My Discoveries Tips

  • Introduction

  • Getting Started

  • Login to My Discoveries

  • Using My Discoveries

  • What Else Should You Know?

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    My Discoveries

    My Discoveries is a tool that offers you the ability to save lists of titles, assign tags, add ratings, and write reviews. Register for an account, start adding your own content, and help us make the catalog our community's catalog!

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    Getting started, register for a My Discoveries account:

    You must first register for a My Discoveries account before you can take advantage of the new features (list making, tagging, rating and reviewing). Your My Discoveries login is separate from your login for My Account. My Discoveries is a tool only accessible through the catalog.

    To register:

    1. Perform a search in the catalog.
    2. Click on the My Discoveries button located to the right of the search button.

    1. Click on the link to register.

    1. Choose a username and password and enter an email address. Please do not use your library card number as your username. Your username may be visible to other users. Your email address will not be visible to any other user and will only be used to send you your password if you forget it. We strongly encourage caregivers to assist children with registration to ensure that an appropriate username is selected.

    Note: the username and password must be at least four characters. Usernames may not be changed once your account is created.

    1. Review the Terms of use, and if you agree, click to place a check mark in the checkbox.
    2. Click Create account. You are now registered for My Discoveries.

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    Once registered, how to login to My Discoveries:

    1. Click on the My Discoveries button.

    1. Enter your username and password.
    2. Click Log in.
    3. You will now be able to view lists, tags, ratings and reviews. Click the close link to return to searching. When logged in, the My Discoveries button changes from My Discoveries to your username.

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    Using My Discoveries:

    Create or Edit Lists: Lists are used for items that you find interesting or useful. For instance if you enjoy cooking, you could have a list of favorite cookbooks saved or a list of the items you consider the best mystery titles. The possibilities are limitless as to how you organize your lists. Your lists can be private for your own use, public for everyone to use, or a combination of both. If a list is public, other customers will benefit from the information contained and be able to search for that list just like any other resource available. Find the title you would like to add to a list then click on "Save or tag..." Select the list you would like to add it to or create a new list. To access a title from your list, view the specific list, click on the title and you will be taken to the detailed information for that title.

    Note: From the full detail of a title, if you click on Save or Tag, you must scroll down to see the expanded form to add to a list, tag, rate or review.

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    Add Tags: Tags are like keywords or labels that can be added to titles that may help you find similar titles based on these descriptions. To add a multiword tag, the words must be in quotes, i.e. "Harry Potter." Single word tags need to be separated by a space. Don't forget to click save.

     

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    Rate Titles: If you would like to share your experience with an item, you can rate the item by finding the item in the catalog and selecting a star rating. To select a rating, move your mouse over the star rating you want and click (one star is poor, five stars is great). You can edit this rating later if you change your mind.

    Write Reviews: Feel like you have more to say on an item than just rating it with stars? It's time to write a review! To review an item click on "Save or tag..." then click "Write a review." Enter a title for your review and then write your comments in the "Full Review" box. Remember, the most helpful reviews include explanations of why you feel the way you do about the item. When writing your reviews, feel free to share other titles of interest and to make comparisons that may be useful to other users.

    View Lists, Tags, Ratings and Reviews: To see your saved information, click on your username in the upper right, next to the search button.

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    What else should you know?

    • Reserves must continue to be placed using either the quick reserve or book bag option, not My Discoveries.

    • My Discoveries is also available from the Kids' Catalog and will work the same way. Please keep in mind that usernames may be visible to other users. We strongly encourage caregivers to assist children with registration to ensure that an appropriate username is selected.

    • From the full detail of a title, if you click on Save or Tag, you must scroll down to see the expanded form to add to a list, tag, rate or review.

    • Reviews, ratings and tags are visible immediately for the creator. Due to an update process, other users may not see the new tags, ratings and reviews for approximately 48 hours.

    • Library staff can create public lists and reviews that are viewable by all users.

    • Once you are logged in, if the screen is refreshed (either by clicking on refresh from the browser window or closing and reopening the browser) you will automatically be logged out.

    • My Discoveries will timeout if the system is idle for 5 minutes when inside the library and 20 minutes when users are accessing the catalog from outside the library.

    • My Discoveries is not currently available from the Mobile/Text-based catalog.

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