Using the Coastline library catalog

Want to know how to get the most out of Coastline, the library catalog and portal of Oregon's Coos County Libraries? Check out this walkthrough! It will show you how to do everything from finding items and placing them on hold to renewing items and creating custom searches.

The walkthrough also shows a great feature in the catalog: LibraryThing for Libraries. This service recommends new books, authors, and subjects for the books that interest you. Check it out!

1. Getting the most
out of the
Coastline Catalog
Summary
Did you know that you have quick & easy access to the Coos County Libraries through the
Coastline catalog (http://www.cooslibraries.org)? You can use the catalog to find books,
movies, and audio, place holds directly from home, renew items, or even save a log of what
you've checked out. This walkthrough will show you how to do all these things and more!
Table of Contents
Accessing Coastline............................................................................................2
Searching the catalog.........................................................................................3
Finding specific types of items.............................................................................5
Searching by title, author, or subject....................................................................6
Finding recommendations and similar items (LibraryThing)......................................8
Placing holds...................................................................................................10
Setting up your Coastline account......................................................................11
Renewing items online......................................................................................12
Managing holds................................................................................................12
Saving your checkout history.............................................................................13
Handy tools: Saving lists and searches................................................................14
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.1
This document is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States
License. For more information, visit http://www.creativecommons.org.

2. Accessing Coastline
Wondering if your friendly neighborhood Coos County Library has a specific book, movie,
audiobook, or other item? You can search for items right from the comfort of home, or from a
library computer, using the Coastline catalog.
To access the catalog, simply open a web browser on your computer (common ones are
Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari), type “www.cooslibraries .org” into the address bar (the
box near the top of the screen that has the website's address), and press the “Enter” key. It
will take you to the screen shown below.
There are a lot of resources available to you on the Coastline website. Be sure to explore
them all! We'll be focusing on how to search the library catalog and using your online library
account in this walkthrough.
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.2
Type in
“www.cooslibraries.org”
Search for items of
interest using this
handy search box.
Get more info
about Coastline
Libraries here.
Connect to
some of the
additional
services offered
by Coos County
Libraries with
these links.
Try out some of our
great article databases
and online resources.

3. Searching the catalog
The “Search the Catalog” section of the website is your connection to all that the libraries
have to offer. From here, you can search for items of interest and quickly limit your results to
specific types of items or ones that are currently available.
To search for something, just do the following:
1.Click inside the box under “for:” Type in the words of what you'd like to search.
2.Click the box underneath “search:” Select whether you'd like to search
for an author, title, subject, or other factor (see box on right). If in doubt,
leave “keyword” selected. In fact, we generally recommend that you
search by keyword anyway.
3.Click “Go!” to see the results of your search.
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.3
Click on these tabs to quickly limit your
search to specific books, audiobooks,
movies, or downloadable media.
Type in what you'd
like to find here.
Click the arrow of this drop-
down menu to select whether
to search by author, title,
subject, or words anywhere in
the item's information.
See how many results you
have here, and use the
numbers to skip between
pages of results.
Your results will
appear here. Results
will include the title,
author, and publisher
of the item.
Helpful icons will tell you
the format of the item
(e.g. book, kids book,
DVD, book on CD, etc.).
Want to search
for something
else, or change
the search you
just made? Do it
quickly here.

4. If you're interested in an item, simply move your mouse cursor over the blue title of the item
and left-click. This will open up more information about the item.
Hint:If you ever find yourself lost on the website, you can use the links near the top of the
page to quickly get back to the main page, the Electronic Resources page, or other
sections of the Coastline.
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.4
You'll see the first three
libraries that own the
item here. If more then
three libraries own it,
you'll see the message
at the bottom
Want to get the item? Just click
this link. You'll need to have an
online account (discussed later
in this walkthrough).
The Call No. and
Location will tell
you where in the
library to find the
item.
Status tells you whether
the item's available
(“Check Shelves”),
checked out (a date) or
other statuses.
See the full list of libraries that have
the item here. The list includes where
to find the item in the library as well as
whether it's available.
More information
about the item is
available here.
Blue names,
subjects, and
series titles can
be clicked to
instantly search
for other items by
that person or on
that subject.
The buttons at the top can be used hold items, add
them to your cart (discussed later), change your
search, or even see if the item's available on Amazon.

