County library announces new patron services

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Laura Adian visits the Cooke County Library’s website where patrons will soon have access to their library account information. Staff photo by Cathy Mounce

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March 8, 2013

County library announces new patron services

Special to the Register The Daily Register Fri Mar 08, 2013, 10:00 AM CST

Cooke County — Cooke County Library staff members say new and exciting things are coming to the library.

Patrons will soon be able to log on to their library account from home to renew books, check due dates, sign up for email reminders and more. The library will also change the way it calculate due dates.

Starting on March 18, books will always be checked out for two weeks. If a patron checks out a book on a Monday, the book will be due on a Monday.

The previous system was set up so that books were always due on a Friday. This will no longer be the case. All books and audio books will have a two week circulation period.

“Until I took over the Cooke County Library, I had never used a library where the due date was always a Friday,” said Cooke County Library Director Jennifer Johnson-Spence. “Most libraries around the country use the two week system. Patrons will really need to look at their receipts to check due dates or access their account to see them. I know this might be confusing at first but after a while, it’ll be routine. The due date changes will not impact movies, whether DVDs or VHS tapes, they will still be due three days from their check out day.”

Patrons will also be able to access their library account information online.

By going to the website, www.cookecountylibrary.org, and clicking on the “Catalog” icon, patrons can log in to their accounts using their last name as the username and library card number as the pin. Once logged in, patrons will be able to change their pin number. Patrons can also reserve items, renew books, view items that have been have checked out and view their fines. For help logging on, questions about the system, or any other concerns, call the library at 668-5530.

Patrons may also access their borrowing history to review their previous selections. They will be able to change their email and text preferences if they’d like to receive a message reminding them when items are due.

Patrons can create watch lists for their favorite authors, series or subjects and receive alerts if related library items become available.

Patrons will also be able to use their Apple or Android phones to connect to their Cooke County Library account.

Users should download the app, “Atriuum on the Go,” from the Apple or Android App Store. Using the app’s QR scanner and the QR code patrons can get at the library, the app will take users right to the log in.

“I’m very excited to offer these new online catalog services to the patrons of the Cooke County Library,” said Johnson-Spence. “I think the ability to help the patrons access their accounts from their smart phones or computers will move us forward into the electronic age. Offering this technology will allow the patron to be actively involved in their library account.”

In the coming months, there will be more additions to the services the Cooke County Library offers its patrons.

You may follow the Cooke County Library on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr to hear about these new services and other library information, or visit the website at www.cookecountylibrary.com.