Frequently Asked Questions

• Click on the My Account tab.
• Enter the barcode number from the back of your NOLS Library card with no spaces or your username if you have created one.
• Enter your password.
• Click Log In. You should now be logged in to your account. From here you may place holds, renew items and more.
• Always remember to log out, especially if you are using a shared computer!

• Yes. Go to the Library catalog and click on the My Account tab. You will see a screen with two boxes, one for your username or barcode and one for your password. Beneath the first box, there is a link called Create Username. Click on that link.
• The next screen will ask you to enter your library barcode and your password. Enter that information and click Next Step.
• You will now see your Library account page. Look for the box that says Change Logon.
• There is a checkbox that says Change Username. Put a check in that box.
• Next, type a username that you created into the New Username box. Type that same username into the Verify Username box. (Be sure to follow the instructions listed below the boxes on what types of letters, numbers, spaces, and special characters are allowed or not allowed in the username.)
• Click on the Save button. You will see a message above the Change Logon box that says Username has been successfully changed. Confirmation e-mail has been sent to the e-mail address(es) NOLS has on file.

A username might be easier for you to use and remember than the library barcode listed on the back of your library card. See the instructions above on how to create a username.

• Log into My Account with your current password.
• Select the My Record tab near the top of the page.
• Click Change Logon near the bottom of the page.
• Click Change Password.
• Enter your current password and your new password as prompted.
• Click Submit.
• You may now use your new password to log into the Library catalog.

Please note: If you’ve just changed your password, there will be a delay before it is activated in the Library’s public computer management system. To use one of the Library’s Internet computers within 24 hours of changing your password, ask Library staff to provide you with a visitor’s pass.

• If you provided an email address on your Library account, you can have your password emailed to you: click Forgot your password? on the Library catalog My Account page, or
• Any staff member can reset it for you in person if you take a photo ID to any branch of the North Olympic Library System.

• Be sure to type the library card barcode number into the username or barcode box with no spaces. If you have created a username, be sure you are spelling it correctly.
• Be sure you are using the correct password. If you have forgotten your password and you provided an email address on your Library account, you can have your password emailed to you: click Forgot your password? on the Library catalog My Account page, or any staff member can reset it for you in person if you take a photo ID to any branch of the North Olympic Library System. Sorry, to protect your security, library staff cannot reset your password over the phone.
• The Library places a routine block on Library cards needing updating–an address verification once a year and a renewal every three years. Your card might have this routine type of block on it. To remove the block, simply call your library or visit the library in person, and a staff member can update your card and remove the block.
• You might have over $25 in fees on your library account. Account holders with fees amounting to more than $25 are blocked. You can pay your fees in person in the library by check or cash, or you can use a debit or credit card to pay them online. (To pay online, visit the Library catalog, log in using your library card number or username and password, and click on the My Account tab to go to your fines and fees page.) Once you have reduced your fines to $25 or less, your account will be unblocked.

• Click on the My Account tab.
• Enter the barcode number from the back of your NOLS Library card with no spaces, or your username.
• Enter your password.
• Click Log In.
• Click on the My Record tab.
• Locate the Contact Information and Preferences box. Click on it to open it.
• The next screen allows you to update your phone number, email address, and home address. Click Submit Change Request.

• Click on the My Account tab.
• Enter the barcode number from the back of your NOLS Library card, with no spaces, or your username if you created one.
• Enter your password.
• Click Log In. You should now be logged into your account.
• In the My Record portion of your account, you will see a button on the bottom left of the screen that says Contact Information and Preferences. Click there.
• The next screen allows you to update your phone number, email address, and home address. Click Submit Change Request.

Note: For home address changes, you will be asked to verify the change the next time you come in to the library.

• Your email address may be misspelled in your account. To correct your email address, go to the Library’s catalog page:
  • Click on the My Account tab.
  • Enter the barcode number from the back of your NOLS Library card with no spaces, or your username.
  • Enter your password.
  • Click Log In.
  • Click on the My Record tab.
  • Locate the Contact Information and Preferences box. Click on it to open it. Your email address will be listed below your mailing address. Make corrections to it if needed. Click Submit Change Request.
• For various reasons, your email system may block HTML email from NOLS. In your online account under Contact Information and Preferences, try changing your email notices from HTML to basic plain text format.
• Your personal email: Some email and Internet Service Providers may mistake the Library System’s email as SPAM or Junk email because the Library sends out hundreds of almost identical emails every day. Check to see if Library emails are going to your Junk or SPAM folders. Please add NOLS’ email notification address, LibraryNotice@nols.org, to your email address book.
• Your work email: In the workplace, some company servers may mistakenly mark NOLS email as SPAM. Check your Junk or SPAM folders. You may need to okay the use of your business email account for Library notices with your office’s system administrator.
• Your free webmail account (e.g., Hotmail, Gmail): If you are using a free email account and your email box becomes full, your notice will bounce back to the Library as undeliverable and you will not get that message.

• Go to the Catalog Portal or More Search Options tab.
• Search for the item you want. In the list of results, for each item you will see a button that says Place Hold. If you are not already logged in, you will be prompted to enter your Library card number (or username) and password. Click Log In.
• You will be taken to a page that lists the item and asks you to verify at which Library you want to pick up the item and when you want to activate your request. (The default is the current day.) Make your selections, and click Submit Request.
• If other patrons have requested this item, you will be directed to a screen informing you of how many requests have been placed ahead of you and asking you whether you still want to place the request. If yes, click Continue.
• The next screen confirms that your request has been placed. You will also see your contact information and preferences listed. If any of your information has changed, click on the link to update. If nothing has changed, scroll to the bottom of the page to select Return to search results, Go to your list of hold requests, or Log Out.
• If you are unable to find the item you are looking for in the catalog, you have another option. You can ask NOLS to purchase the item or borrow it for you from another library through Interlibrary Loan. Go to www.nols.org and find the Services tab, hover your mouse over it, and click on the link called Interlibrary Loan. You’ll find an online form you can fill out to request your item.

