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Website FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about the Library Website

General questions

Searching & Navigation

Features

Signing In and Session Timeout

Why did the library change its website?

The new website was developed in response to feedback from you, our customers. Through email, blog comments, surveys, and usability tests, we heard what you like and don't like about the old website and catalogue. The new site addresses many of your requests for changes, and also lays the groundwork for us to make more improvements in the near future.

The new site is part of the library's overall strategy to build a strong virtual branch and to significantly enhance our online communications, which also includes social media, our upcoming e-mail communications service, and down the road, mobile communications.

What are the major changes?
  • Greatly improved search: The new website's search engine is both simple and powerful. Start with a basic keyword search for a title, author, or topic. The results will appear with the most relevant items at the top. You can then narrow your results using the options on the left.
  • One site and search for everything: Everything the library offers (materials, programs, services, and branches) has been brought together in one site and can be searched from one place.
  • Up-to-date web features: The new site has been built to current web standards, making it more accessible for people who rely on assistive devices. This also means we're able to offer features like RSS feeds for search results.
  • Improvements to Place Hold and Sign In: In the new site, entering your barcode and PIN on the Place Hold screen will sign you in. You will not be prompted to sign in again when you try to place a hold on a second item.
  • A platform for future improvements: The launch of the new site is just the beginning. We look forward to beginning work on other improvements and new features you have asked for.
What hasn't changed?

At this time, we have made no significant changes to your account or to any of the functions for renewing items, managing holds, or updating your information. We plan to begin work on some improvements to these areas in the near future. There are also some other new features users have asked for that we hope to develop in the longer term.

How can I provide feedback about the site?
How do I search the website?

See help with searching.

The results for my search are not what I expected. What can I do?
Too many results?
  • Put your search terms in quotation marks to find an exact phrase.
  • Use the options on the left side of the screen to narrow your results (you can limit to only books or only movies, for example).
  • Try an advanced search.
Too few results, or not what you were expecting?

If the library does not own the item you are looking for, there may be no exact match for your search. In these cases, the search engine looks for partial matches (records that contain one or more of the words).

Our new search engine is highly customizable, and we continue to make adjustments to it based on customer feedback and our own testing. We appreciate hearing from you about your experiences with searching, especially specific examples.

How do I get to my account?

Click the "Your Account" link from the top of any page.

Your Account link
How do I get back to the homepage?

Clicking the Toronto Public Library logo will always take you back to the homepage.

Homepage link
Can I use the "Back" button?

Yes! Unlike in our old catalogue, your browser's "Back" button will take you to the previous page and will not cause an error.

Can I bookmark pages in the new site?

Yes. You do not need a special "permalink." The URLs for search results, item records, and other pages are permanent (not session-based) and will continue to work. You can add a page to your bookmarks or copy and paste the URL into an email, document, blog post, etc.

Where are the lists of newest titles?

You can find the new titles lists under Books, Video, Research & More.

Lists of new non-fiction titles have not yet been added to the new website. See the newest titles section in the old catalogue for non-fiction lists.

Where are the lists of best-sellers and award winners?

Best Sellers and Award Winners lists are under the Books section of the new site. For now, you can also continue to access the Best Sellers and Award Winners lists in the old catalogue.

Where is the "Find It Fast" search?

You can use "Find It Fast" in the old catalogue.

What's the difference between "Your Account" and "Sign In"?

The "You are not signed in" link signs you in. You can use it from any page in the site. You will be asked to enter your barcode and PIN and then returned to whatever page you were on when you clicked the link. Once you have signed in, you can place holds, check your account, or use subscription databases without being prompted to sign in again. This link is also an indicator of your current status: if you have not signed in, the link says "You are not signed in"; after you sign in, the link says "You are signed in. Sign Out."

The Your Account link is a link to your account. If you have already signed in, it goes straight to the account page. If you haven't signed in, you'll be prompted to sign in and then directed to the account page.

Why does my session time out when I'm using the site?

Like many other websites (including online banking sites), the library website protects your privacy by automatically logging you out if you have not actively used the site for 20 minutes.

Unlike the old catalogue, the new website will only time out if you have logged in to place holds, check your account, etc. If you're just searching or browsing, you will not "time out" and lose your place in the site.

The session timeout process is not working exactly as desired at present. You may encounter the timeout message even if you are actively using the site. We will be making further adjustments to the timeout behaviour in the next few weeks.

Do you want your browser to remember your library card and PIN numbers for future visits?

You will need to set you browser's AutoComplete or Password Manager to remember your library card and PIN numbers. PLEASE NOTE: By turning these settings on, anyone who has access to your browser may be able to view or modify your library account.

If you are using Internet Explorer on a PC:

Please refer to Microsoft's AutoComplete Instructions.

If you are using Mozilla Firefox on a PC:

Please refer to Mozilla's Password Manager instructions.

If you are using Safari on a Mac:

Please refer to Apple's documentation on enabling autofill for passwords (These instructions are for Safari 3, but are the same for Safari 4).

Why isn't there an option to stay signed in?

Many websites offer users the option to select "Remember me on this computer" or "Keep me signed in." This is a feature we would like to add to the library website in the future.

New Website welcome page

Known Issues

Web Team Blog

Customer Feedback