by Dara L. Cain Rowan Public Library
If you haven’t had an opportunity to explore Rowan Public Library’s catalog, now is the time! The catalog has some useful features you many not be aware of, including some recently added ones that are sure to be a big hit with teachers and kids.
The first thing you will want to do is visit http://rowanpubliclibrary.org and select the Find Books link on the library’s homepage. This link will direct you to the catalog where you will be able to search from thousands of books. Once you have arrived at the catalog sign in using your library card number and four digit pin number by finding the Login link at the top right hand side of the page. Don’t worry if you don’t remember your pin number or have not signed up for one yet, the library will be happy to set you up with a new one. Once you are signed in to your account you will have access to a list of the items you currently have checked out as well as a friendly reminder letting you know when your items are due back. If your due date is approaching you have the option to renew your books online up to an additional two times on most items. Also, right from the comfort of your home you can place holds on items you are interested in and the library will notify you when they become available.
Another great feature of signing in to your account is having the ability to create your own personal customized lists for summer reading, book clubs, etc. When you find a title you would like to add to a list select Add To List, a grey button found below the title and it will give you the option to create a new list or add to an existing one. Teachers especially will find this tool helpful because now they will be able to create lists organized by topics, favorites, etc. You also have the option to place tags on items in the catalog. For instance, lets say you want to be able to do a search for all Caldecott or Newbery books but they don’t come up if you enter it in the search box. Well now you can create a tag for Caldecott or Newbery books by pulling up a title and selecting the link Tag. A box will appear and you can enter Caldecott or Newbery books to identify the tag you would like to create. All you would have to do now is enter Caldecott or Newbery books in the search box and all of the titles you tagged will come up as a list. In addition to creating lists and tags you can also save your searches to refer back to later.
For students that are participating in Accelerator Reader (AR) and Lexile Framework for Reading you are now able to find the Accelerator Reading level and Lexile reading level for titles that come up in your catalog search. You can also do a reading level search by accessing the Reading Levels link at the top right side of the homepage. It is here that you are able to put in your reading range or a single reading number and a list of titles that meet your criteria will display that you can scroll through and browse. For those using AR you are also able to narrow your search by AR Interest Level which includes LG (Grades K-3), MG (Grades 4-8), MG+ (Grades 6 and up), and UG (Grades 9-12). You do not have to be logged in to your account to use either of these fantastic features.
You are on your way to using Rowan Public Library’s catalog like a pro. Happy Catalog Searching!
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