• A regular hold request is filled with an item within the North Olympic Library System. In other words, your item
  resides at one of the four branches in the Clallam County system (Port Angeles, Sequim, Forks, or Clallam Bay).
  The item will be pulled from that branch and shipped to your location. You can place as many regular hold requests
  as needed if the item you want is owned by NOLS.
• An interlibrary loan or ILL request is filled by an item from a library outside of the North Olympic Library System.
  An ILL request may take longer to fill because the item is coming from a library somewhere else in Washington
  State, the U.S., or the world. You can place up to 25 ILL requests per calendar year with no fee. For each ILL
  request beyond 25 you will be assessed a $5.00 fee.

• Try deleting your browsing history and cookies.
• Try clearing your browser’s cache.
• Did this problem just start happening? Did you recently get a new computer or change your Internet Service Provider (ISP)? If so, you might need to contact your computer dealer or ISP to troubleshoot this issue.
• Did you install a new firewall? The firewall could be blocking something. Contact the firewall software manufacturer
  to troubleshoot this issue.
• Did you install a new browser or update your old browser? Try opening the page in a different browser and see
  if the issue repeats itself.

• Access your Patron Account, as described above.
• Select the Items Out tab.
• Click the box next to each item you wish to renew.
• Click Renew Selected Items at the bottom of the page.
• Note the new due date for each item. Items may not be renewed if other customers are waiting for them, or if you have already exceeded the maximum number of renewals allowed.

• Click on the My Account tab.
• Enter the barcode number from the back of your NOLS Library card with no spaces or your username if you have created one.
• Enter your password.
• Click Log In. You should now be logged into your account.
• Click on Holds. If the status notification says Held, it means your item is waiting for you at the Pickup Library you chose.
• If the status says Active, it means the request has been placed but not filled.
• If the status says Shipped, it means that the item has been shipped but has not yet arrived at your branch.
• If the status says Cancelled, it means that your hold request has been returned to general circulation. You will need to reactivate the request if you would still like to have the item.

If it is listed as Unclaimed, it means that you did not pick up the item within the seven day period allotted, and the item was returned to circulation. You will need to reactivate your request if you would still like to have the item.

To reactivate your request, online from the Library’s catalog page:

• Click on the My Account tab.
• Enter the barcode number from the back of your NOLS Library card with no spaces or your username if you have created one.
• Enter your password.
• Click Log In. You should now be logged into your account.
• Click on the Holds tab. Look at the Status column of your item.
• Click on the title for the hold you want to reactivate. That will take you back to the catalog page for that item.
• Choose Place Hold.

• Your email address may be spelled incorrectly in your Library account. To correct your email address, go to the Library’s catalog page:
  • Click on the My Account tab.
  • Enter the barcode number from the back of your NOLS Library card with no spaces or your username if you have created one.
  • Enter your password.
  • Click Log In. You should now be logged into your account.
  • Click on the My Record tab.
  • Locate the Contact Information and Preferences box. Click on it to open it. Your email address will be listed below your mailing address. Make corrections to it if needed. Click Submit Change Request.
• For various reasons, your email system may block HTML email from NOLS. In your online account under Change Preferences, try changing your email notices from HTML to basic plain text format.
• Your personal email: Some email and Internet Service Providers may mistake the Library System’s email as SPAM or Junk email because the Library sends out hundreds of almost identical emails every day. Check to see if Library emails are going to your Junk or SPAM folders. Please add NOLS’ email notification address, LibraryNotice@nols.org, to your email address book.
• Your work email: In the workplace, some company servers may mistakenly mark NOLS email as SPAM. Check your Junk or SPAM folders. You may need to okay the use of your business email account for Library notices with your office’s system administrator.
• Your free webmail account (e.g., Hotmail, Gmail): If you are using a free email account and your email box becomes full, your notice will bounce back to the Library as undeliverable and you will not get that message.

• The North Olympic Library System is committed to safeguarding access to patron library records. Consistent with RCW 42.56.210 and Policy on Confidentiality of Library Records adopted by the Council of the American Library Association, it is the policy of the Library that any library record, the primary purpose of which is to maintain control of library materials or to gain access to information which discloses or could be used to disclose the identity of a library user, is exempt from public inspection and copying. These records are considered confidential and protected by the right of privacy as defined by RCW 42.56.580. (See Policy 5.1 Confidentiality of Library Patron Information.)
• What you check out is not automatically saved to a list unless you enable the reading list feature yourself online. To enable that feature, see the next question.

• Click on the My Account tab.
• Enter your username or the barcode number from the back of your NOLS Library card, with no spaces.
• Enter your password.
• Click Log In. You should now be logged into your account.
• In the My Record portion of your account, you will see a button on the bottom left of the screen that says Contact Information and Preferences. Click there.
• Toward the bottom of the box, you will see a Preferences section with a check box that says Maintain reading list. If you want to keep a history of what you have checked out, put a check mark in that box and click Submit Change Request. Note: These changes require 24 hours to take effect.