/2022 - 15:31
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