New Website FAQs

  • General Questions

    The titles you saved were not lost. You can import all the items from your wish list onto your For Later shelf. Just go to your For Later shelf, and then click the Import button to import your wish lists from the old catalog. This is a one-time process, and then you can move items to other shelves or lists as needed.  

    Registration is required to take advantage of all of the features of the site, including the ability to manage your renewals and holds, contribute ratings and reviews, and follow others to see what they’re enjoying.

    When you register, you'll create an easy-to-remember username you can use to log in, so you don’t have to type your barcode every time you want to check your account.  

    Registration also allows you to get personalized recommendations and contribute ratings and reviews.  

    No, you don’t have to.  If you don’t, BiblioCommons will assume you are a minor, and some features will be unavailable to you. 

    Once you’ve created your account and chosen a username, it’s up to you whether you use it to log in or keep using your library card number. You can use either one.

    The reason we require all users to select a unique username is because the new catalogue has additional optional functionality, like commenting on books and keeping track of your reading on shelves. To support this, we need all users to create a username.   

    To view your shelves

    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.

    BiblioCommons is an online catalogue that Thunder Bay Public Library uses that makes it easier to track your holds and renewals and find the titles you are looking for in our collection.

    BiblioCommons also allows you to share ratings and commentary about the titles you find at your library, and to connect with other library users. 

    BiblioCommons shares user contributions from libraries across the world. Usernames are shared across all BiblioCommons libraries. 

    The new website is easier to use on different devices and easy to search and browse, with a navigation menu that helps you discover more of what Thunder Bay Public Library has to offer.  New landing pages bring together information on programs, collections and services based on your interests.

    Your Library's new catalogue system has better searching, provides the option for users to keep track of their reading and allows users to discover titles in new ways. Read more about what we love!

    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.   

    No, an email address is optional. It will be used if you forget your PIN and request a reset. We may also use your email address to send you notifications of items ready for pickup, coming due or overdue. 

    The Library doesn’t review any of the comments that are added. Rather, there is a community moderation model in place.  

    If you see something inappropriate, you can click the Report this link. When 3 separate users report something, the comment is automatically removed and reviewed against the Terms of Use of the catalogue.  

    There is a low incidence rate of inappropriate comments being added to BiblioCommons catalogues, as all content that users add is associated with their Library Card - there is no opportunity for anonymous posting. 

    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.

    Pausing Holds

    If you don’t want an item you have requested to become available when you’re unable to pick it up, you can pause the hold. Pausing, or suspending, retains your place in line until you’re ready to resume. It’s useful if you have items on hold and go on vacation, or already have things checked out you haven’t finished yet.

    To pause a single hold

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click On Hold.
    3. Find the title you want to pause.
    4. Click the Pause hold button.
    5. Depending on the system your library uses, you may also be prompted to choose an end date, or a start and end date. Pick your dates, and then click Yes, pause holds.
    6. You’ll see the message “Successfully paused holds.”

    To pause multiple holds

    1. Log in to your account.
    2. On the menu, click On Hold.
    3. If necessary, filter your holds by clicking Not ready under the My Borrowing summary on the left of the page. On a tablet or smartphone, tap the My Borrowing button first to display the filters.
    4. Do one of the following:
      • Click the checkbox next to each item you want to pause
      • Click the checkbox above the items to select all of the items on the page.
    5. A bar appears at the bottom of the page. Click Manage items, and then click Pause holds. The number of items affected appears in brackets on the menu.
    6. Depending on the system your library uses, you may be prompted to choose an end date, or a start and end date. Pick your dates, and then click Yes, pause holds.
    7. You’ll see the message “Successfully paused holds.”

    We agree with you 100%.

    The only information that is shared with others through this new system is information you choose to share.  Read more about how Thunder Bay Public Library and BiblioCommons protect your privacy.