5. Finding specific types of items
Often when you're searching the catalog, you want to find specific formats of items (e.g.
books, kids' books, DVD movies, VHS movies, books on CD, etc.). The “Search the Catalog”
section of Coastline lets you really quickly find items in the format you want. Click the tab for
the type of items you'd like to search. You'll see options for different types of media that you
can search. For instance, try clicking on “movies.” The search that appears is shown below.
Once you select your formats and type in what you'd like to search, left-click the orange “Go”
button. If you've searched for multiple formats, your list of results will make it really easy to tell
which is which. Just look for the handy icons on the right side of each result!
You have many options to choose from when you're searching. If you click on the “books” or
“audio” tabs, you can search for these specific formats. Remember, just check the box(es)
next to the format(s) you'd like to search.
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.5
Use the
checkboxes to
select what
format(s) you'd
like to find.
Icons will tell
you what format
each result is.
Books Audio

6. Searching by title, author, or subject
Generally speaking, we recommend that you search by keyword. Keyword
searches will search almost all parts of the information we have available on
an item, so you're much more likely to get good results. However, searching
for a specific title, author, or subject can also be very helpful. In fact, by
clicking the small arrow in the box that says “keyword” on the main page, you
can search by any of the factors shown at right.
Try searching for an author first. To
find an author, click the box below
“search,” left-click “author,” and type in
the name last name first in the box
under “for”. Click “Go” once finished.
Hint: You can also use the author search option to find actors or directors of movies, book
illustrators and editors, musicians, readers of audiobooks, and many other people
involved in the creation of a book, movie, or audio.
If the catalog recognizes the name you typed, it will return a list of items involving that person,
as shown below. If the libraries don't have any items by that person, if there's more than one
person with that name, or if the name is misspelled, the result will be a list of people's names
roughly in alphabetical order of where that name would appear in a list of names.
Searching by title works a bit differently. When you select “title” from the drop-down menu
and type in a title, you will be sent to a list of
titles in alphabetical order. On the right side
of the results, you'll see a number listed.
These numbers indicate the numbers of
items in the libraries' collections that match that title. You might have a few different items
named the same thing, different formats of the same title (e.g. book, movie, and audiobook),
or even books within a series. An example of this display is shown below.
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.6

7. Clicking on the title on the left will open a list of the various items that have that title, similar to
when you type in an author's name and it brings up a list of results.
Subject searches can be helpful for finding all of the items the libraries have on a certain
topic. When you select “subject” from the list of options under “Search the catalog,” you are
actually searching what libraries call “Library of Congress Subject Headings” (LCSH) These
are standardized subjects so that every book on, say, the American Civil War will use the
same wording.
LCSH can be very powerful, and they let you find lots of things on a particular subject.
Unfortunately, they're also somewhat difficult
to use since they can have odd wording (for
instance, the American Civil War is “United
States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865”). To search for subjects, try typing in the first few
words of the broadest part of the topic you seek. For instance, if you want to search for things
on logging in Coos County, type “logging.” You'll get results like those shown below.
The results will be a list of subjects starting with the words you typed. Scrolling through these
subjects may reveal one that's useful for what you seek. For instance, scrolling through the
list of results for “logging” shows the subject “Logging - Oregon - Coos County.” Clicking on
the blue subject heading will show you items in the collection with that subject, such as the
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.7
The numbers on
the right of your
results show how
many items share
that title. Click the
blue title on the left
to view the items.

8. results shown at left. The subject heading can be a really
powerful method for you to find items on a particular topic.
When all else fails, your best option to find books on particular
subjects is to search by keyword. That is, leave the “keyword”
option selected when you're searching the catalog and type in a
few words about what you want. If you find a particularly helpful
item on the subject in your list of results, look at its subjects
(they're in blue) and click them. This will send you into a list of
subjects. Click the ones that sound useful to find similar items on
that topic.
Finding recommendations and similar items (LibraryThing)
Don't you hate it when you've just finished all of the books by a really great author and then
don't know what to read next? Fortunately, Coastline has a solution for you. The Coastline
catalog integrates information from a website called LibraryThing
(http://www.librarything.com). LibraryThing is a site where people can enter their book
collections to create personalized, searchable library catalogs. The site is great if you have a
hard time keeping track of all of the books that you own! People can even add their own
comments, reviews, and subjects (called “tags”) to books.
LibraryThing, in addition to a site for bibliophiles, is also a social networking site. That is,
people can share what books they have and what tags they've given to particular items.
Coastline takes advantage of this. If you're looking at the record of an item and see a section
for “Similar items” or “Related subjects,” this information is coming from LibraryThing.
For instance, let's assume you read and really enjoyed the book Grendel by John Gardner.
You've searched for the title Grendel in the catalog, found the result for it, and clicked its title
to get more information. You'll see several useful bits of information.
•Similar Items are items that you might also like if you liked the particular thing you're
viewing. While some other things by the same author are included, so too are items by
other individuals. For instance, people who like Grendel might also like the play
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.8

9. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard, as shown above. These
similar items are drawn from LibraryThing by looking at what items people tend to own
if they also have the item you're viewing.
•Other Editions & Translations include other printings of the book (say the hardback if
you're looking at the paperback), newer or older editions, or sometimes even
audiobook versions.
•Related Subjects are “tags” coming from LibraryThing. That is, they're subjects that
regular people have assigned to a book, telling what it's about. The large the word in
the Related Subjects section, the relatively more people on LibraryThing assigned the
tag to that title.
All of the titles and subjects in these sections are clickable. For instance, if you click a blue
title in the “Similar Items” section, it will take you to the information page about that book on
Coastline. You can then read more about the item, place a hold on it, etc.
If you click on one of the Related Subjects, a screen called the “Tag Browser” will open,
similar to the one shown below. Here, you can find other items in Coos County Libraries that
have those subjects. You can also find related subjects. Clicking on the titles on the right will
take you to those items in Coastline. Clicking the tags on the left will show you items that have
that tag.
Try clicking some of the tags on an item. You may be surprised at the interesting books that
pop up! And for those of you who have an account on LibraryThing, your tags, ratings, and
reviews will actually appear in the Coastline catalog. Give LibraryThing a try to find ways to
connect to your library even more!
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.9
Clicking the
title of an item
takes you to
its information
page in
Coastline.
Tags related to the one that you clicked are
also listed. Clicking one will show you books
in Coos County Libraries with that tag.

10. Placing holds
Have you found an item that interests you? Placing a hold on the item is
simple! You may have noticed a button like the one at the right at various
locations on the site. If you'd like an item, simply click the “hold this item” button to have it
sent to the library of your choice. Here's what happens when you place a hold on the item:
•If the item is available at your preferred library, it should be ready to pick up within a
day or so.
•If the item is available at another library, the item will be sent to the library of your
choice on the Coos County Libraries' courier van.
•If the item isn't currently available (it's checked out or hasn't yet been published), you'll
be placed on a list to receive the item when it becomes available.
When you click the “hold this item” button, you'll see
the screen shown at left. To place a hold on the item,
type in your library card number (found on the back
of your library card) with no spaces. Next, enter your
PIN/password (if you don't have one yet, we'll
discuss how to get one below). Then, select at which
library you'd like to pick up the item. Finally, if your
request is time-sensitive, you can set a date after
which you no longer need the item. If you don't have
a specific date, simply leave the date boxes blank.
Once you click “submit,” your hold will be placed. You'll receive an email (if you've given the
library your email address) or a postal letter telling you when your item is ready to pick up.
Some items, such as graphic novels, movie series, or encyclopedias might include multiple
volumes for the same title. For instance, the graphic novel series Fables has 13 different
volumes. If this is the case, the catalog will ask you which volume you'd like to hold. Simply
click the small round button next to the volume/issue/episode you'd like then click “submit” to
place your hold.
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.10

11. Setting up your Coastline account
Your can setup a personal library account on Coastline. Having an
online accounts allows you to easily place holds, renew items,
check when things are due, and much more right from the comfort
of home or while you're on the go. To login to you account, type
your library barcode number (found on the back of your library
card) and your PIN/password in the boxes at the top right corner of the Coos County Libraries
website. If you have not setup an online account before, type in your barcode number but
leave the the PIN field blank.
If this is your first time setting up an
account, the website will ask you to
create a PIN (shown at left). Type your
PIN/password into the two boxes and
click “submit.” This will create your
online account. You can now use the
PIN you created to access your
account in the future. Make sure you
remember it! If you forgot it, just call
your local Coos County library and
we'll reset it for you.
When you login to your account, you'll see a list of the items you have checked out and when
they're due. You'll also be given options for managing your account, finding items, and more.
You can get back to this screen no matter where you are on the site by clicking
Once you're finished, simply click to exit your online account.
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.11
This lists the items
you currently have
checked out. The
checkboxes can
be used to renew
the items.
Use the “Manage” buttons to looks
at your holds, change your PIN, and
change other parts of your account.

