LIBRARY FAQs  

How Do I Find My PIN?

             Your Personal Identification Number (PIN) is the last four digits of the telephone number associated with your Redondo Beach Public Library card.  Your PIN provides access to your library account online (My Account), and helps protect your privacy.  You will also need your PIN to renew your library materials when using the Telephone Messaging and Renewal System at 310-937-6661,  and to use the SelfCheck machines at the Library.  If you do not know your PIN, please contact the Circulation Department, 310-318-0675, option 4. 

Return to FAQs

How Do I Perform a Search?

             Select the type of search you want to do.  Selecting Keyword provides the broadest search, or use Browse with an exact title, subject, or author's name (in reverse order:  King, Stephen).  Choose title, author, or subject from the drop down menu on the right, and type your search words in the appropriate text box.  For more advanced searches, click on the link for Advanced Search Options, which provides more choices, such as limiting your search to DVDs.  When you are finished entering your search terms and setting your menu options, click  the Search button.  Click on the Details button to bring up the specific item(s).  There you can see how many copies the Library owns, if an item is checked out, and how many holds have been placed.  

Return to FAQs

How Do I Use Wildcard Characters? 

 
              Wildcard characters like $ and ?, can only be used in Keyword searching.  The $ symbol is used to truncate search terms and can represent a single character, many characters, or no characters.  For example, if you perform a Keyword Title search using jame$, the catalog locates records containing any title word beginning with “jame”:  james, jameson, Jamestown, etc.  The ? symbol is used as a substitute for a missing character in a search term if you are unsure of the spelling or you want to find two forms of one word.  For example, searching "wom?n" will find woman or women. 

Return to FAQs

How Do I Choose Search Words?

When choosing search words, try using 2 or 3 keywords.  Using more words may result in retrieving too few items.  Using fewer words may return too many items.  For example, “dogs” will retrieve many, many titles, whereas, “dogs training” will retrieve fewer.  The catalog is not case sensitive, so you don’t need to type capital letters.  Punctuation such as an apostrophe is ignored and need not be typed when using Keyword searching.

Return to FAQs

 How Do I Access My Account?

How Do I Place a Hold?

 
            Once you have identified an item, click on the Place Hold button at the list screen or the Place Hold link in the detail record.  Enter your 14-digit Redondo Beach Public Library  card number and your PIN (the last four digits of the telephone number associated with your card).  Click on the Place Hold button.  Your hold will then be placed.  If you are placing several holds, you can log in with your card number and PIN at the upper right hand corner of the screen.  This will keep you logged in for the duration of your session.  Remember to logout when you are finished.

            You will be notified by email or phone when your hold is ready to pick up, and you will then have 10 calendar days to come to the Library to check the item out.  There is no charge for placing a hold, but you will be charged a $1.00 fine if you neglect to check it out once it is ready for you.  Your hold will expire after one year, at which time you will have to place the hold again if it hasn't been filled. 
  
Return to FAQs

How Many Holds Can I Place?

              You may place up to 30 holds on your account at one time.

Return to FAQs

How Do I View My Holds

To view your holds, click on My Account, then Review My Account.  Enter your 14-digit Redondo Beach Public Library  card number and your PIN (the last four digits of the telephone number associated with your card).  Click on Display User Information, and then click on Holds. 

Return to FAQs

How Do I Cancel A Hold?

           To cancel your holds, click on My Account,  then Review My Account.  Enter your 14-digit Redondo Beach Public Library  card number and your PIN (the last four digits of the telephone number associated with your card).  Click on Display User Information, and then click on Holds.  Check off the boxes next to the holds you wish to cancel, then click Cancel Selected Holds.  If a hold is available and waiting for you to pick up, you cannot cancel that hold.  If you do not check out a hold that is waiting for you to pick up, you will be charged a $1.00 fine.

Return to FAQs

How Do I Suspend A Hold? 

            "Suspending" your holds makes your holds inactive for a specific period of time that you designate.  You may want to suspend your holds when you are on vacation, or when you can’t get into the Library to pick up your holds.  You will keep your place in the hold queue, but the holds will not be placed for you until the end of the suspension period that you have specified.  If a hold is available and waiting for you to pick up, you cannot suspend that hold. 

            To suspend a hold, click on My Account, then Review My Account.  Enter your 14-digit Redondo Beach Public Library  card number and your PIN (the last four digits of the telephone number associated with your card).  Check the boxes of the holds you wish to suspend (or check Select All).  Scroll down to the Activate or Suspend Holds section and choose Suspend.  Enter the start and end dates (in this format: mm/dd/yyyy) for the period you want to have your holds suspended.  You can also click on the calendar icon beside the date boxes to enter dates using the calendar.  Then click the Suspend Selected button. 

  Return to FAQs

How Do I Activate A Suspended Hold?

            To activate a suspended hold, click on My Account, then Review My Account.  Enter your 14-digit Redondo Beach Public Library  card number and your PIN (the last four digits of the telephone number associated with your card).  Click on the Holds tab.  Check the boxes of the holds you wish to activate (or check Select All).  Scroll down to the Activate or Suspend Holds section and choose Activate.   Then click the Activate Selected button. 

Return to FAQs

How Do I Renew My Materials Online?

            Most materials will be automatically renewed three times. To manually renew materials online, click on My Account, then Renew My Materials.  Enter your 14-digit Redondo Beach Public Library  card number and your PIN (the last four digits of the telephone number associated with your card).  Click on the List Charged Items button.  Check off the boxes next to the items you wish to renew by clicking on the square next to the left of the item title.  Then click the Renew Selected Items button.  You may renew everything at once by checking the Renew All box.
         Although most items can be renewed three times, Interlibrary Loan books and items which other patrons have placed on hold may not be renewed. 

Return to FAQs

How Do I Request the Library Purchase an Item?

Complete and submit a Suggested Purchase Form online.  Forms are also available at the information desk at the Main Library or North Branch Library.  Users may submit up to five Suggested Purchase Forms per month.
 
Return to FAQs

How Do I Request an Item That is Not in the Library Catalog?

            To request a loan from another library via the Library's Interlibrary Loan Service (ILL), stop by the information desk at the Main Library or North Branch Library to complete an ILL Request Form.  Reference Librarians will help you identify and request items from other libraries.  A $3.00 nonrefundable search fee per ILL request must be paid when the form is submitted.  Only books, microfilm/microfiche, magazine articles and music scores can be requested via ILL (no audiovisual items).

Return to FAQs

How Do I Receive Email Notices?

            If you have never before received email notices, stop by the Circulation Desk to have this feature added to your library record.  If you have stopped receiving your email notices, check your spam filter.  Make sure the address Redondo_Beach_Public_Library <sirsi@polar.sirsi.net>  is not blocked. 

Return to FAQs

How Do I Contact the Library?

            Click on the Contact the Library link on the Library homepage to email a question or concern.  Or you may call 310-318-0675. 

Return to FAQs