Frequently Asked Questions

eServices are not free for everyone. To use Thunder Bay Public Library's eServices, you must hold a valid Library Card by:

• being a resident of Thunder Bay
• being a non-resident covered by a service agreement through your municipal government, or
• purchasing a Library Card on an annual basis.

Residents of the City of Thunder Bay pay for Public Library service in their property taxes; Membership is free of charge.

Non-residents not covered by a service agreement may purchase Library Cards on an annual basis.  

Through service agreements with other municipal governments, Cards are also free for residents of certain communities; visit our Get a Card page for details.

Don't panic!  There's a Forgot your Password? link under the login fields.  When you click this link, you'll need to enter the barcode number from your Library Card.  The system will send the email address on file a reset email to get you set up with a new 4-digit PIN.

If you don't have an email address on file with us, you can call us at 807-345-8275 for help in resetting.  Please have your Library Card and your ID on hand to verify your identity.

1. Log in to your account.
2. On the menu, click For Later Shelf, Completed Shelf, or In Progress Shelf.

You can move between shelves using the links below your username.

By default, titles are sorted by the date you added them, most recent first. By clicking the Sort by dropdown list at the top of the page, you can sort by date added, title, or author. You can also sort your Completed and In Progress shelves by rating.

Visit our Digital Library to learn about our online collections, including

• eBooks, eNews, eMagazines & eAudiobooks
• eComics & digital graphic novels
• streaming video
• streaming classical music
• databases
• research tools
• local history indexes

No, we eliminated Overdue Fines for everyone at the beginning of 2020. We have also cleared all Library accounts of overdue fees and charges as of May 31, 2021.

However, Lost Item Fines will be charged for items when they are 50 days overdue. You will be charged for the replacement of the item and will need to pay the fine or return the item before taking out more Library materials.  If you are able to return the item, the charge will be removed.

You will receive your hold pick up notification via email or telephone.

Once you have received a phone call or email about your hold, you can pick up at the confirmed location during hours of operation. Look for signage and directional information at all locations; you'll find your hold under your name on our hold shelf at your branch. 

Take your holds to a self-check kiosk or to staff at any service point. Self-check kiosks require a Library Card to use; if you forgot your library card but have another piece of identification, you can check out your hold with staff at the desk.

You can place a hold on items which are currently unavailable, to reserve an available item at its current location or to have items available within the system sent to a Library branch of your choice for pickup.  

If an item is unavailable when you place your hold, you'll be placed on a waiting list.  

When the item you've requested is ready for pickup, we will phone or email you.

You can hold up to 50 items at one time. 

This is a unique feature of BiblioCommons and allows you to see all the options available for a specific item. The grouping feature is automatically clicked on for all accounts, but if you would like to see items listed instead of grouped you can turn this feature off by clicking on the list view option (farthest left option) to the left of the total number of results at the top of the search page.   

Yes, please bring all of your family members' Library Cards or identification with you when doing the pick up to ensure the items are checked out to the right cards.

After you’ve been notified that the hold is available, we will keep the item reserved for pick up for six days. After six days, the item(s) will be returned to the shelf or will be offered to the next person who has it on hold.

Interlibrary Loan (ILLO) is a service which allows Thunder Bay Public Library card holders to borrow items not found in our collection from another library.

It can be used by anyone who has a valid Thunder Bay Public Library card in good standing. 

ILLOs can be used to borrow books, select audiovisual items, articles and archival and genealogical microfilm.

To learn more and to use the ILLO service, visit our Interlibrary Loans page.

Yes!  This is called your "For Later" Shelf.

Your For Later shelf is like a wish list, a place to keep track of titles you’d like to borrow at some point. You can make items on this shelf public (visible to others) or private.

► To add a title to your For Later shelf

1. Log in to your account.
2. From any of an item’s details page, search results, awards and bestseller lists, or another patron’s shelves, click the For Later button next to the item.

~or~

1. Log in to your account.
2. On the menu, click For Later Shelf.
3. Click Add a title.
4. Search for the title you want to add.
5. Click the + Add link.
6. Search for additional items if required, and then close the popup window.

You can add as many titles to this page as you like. There is no limit.

Learn more about viewing your Shelves here.

Yes, please call or email any branch to request an item, or head to our Interlibrary Loan page to access the form.

You can call the Library at (807) 345-8275 (choose the location that you want to connect to) during hours of operation to request up to five titles to be placed on hold.

You can also stop into any TBPL branch and staff will be happy to place holds on your behalf. You'll need to bring your library card or a piece of ID with you to complete the hold process.