• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Alert

HOLIDAY CLOSING: All Library Locations Closed Monday, May 30 in Observance of Memorial Day More Info

Alert

Free COVID-19 Rapid Antigen At-Home Test Kits Available at All Arlington Libraries More Info

Home - Arlington County Virginia - Logo
MENUMENU
  • Join Now
  • My Account
    • Login
    • Borrow, Renew, Return
    • Holds
    • About My Account
    • My eAccounts
    • Join Now
  • Hours & Locations
    • All Hours & Locations
    • Operations Updates
    • Holiday Closings
  • News
  • Help
    • FAQs
    • Contact Us
    • By Appointment
  • Contact Us

Arlington Public Library

MENUMENU
  • Search
      • Browse New
      • Browse All
  • Events
    • Programs
    • Featured Events
    • Calendar
  • eCollection
    • eAudiobooks
    • eBooks
    • Digital Magazines
    • Learning Tools
    • Research Tools
    • All eCollection
  • Research
    • Research Portal
    • Research Tools A-Z
    • Local History
  • Services
    • Accessibility Services
    • Find A Good Book
    • Maker
    • Meeting Rooms
    • Notary
    • Public Computers
    • More Services
  • Explore
    • Catalog
      • Catalog Search
      • Catalog Browse
      • Digital Archives
      • Borrowing Collections
      • Book Lists
    • Kids & Teens
      • For Babies and Preschoolers
      • For Elementary Schoolers
      • Middle and High Schoolers
    • Local History
      • Research Room
      • Community Archives
      • Online Exhibits
    • Support the Library
      • Friends of the Library
      • Giving Opportunities
      • Donating Materials
    • Popular
      • Lynda.com
      • Consumer Reports
      • Overdrive
    • EXPLORE MORE
  • Join Now
  • My Account
    • Login
    • Borrow, Renew, Return
    • Holds
    • About My Account
    • My eAccounts
    • Join Now
  • Hours & Locations
    • All Hours & Locations
    • Operations Updates
    • Holiday Closings
  • News
  • Contact Us

New Catalog: Tips and Tricks

Part 1: Get the Most Out Of Your Searches

Looking for something specific?

Try these tools for customizing, personalizing and even saving your favorite searches!
Click each image to enlarge for full screen.

 

Sort Results By

Search Results

Sort your search results by:

  • Best Match
  • Total Checkouts
  • Date Added
  • Newest First
  • Oldest First
  • Author
  • Title

 

 

Saving Searches

Search then filter

Do you look for the same kind of items every month?

If you always want to find the newest Detective novels or kid DVDs, you can create and then save a search to your account:

  1. Start an empty search by clicking on GO.
  2. Choose your search parameters using “Sort Results By” and…
  3. “Narrow Your Results” options.
  4. Save searchScroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Save Search.”

You can sort and save the Library’s Browse Lists the same way.

 

 

Viewing Searches

Covers only

 

You can also view your search results as all covers…

 

 

 

 

List with covers

 

a list with covers…

 

 

 

 

List with no covers

 

or a list with no covers.

 

 

 

 

 

My Lists

Importing Old Lists

Did you use saved lists in the old catalog?

It’s easy to import them! Just click on “My Lists” in your account, then choose “Import Existing Lists.”

 

 

 

Check out New Catalog: Tips and Tricks, Part 2: Reading Your Search Results.

 

 

 

February 22, 2016 by Web Editor

Filed Under: News

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emma S says

    February 26, 2016 at 9:44 AM

    Thanks for the tips & tricks. I’m always resistant to change but, I gotta say, I really love the catalog redesign. So much fun to browse online now and so easy to find what I need. Well done.

  2. Web Editor says

    February 26, 2016 at 2:45 PM

    Emma, that’s great to hear – thank you!

    Don’t miss Tips and Tricks, part 2: Reading Your Search Results

  3. jane p says

    March 5, 2016 at 10:36 PM

    please tell me where i go to return a book early — i used to find it in the paragraph at the top of the page but don’t know where it is now.

    thank you

    • Web Editor says

      March 6, 2016 at 11:35 AM

      Jane,

      If you are referring to returning eBooks early, you go to your OverDrive app if you are using an Android device, or your Amazon account if you are using a Kindle.

