Self-Services
Online Services
My Library Card | Online Registration | Online Holds | E-mail Notification
Want to check your library card for overdues or holds? Use the My Library Card feature online from home, work or any Denver Public Library location to manage your account in a number of ways:
- Renew all of your items
- Renew some of your items
- Verify what you have checked out, overdue and on hold/ready for pickup
- Cancel holds you no longer need
- Check your fine balance
- Create a printout of items on your card
It's fast, easy and convenient. From the Web site:
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You now have access to your account summary!
If you have any questions or problems connecting, please ask a staff member or go to our Technical Assistance or the DPL Web Catalog Help section: My Library Card.
Online Library Card Registration
Online library card registration is now available on the Denver Public Library Web site. In addition to doing this from your home, school, or office, it is accessible from any Web access computer in the Denver Public Library. The online registration service will help you in a number of ways:
- It provides immediate information on the requirements of obtaining a library card.
- It allows you to sign-up from any Internet access computer in the library or remote location.
- It lets you complete the application at your own pace, without having to wait in line for a staff member to assist you.
- You will be given a temporary card number that will allow you access to the online catalog and databases (Denver residents only) until you have received your permanent library card.
- It speeds up the library card process, allowing staff more time to work with you on your other library needs.
Watch and listen to a brief Place a Hold tutorial!
Want to place a hold or check to see if an item is available before you come to the library? Try our online catalog. From the main page of the Web site, click on Library Catalog, or select All Catalog Resources from the Library Catalog menu. You may also search the DPL Catalog from the Search bar located at the top of each page.
It's easy to search in a number of ways:
- Keyword
- Author
- Title
- Subject
- Series
With a Keyword Search, you can even limit your search to:
- Items of a specific media type, like DVDs or Books on CD
- Items in a specific language
- Items available on the shelf at a specific DPL branch
For additional information and tips on searching the catalog, see the DPL Web Catalog Help section: How to Search.
To place an item on hold:
- Locate the item in our online catalog by using one of the above search methods.
- Select the item you want by clicking on the title.
- Click on the blue "Place Hold" button located on the left side of the screen.
- Enter your last name and library card number and click on the "Submit Query" button.
- Select your pickup location from the list provided and click the "Place Hold" button.
You will be notified on the screen immediately if your hold request was unsuccessful. Some reasons a hold could not be filled:
- All copies of that title are reference only.
- All copies of that title are lost.
- You are over the hold limit (30 per card).
- The item is an electronic resource. Go back to the title record and
click
on the link.
If your hold request is successful, you will be notified of your place in the hold queue and how many copies circulate. This will give you a rough idea of how long it may take for your hold request to come in.
More information on placing holds can be found in the DPL Web Catalog Help section: Placing an Item on Hold.
Once your hold is ready for pickup, you will receive a phone call from our automated system. If you would like to be notified by e-mail, sign up for e-mail notification. You may also check the status of holds online with My Library Card.
The online catalog is another easy and convenient way to use the library from home or work. Also, be sure to try our other research resources such as Prospector, WorldCat and online databases!
E-Mail Notification of Holds and Overdues
The Denver Public Library has added an e-mail option, as a backup to our phone notification system, to customers whose call from our automated phone system failed.
This will allow customers who could not be contacted by phone to be notified of holds ready for pickup and overdue items on your library card by e-mail!
If we cannot contact you by phone, you will receive an e-mail 2 days after the hold item was received at your preferred location. You will then have 5 days to pick up your hold.
Sign up for e-mail notification.
Self-Service Holds and Self-Check Machines
The following libraries offer Self-Service Holds and Self-Check Machines:
- Central
- Bear Valley
- Blair-Caldwell AARL
- Schlessman Family Branch
- Ross-University Hills
- Virginia Village
- Woodbury
To better protect your privacy, as of November 1, 2007, holds ready for pick up will be shelved by the first 4 letters of your last name and the first 3 letters of your first name. For example: SMIT JOH
Most hold items can be picked up by the customer in the designated self-service holds area. The following items will still be retrieved by a staff member:
- Prospector and Interlibrary Loan items
- Music CDs
- DVDs
Many other public library systems in Metro Denver and around the country have this service option in place and are pleased with how well it works. Giving customers another way to help themselves with routine services allows Circulation staff the time to deal with more complex customer interactions, work on service enhancements, and continue to offer high quality service to all customers in an increasing population.
Always been the independent type? Try the award winning self-checkout machines at the Central Library and many of our branches! It's easy, private, and fast. If you are a customer with a valid library card, free of blocks, you can "help yourself" with routine checkout or if you have more complicated service needs, a customer service representative will assist you. Some things to keep in mind:
- To check out books, CDs, and videos place your library card down so the red laser light can read your DPL barcode number. You may have to adjust your card, or get a new sticker. Once the machine has identified your number, simply read the easy to follow directions on the screen. At the Central Library, these directions are offered in English, Spanish and even Vietnamese!
- All circulating materials will check out on the machines. This includes: books, books on tape and/or CD, magazines, videos, CD-ROMs, and music CDs.
- The self-check machine can only read barcodes, so make sure all items have one. DPL’s barcodes are located on the front of our materials in the lower left corner.
- Unfortunately, the self-check machine will not work with blocked cards due to excessive fines or lost books. If there is any problem with either your card or the machine, please see a circulation clerk.
- Self-checkout machines are also available at some of our branch libraries. Call or visit your local branch for more information.
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Updated: January 15, 2008
