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Visiting the Library’s *New* Website

Using the My Account Feature

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Overview

The My Account feature enables you to manage your library account online. You can see which items you have checked out along with their respective due dates. In addition, you can see the amount of fines you owe, renew your materials, pay your fines, and check the status of items you have requested.

Accessing My Account

In order to access your account through the web, you first need to go to the library’s web site at

  • Click on the square white box that says My Account in the upper right corner of the home page. (See Figure 1)

Figure 1

My Account from DML Home Page

  • If you are already in the Online Catalog, click on the words My Account in the narrow blue band near the top of the page. (See Figure 2)

Figure 2

My Account from DML Online Catalog

On the next screen you will be prompted to enter your library card number as well as your PIN.

(PIN is short for Personal Identification Number.) Be sure to enter all 13 numbers on your library card and do not include any spaces.

If you are not sure what your PIN is, try entering the last four digits of your telephone number. The Checkout Desk at any DML location can assist you with questions regarding your PIN.

When you are finished, click on Login to your account. (See Figure 3)

Figure 3

Login to Your Account

Viewing your account information

The first page of information that you will see is your Account Summary, which provides an overview of your library account, including the number of Items Out on your card, your Holds/Requests and your Fines/Messages. (See Figure 4)

Figure 4, Account Summary

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  • Items Out

To view items that you have checked out, click on the words Items Out/Renew in the blue bar at the top of the page on the link named Items Out/Renew in the Summary.

You will see a total number of items Checked Out, the number of items that are overdue, and the number of items that are lost. (See Figure 5) Below this summary, your list of items will appear. For each item checked out, you will see the title, the barcode number, the date it is due and the number of times it has been renewed. The list is alphabetical by title, but if you prefer to see the list in due date order, just click on the words Due Date.

Figure 5. Items Checked Out

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To view your requests and/or holds, click on the link named, Holds/Requests, in the blue bar at the top.

  • Holds/Requests

The first section lists items that are waiting on the hold shelf for you. (Figure 6)

The information presented for each item is:

  • Title of the item
  • Pickup Location (where the item is being held)
  • Held Through (date on which the hold expires)

Figure 6. Items on Hold

The next section presents information about requests that are not yet filled (Pending).

The following information is provided for each request (Figure 7.):

  • Requested Title (title of the item)
  • Status (status of the request)
  • Pending: The request is still outstanding. Nothing has been sent to fill it yet.
  • Transit: An item is on its way to fill your request.
  • Place In Line (your rank on the waiting list)
  • Held Through (date on which your request will expire)

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Figure 7. Pending Requests

  • Fines/Messages

To view fines, messages, and other such information on your account, click on the link labeled, Fines/Messages, in the blue bar at the top of the screen. (See Figure 8)

  • If you have fines and/or other unresolved issues on your account, they will appear on the resulting screen. To resolve these issues, you will need to visit one of our locations or use the Pay Fines options (Figure 15).
  • If you have any messages from the Library they will also appear in this section.

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Figure 8. Fines/Messages

  • Personal Info/PIN (Figure 9.)

To view and/or edit the information the Library has on file for you, click on Personal Info/PIN, in the blue bar at the top. You will see the following information appear:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Telephone Number
  • Your home branch
  • The date on which your card expires

The above information cannot be changed online. It can only be updated by visiting one of the Library’s locations.

Figure 9. Personal information.

You can update your e-mail address online, however.

  • To do this, simply type the correct e-mail address in the box and then click the black button labeled Update just below it.

(Figure 10.)

Figure 10. Updating E-mail address.

You can also change your PIN online. (Figure 11.)

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September 2004

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  • To change your PIN, type your old one in the appropriate box.
  • Type your new one in both of the remaining boxes.

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September 2004

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  • Click the black button below that reads, Update.

Figure 11. Changing your Personal Identification Number

  • Logging Out (Figure 12.)

When you are finished looking at your account information, you need to log out. To do this,

click on the link labeled, Logout, in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

Figure 12. Logging out of “My Account.”

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September 2009

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Other Features

 Renewing items (Figure 13.)

To renew an item that you have checked out click on the link named, Items Out/Renew. Click on the square to the left of each item that you want to renew (a checkmark will appear in the square). When you have finished checking, click on the Renew link at the top or bottom of the list. The screen will renew with the new due dates or a message explaining why the item did not renew. An item will not renew if there is a request pending by another borrower for the item or if you have already renewed it five times. Always verify that the system has updated the items before you log out.

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September 2009

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Figure 13. Renewing Items

 Canceling requests (Figure 14.)

You may cancel a request you have placed on a title; however, you cannot delete it if an item is already on Hold for you or In Transit.

To delete a request click on the square to the left of the requested title to delete a request (a checkmark will appear in the square). Then click the black button that reads, Cancel Request. You can cancel more than one request at a time simply by clicking on more than one square first. But be cautious—cancelled requests cannot be undone in My Account. Once you cancel a request you must go back to the catalog to request it again if you change your mind!

Figure 14. Canceling a request

 Suspending/Reactivating requests

You may temporarily delay (Suspend) a request for any Pending item by clicking in the check box next to it and clicking on the Suspend/Reactivate button. The status will change to Suspended and will delay processing of the request to the date marked or a date you choose; use the drop-down boxes provided for this. To reactivate the request, click on the box to the left of the title. Then click on the Suspend/Reactivate button. The status will change back to Pending and processing of the request will continue. This feature is helpful if you are leaving on an extended vacation and do not wish to miss your turn for the item, or if you simply want to stop receiving requests for a while so you can catch up with what you already have.

Figure 15. Pay Fines

  • Paying Fines

You may pay your library fines online by clicking the Pay Finestab on the My Account or Account Summary page (Figure 15). After you provide your library card number and PIN, the next page you see will contain a list of fines and fees up to a total of $25 (call the library if your total is higher than $25). Enter your credit or debit card number, expiration date, CV number and the name that appears on the credit or debit card. Once the card information has been approved, confirm payment for some or all of the fines. Paid fines will be automatically marked in your account. When you are finished, a receipt page will appear for you to print out.

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September 2009