      You can find more information on our eCollection Help and Troubleshooting page.

      If you are referring to returning regular books early, you can do so at any of our Library locations.

  4. M Green says

    March 20, 2016 at 3:48 PM

    How do I filter my searches to available titles?

    • Web Editor says

      March 20, 2016 at 6:14 PM

      M,

      When you do a search, there are two buttons at the top of the search results – “Entire Collection” and “Available” – just click on Available.

  5. Jeanne T. says

    March 21, 2016 at 6:52 PM

    I want to see my list of holds in chronological order. The oldest to newest, as in the prior system. Or even newest to oldest. Looking at the cancellation date is too time consuming. How do I change the way the holds are listed on the screen?

    • Web Editor says

      March 23, 2016 at 12:34 PM

      Jeanne,

      Do you mean that you want to see them in the order that you placed them, with the oldest first?

      At the moment, holds can’t be sorted, but we’re working on adding a number of ways to do so.

  6. Carol Biondolillo says

    March 22, 2016 at 9:46 AM

    Hi:

    I know sort by due date on the check out screen, but can I sort the requests by “active” and “frozen” and if so, how do I do that?

    Thanks for your help.

    Carol

    • Web Editor says

      March 23, 2016 at 2:05 PM

      Hi Carol,

      You can’t sort your holds yet, but it is something we’re working on. Check out our new post “New Catalog, Part 3” for more info.

  7. Laura says

    March 24, 2016 at 10:44 AM

    I am unable to find a “freeze” button for my most recent holds. The only option showing is cancel hold, yet the book is not currently available for checkout, and I would like to be able to download it at a later date of my convenience.

    • Web Editor says

      March 24, 2016 at 11:18 AM

      Hi Laura,

      It sounds like the item you want to freeze is an OverDrive hold (eBook or eAudiobook). Unfortunately, only physical holds can be frozen in the catalog, which is why you don’t see the option on that item. To freeze your OverDrive holds, you need to log into your OverDrive account directly.

      • Howard Schreier says

        April 20, 2016 at 5:20 PM

        I have this problem with physical holds, via the web. If I freeze a hold, then later thaw it, I see no freeze button.

        • Web Editor says

          April 21, 2016 at 5:10 PM

          Howard, are you first in line when you unfreeze the hold? If so, the hold can not be refrozen.

  8. Kate says

    April 9, 2016 at 9:03 AM

    What does “in transit” mean? It sounds as if the book is on its way to my local branch for me to pick up in a day or so, yet I am still far down on the waiting list, lower even than the total number of available copies.

    • Web Editor says

      April 11, 2016 at 11:01 AM

      Hi Kate,

      We need to know where all of our items are at all times, so “in transit” is the term for any item moving from one library location to another, whether it is on hold or being returned to its home branch.

      So if someone returns a book at Central and the next person on hold for it wants to pick it up at Aurora Hills, the item status will be “in transit” while it is moving between locations.

      • Kate says

        April 20, 2016 at 9:55 AM

        Thanks–it makes perfect sense now.

        New question please–when I freeze a hold because I have other books I’m reading, do I continue to move up in the ranks so that when I “thaw” I should be higher on the waiting list than when I froze it, i.e., I won’t have lost movement up the list. Or do I just stay on the waiting list where I was when I hit the freeze?

        • Web Editor says

          April 21, 2016 at 9:04 AM

          Kate, a frozen hold continues to advance – but when it reaches #1, it stops and stays there until you unfreeze it. You can learn more on our Holds info page.

          • Kate says

            May 3, 2016 at 5:40 PM

            Perfect, thanks (and I never noticed the Holds info page before)

  9. Ginny Johnstone says

    April 11, 2016 at 6:22 PM

    Is there some place I can find the length of a DVD?
    It used to be with the description. (Occasionally
    it’s on the back of the DVD holder – but not on the three I just checked out.) Thanks!

    • Web Editor says

      April 12, 2016 at 3:28 PM

      Ginny,

      Click on the blue DVD button to go to the full record for the item. Then look for “More Details,” where you’ll find the length under “Physical Description.”

