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A Guide to Discovery & Catalogue

A guide to McMaster's Discovery & Library Catalogue search.

Library Account Login

To login to your Library Account, go to Discovery or Catalogue and select My Library Account from the top right corner of the screen.

At the Library Account Login screen, use one of the authentication methods below:

  • 1.  MacID 
    MacID logins are only available to currently registered McMaster faculty, staff and students. 
    ​
    • ​​​​​​Enter your McMaster MacID username & password
    • Click Submit

If you need assistance with your MacID, please refer to: https://uts.mcmaster.ca/services/accounts-and-passwords/macid/

​NOTE: If you have multiple roles with McMaster (e.g., as both an employee and as a student), you may have more than one Library Account in our system. If your MacID doesn't retrieve your desired Library Account (e.g., your Checkouts do not display), use the barcode and PIN option described below.

OR

  • 2. McMaster ID card barcode and PIN
    Barcode logins are required for all non-McMaster community users (e.g., external borrowers). 
    Barcode logins are also an option for currently registered McMaster faculty, staff and students. 
    ​
    • Enter the 14-digit barcode number on your McMaster ID card (e.g. 29005002103816).
    • Enter your PIN (Personal Identification Number)
      •  Don't have a library PIN yet?
        • Leave the PIN box blank and click Submit 
        • When prompted to enter a new PIN, choose a numeric code at least 4 digits long.
        • Reytpe the new PIN to confirm. 
          The system will log you into your account and save your PIN. The next time you need to access your account, enter both pieces of information on the login screen
      • Forgot your library PIN?
    • Click Submit

If you need assistance with your barcode and PIN, please contact a Service Desk in one of the libraries - https://library.mcmaster.ca/justask

Checkouts & Renewals

To view the physical items that you have checked out of McMaster libraries ... 

  1. Login to your Library Account
  2. Select My Account (top right)
  3. Select Checkouts (on the left) to view a list of  item(s) you borrowed from McMaster libraries with status/due dates noted.
  • Don't see your checked out items?
    Try logging in to your Library Account with your McMaster ID card barcode and PIN (instead of your MacID). 
    If your checked out items are still not listed, please contact a Service Desk in one of the libraries for assistance - https://library.mcmaster.ca/justask

If one of your items is set to become overdue, you will be sent an email notification to your McMaster account.

To renew books you have checked out ...

  1. Review the status/due dates of the items you have checked out.
  2. In the Renew column, check the box beside item(s) you wish to renew.
  3. Click the Renew Marked or Renew All button.
  4. Click Yes or No to proceed.
  5. A renewed status will display along with new due date for item(s).
    NOTE:     There is a maximum of 6 online renewals per item. 
  • Renewal not successful?
    You may have reached the renewal limit or the item may have been recalled.
    Please contact a Service Desk in one of the libraries for assistance - https://library.mcmaster.ca/justask

Fines/Fees

You can accrue fines if you return a course reserve item or a recalled item past its due date.  If library material  is never returned, you can also be charged a replacement cost for the item. For full details, refer to Loan Policies and Fines (Mills, Innis & Thode) and Borrowing Penalties & Fines (Health Sciences Library). 

To view any fines or fees you have on your Library Account ...

  1. ​Login to your Library Account
  2. Select My Account (top right)
  3. Select Fines/Fees ($) (on the left) to view any fines for overdue or late items.

Questions about a fine?

Holds

Holds

Any physical items you have requested in Discovery or Catalogue will be listed in the Holds section of your Library Account. 

  1. ​Login to your Library Account
  2. Select My Account (top right)
  3. Select Holds (on the left) to view the item(s) you have requested. ​
  4. The status of a hold will be noted along with a pickup location.
    When an item is available for pick-up, the status will display Ready. Must pick up by mm/dd/yy.
    You will also be sent an email notification to your McMaster account when the item is ready. 

To cancel a hold ...

  1. Review the list of items you requested be put on hold.
  2. In the Cancel column, check the box beside item(s) you wish to remove.
  3. Click the Cancel Selected button.
  4. Click Yes or No to proceed.
    Your request(s) is now ancelled and the item should no longer be displayed in your Holds list. 

My Lists

To view a list of items you saved from a folder in Discovery or Catalogue

  1. Login to your Library Account
  2. Select My Account (top right)
  3. Select My Lists (on the left) to view items you have saved to a list.

Reading History

By default, the Reading History (or Borrowing History) feature in your library account is inactive. 

To activate Reading History ...

  1. Login to your Library Account.
  2. Select My Account (top right).
  3. Select Reading History (on the left).
  4. Select the Save Reading History button to enable this feature.  

​Any future items that you borrow and return to the Library will now be listed in this section. 

To de-activate Reading History (after it has been activated) ...

  1. Login to your Library Account
  2. Select My Account (top right)
  3. Select Reading History on the left side of the screen.
  4. Delete all items in your Reading History.
  5. Select Opt Out to de-activate this feature.

All items that you borrow and return to the Library will no longer be listed in this section.

Preferred Searches

It is possible to save searches and receive e-mail alerts when items match your search. This feature only works with Catalogue results. Articles & More results are excluded.

To create and save a search ...

  1. Go to the Classic Catalogue. NOTE: It is not possible to set-up this feature in Discovery or Catalogue. 
  2. Login to your Library Account.
  3. Once logged in, select the Classic Catalogue link in the header of your Library Account screen.
  4. Enter your search word(s) in the Classic Catalogue and select the Submit (or Search) button. NOTE: This feature only works with the browse indexes and not the keyword searches in Basic or Advanced.
  5. On the results screen, select the Save as preferred search button next to the Search button.
  6. Select Return To Your Record (top right).
  7. Your search keywords should now be listed in the Preferred Searches section in your Library Account. 

To review and run your searches ...

  1. Login to My Library Account either in  Discovery, Catalogue or Classic Catalogue. 
  2. Go to the Preferred Searches section of your Library Account.
    • To remove a search, go to the Mark to Remove column, check the tickbox next to the relevant search, and select  Update List button.
    • To remove all searches, select the Delete All Searches button.
    • To create an email alert for items that match your search, go to the Mark for Email column, check the tickbox next to the relevant search, and select Update List button. E-mail notification of Preferred Search titles will be sent each week at 4:00 A.M. on Monday. 
    • To run your searches, click on the Search link within your Library Account. This will run the search in the Classic Catalogue. 

Bookings

​Bookings are not self-service. This feature only applies to media bookings entered into your Library Account by library staff 

To book media for a class, instructors should visit Film and Video for Instruction and submit a request using the Book a Film or Video for Display in the Classroom form.  

To view or update bookings handled by library staff:

  1. Login to your Library Account
  2. Select My Account (top right)
  3. Select Bookings (on the left) 

To cancel a booking ...

  • select the item(s) to remove
  • click Cancel Selected
  • click Yes or No to proceed.
    Your bookings should now be cancelled and the item should no longer be displayed in your Bookings list.
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