How do I...?

Find a book
Setup an Account for the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District App
Create a Bibliocommons account/get help with Bibliocommons
Find a magazine or newspaper article
Find a good website
Download ebooks & audiobooks
Read eBooks Online
Use the Library App
Study a Language
Send a question to library staff
Renew a book
Request a book
Get a library card
See what I currently have checked out

Find a book, etc.

If you know the book you are looking for

Go to our catalog, type important words from the title and/or author's name in the "search catalog" blank and hit the "search" button or the "enter" key on your computer keyboard. You can also indicate how widely in our consortium you want to search (just an individual library building, both the Winnetka and Northfield buildings, or our consortium of over 20 libraries) and you can specify if you want to do a special kind of search using the drop-down menu

After you get a list of different items, click on the title to find out whether the item is checked out. The information about which libraries own the book and whether it is on the shelf is on the left. Collection and call number information are listed there and you can find out what other libraries may have an item on shelf. A Librarian can help you find it, or you can call the Library and ask for the book to be put aside for you.

If the book is listed as checked out, you can click on the "Place a Hold" button to request that we try to borrow it from another library. You will need the barcode from your library card to place a hold on an item. The default password is the word 'patron', which it is highly recommended that you change after you've created an account.

Need a good book?

You can use one of our 24-Hour Resources, Novelist to suggest a book based on other books you have read. You could also subscribe to our NextReads service to send you e-mail messages with suggested titles on topics you enjoy. Finally, you can ask a Librarian and he or she will try to suggest a book based on what you like and might enjoy.

Setup an Account for the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District App

The app uses a Bibliocommons account to login, so you need to create that in Bibliocommons (most easily done in a web browser on a computer) first. We have instructions for setting up an account in Bibliocommons here.

Create a Bibliocommons Account / Get Help with Bibliocommons

We have a set of frequently asked questions about Bibliocommons with some detailed instructions. Some topics you may be looking for information on are:

• How do I set up an account?
• How do I change my password?
• How do I search the catalog? 
• How do I place a hold?
• How do I create a list?
• How do I view my checked out items, renew items, view holds, and pay fines?
• Do you have videos about the new catalog?
• How do I get help, ask a question, or give feedback?
• What about privacy?
• How do I submit my email address to receive notifications about my account?
  

Find a Magazine or Newspaper Article

If you are looking for a specific newspaper or magazine article

We have the full text of many magazines and newspapers available through subscription resources purchased specifically for our patrons. If you are looking for an article from the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, or the Wall Street Journal, each of those has its own page where you can look for the article you need. Good choices for finding magazine articles are InfoTrac OneFile, Gale Academic OneFile, or Electric Library

If you want to browse a magazine on your device or computer

The Library subscribes to several magazines that are updated weekly or monthly (depending on the subscription) on Zinio. For more information on getting started with Zinio, read our Getting Started with Zinio Guide (1.2 MB PDF).

Find a Good Website

The Library maintains a list of recommended websites divided by category. Our librarians have chosen some of our favorite sites to share with you. When you have questions, we have the answers. Also don't forget our many 24-Hour Resources, which are paid for with your tax dollars and provide information which is often difficult or impossible to find on freely available websites. We've selected these resources with you in mind.

Download Ebooks & Audiobooks

We have downloadable ebooks and eaudiobooks available from MyMediaMall. MyMediaMall, which uses a system called Overdrive, has both eBooks (including for Kindle) and eAudiobooks. In order to use MyMediaMall audiobooks you need to download and install the Overdrive Media Console for your computer/device. For assistance you can come to the Library or call, or you can use one of these guides to assist you along the way:

• Using Overdrive with Kindle (1 MB PDF)
• Using Overdrive with Kindle Fire (1 MB PDF)
• Using Overdrive with Nook (also use for Kobo and other dedicated ereader devices) (1.2 MB PDF)
• Using Overdrive with Nook Tablets (1.1 MB PDF)
• Using Overdrive with iPod/iPhone/iPad (592 KB PDF)
• Using Overdrive with Android (1 MB PDF)

Note that if you are using a computer running Mac OS X or a phone (iOS or Android) you will only be able to download the audiobooks labeled as MP3 files, not the WMA files. All of the ebooks work on either Mac or Windows.

Read Ebooks Online

In addition to MyMediaMall (see Download Ebooks & Audiobooks), which will let you read some titles in a web browser in addition to downloading them to a reader, the Library has two services that let your read the full text of books while you are connected to the Internet.

EbscoHost Ebooks (formerly NetLibrary) has many general nonfiction titles, particularly business books and children's books as well as some computer books.

Safari Computer Books Online has an always up-to-date collection of computer books. If you want to learn more about software that you are using or learn how to do something using that software, this is an excellent place to look.

Use the Library App

The library has a free app that is available in several app stores including the Apple App Store and the Google Play store. You can Read our guide (1.7 MB PDF) about using the app to find out more.

Study a Language

The library's most convenient way to learn a new language is to use Mango, which will work on your Mac or PC computer and for which there is a free app in the Apple App Store and the Google Play store. Read our guide on using this service (1.9 MB PDF).

Send a question to library staff

If you have a question, there are several ways that you can get it to Library staff without coming to the Library in person.

• You can phone the Library at (847) 446-7220 and we will help you out over the phone.
• You can go to our Talk to a Librarian page and, if we are online, chat with a Librarian using our intant messaging box.
• You can fill out our e-mail reference form to send an e-mail message to the Reference Desk, and we'll get back to you at our earliest convenience.

Renew a book

If you need to renew a book, there are several ways that you can do this without coming to the Library in person.

• You can call the Library at (847) 446-7220 and the Circulation staff will be happy to process a renewal request on your behalf.
• You can use the My Account page
  on the Catalog to renew items you have checked out. Just use your library card number and the password 'patron' to log in.
• You can send us your renewal request using our online renewal form and we will e-mail you the results at our earliest convenience.

If you have an item checked out which you received through interlibrary loan, special rules apply. Please see our Interlibrary Loan page for more information.

Request a book

If you can find an item that you want in our catalog, the easiest way to request that we get an item for you that we do not own is to press the "Place Hold" button. After you put in your library card number and password ('patron' if you haven't changed it), your request will be in our system.

In some cases placing a hold in the catalog is not possible, and in such a case (or if you just have difficulty using the catalog) you can always do one of the following:

• Give us a call at (847) 446-7220 and ask us to get the item for you.
• Use our request form to send an e-mail message to the Reference Desk where we will process your request at our earliest convenience and let you know of your request's status.

Get a library card

Most residents of Winnetka, Northfield, and Kenilworth are entitled to a "free" Library Card. Bring one piece of state issued identification showing both name and current address to the circulation desk at either the Main Library or Northfield Branch and you can get a card. If you live outside of the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District and are not served by another library, you may purchase a card at the library nearest your residence.

See what I currently have checked out

To see what items you have currently checked out, go to the My Account page and click on the "Review My Account" link. You will be asked for your library card number and password (which if you haven't changed it is the word 'patron'). Then click on the "Display User Information" button. If you have anything checked out it will then be shown on your computer.

Page last updated on: March 28, 2013