  10. Pauline L says

    April 13, 2016 at 11:38 AM

    When a book is due in a few days or a hold is available for pickup I used to get notified by email. Is there a settling somewhere to activate notification by email on a certain page? Thanks!

    • Web Editor says

      April 13, 2016 at 6:52 PM

      Pauline, you should still get those alerts. Check your spam or junk email folder, and if they’re not there, call or speak to someone at Circulation (703-228-5940 or your local branch) and ask to check that email messages are turned on in your account.

  11. P Santiago says

    April 27, 2016 at 6:35 AM

    Where can I find who narrates an audiobook? It used to be in the description section for most audiobooks but now I can’t find it.

    Thank you.

    • Web Editor says

      April 27, 2016 at 2:54 PM

      With our new Grouped Records, the information about a narrator is still in the description of the ab Audiobook on CD, but now you have to choose the “Audiobook on CD” version of the book from the Grouped Work to see it.

      In the case of eAudiobooks from OverDrive, we get those records directly from the online vendors – and unfortunately neither company includes the narrator information in their records (why not? no idea…).

  12. Kelly says

    May 3, 2016 at 4:14 PM

    I would like to export one of my lists…is that possible? I can see how to print it and how to email it, but being able to export it as a .xls or .csv file would be great.

    Also on the topic of lists…is there a way to filter a list the way you can filter search results? I’d be interested in seeing, out of the 63 books on my list, which are currently available, which are currently available at my branch, which are currently available in eBook format, etc.

    • Web Editor says

      May 4, 2016 at 9:41 AM

      Kelly,

      The kind of versatility you’re looking for isn’t currently available for lists, but we can keep it in mind for future development.

  13. Beverly Armstrong says

    October 16, 2016 at 10:59 PM

    How do I get to the “Browse New Books” on the catalog page from a specific search? A button that takes me there would be nice; it may be there, but I can’t find it. Thanks!

    • Web Editor says

      October 17, 2016 at 7:37 AM

      Beverly,

      The “catalog home” link at the top of any search page will take you to the Browse New Books page.

  14. Bob Cambridge says

    December 9, 2016 at 11:26 PM

    What is a “wait list” and how does one get on such a list?

    • Web Editor says

      December 12, 2016 at 6:58 AM

      Bob,

      We don’t have a catalog function called “Wait List,” but when you place a hold for an item, you are placed on a “hold list” – is that what you are referring to?

      We do have wait lists for some registration events, but I don’t think that’s what you mean – let me know if I’m wrong!

  15. Dennis O'Connor says

    December 17, 2016 at 10:59 AM

    When placing a Hold, I have to select my library name. Can this be a default in my Account? There is a space there for Home Library, but no way to insert anything.

  16. Ruth Duvall says

    January 8, 2017 at 3:42 PM

    How can I rate books? I don’t see an icon when I look at my checked out books.

    • Web Editor says

      January 8, 2017 at 9:54 PM

      Ruth, in your checked out items page you should see ratings stars under the title and author info for each book you have checked out. You can click on those stars to rate each book.

  17. Jeremy says

    March 3, 2017 at 1:25 PM

    If Kindle format is not specifically listed, but Overdrive is, does that mean the eBook is only available via the Overdrive app?

    • Web Editor says

      March 3, 2017 at 2:22 PM

      Jeremy,

      EBooks for kindle are available through our Overdrive account. You can check them out in the catalog, or the Overdrive website or app. Then choose the kindle option when you download them. You can learn more on the Overdrive help site: https://help.overdrive.com/customer/en/portal/articles/1481713-kindle?b_id=15211

Footer

About Us

  • Mission & Vision
  • Center for Local History
  • News Room

Administration

  • Policies
  • Library Staff
  • Job Opportunities
  • Propose a Program

Support Your Library

  • Friends of the Library
  • Giving Opportunities
  • Donating Materials
  • Volunteer Opportunities

Our Mission

We champion the power of stories, information and ideas.

We create space for culture and connection.

We embrace inclusion and diverse points of view.

Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. YouTube. Flickr. Newsletter.

download appDownload the Library App

Arlington County | Terms & Conditions | Accessibility | Site Map
· Copyright © 2022 Arlington County Government ·