12. Renewing items online
Your online account allows you to renew books easily. Once you login to your account, you'll
see a list of the items currently checked out to you. To renew them, simply click the boxes to
the left of the titles you'd like to renew then click the “renew selected” button. You can also
simply click “renew all items” to renew all of the items you have checked out.
If the you were able to renew the item, you will see a note saying as
such in the “Status” column. It will tell you that the item was renewed
and its new due date, as shown above.
However, when renewing items, watch out for the warning message shown below.
Some items might not be able to be renewed. This might be because it has already been
renewed the maximum number of times, someone else is waiting for that item, or the item
was checked out too recently. In this case, the “Status” column will tell you why the item was
not renewed, as shown below.
If you have a question about why a renewal wasn't successful, feel free to call your local Coos
County library.
Managing holds
By clicking the button on your account screen, you can manage your holds.
Options include changing at which library you'd like to pick up the item, “freezing” the hold
while you're away, or canceling the hold.
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.12
Check the
boxes next
to the items
you want to
renew.

13. Once you make any of the changes noted in the screenshot above, make sure to click “apply
changes” button to confirm your changes.
Saving your checkout history
Have you ever found an interesting-looking book at the library and wondered whether you've
already read it? Of maybe you checked out a book only to find partway through it that you'd
already read it. Fortunately, we can help with these problems!
In your online account, click the button. If you have not already
turned on your checkout history, you'll see the orange button shown at right.
Click this to start saving your checkout history. Your checkout history will only be saved from
the point you enable your history onward. Unfortunately, at the library we have no way of
recalling a list of items you've read previously. You don't have to worry about privacy; library
staff cannot access your checkout history, even if you've enabled it.
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.13
To cancel a hold, check
the box next to the title
and click the orange
“apply changes” button.
Click the boxes here
to change at which
library you'd like to
pick up your hold.
Check the “Freeze” box to save
your space on a hold list while
you're away. This is a greta way to
make sure that you don't miss out
on holds while you're on vacation.
Use the buttons at the top of your history
list to remove items, download the list to
your computer, or stop saving your history.

14. Handy tools: Saving lists and searches
Your online account also gives you access to a few helpful tools for research or just for
keeping updated on new and interesting books.
When you're logged in to your account, you'll be able to save items in a list to which you can
refer later. Try conducting a search right now. You'll see checkboxes next to the results. To
save these items for later, check the boxes next to the items you want to save, select a list
from the [Select a list] box, and click .
If you're creating a new list, you will be asked to give
your list a name and description, as shown at right.
Once finished, click “submit” to finish creating your
list.
After you've created some lists, you'll be able to access them in your online account by
clicking the button. See the items by clicking on the name of the list.
Once in the list, you can add and remove items, move them to different lists, or even
download them to your computer.
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.14
Click the
boxes of
items
you'd like
to save in
a list.
Click the
boxes of
items
you'd like
to save in
a list.
1. Click
the boxes
of items
you'd like
to save in
a list.
2. Select a list here. If you don't have any
saved lists, choose “Create a new list.”
3. Click
this
button to
save to or
create the
list.

15. Another option you have when logged into your account is being able to save searches. This
saves you time by allowing you simply to save the search instead of having to type it in again
every time you login. It's also helpful because you can be notified when new items appear in
one of your searches, such as when an author comes out with a new book.
Try searching for a favorite author or actor now, use the steps explained earlier in this
walkthrough. You may notice a new button available to you near the top of the screen.
Clicking this button allows you to save the search you just did, similar to saving a list. If you go
back to your account page and click , you can see the searches you've saved.
Simply click the name of the search to do the search again.
On your list of searches, one of your options is “Mark for Email.” If you click the box in this
column and click “apply changes,” you'll receive an email anytime a new item gets added to
that search. For example, if you save a search for the author Neil Gaiman and mark it for
email, you'll receive an email whenever something new by Neil Gaiman gets added to a Coos
County Library.
There are many other interesting things to explore on the Coastline library website. We hope
we've given you a taste of what you can do. If you have questions of comments on the site,
simply click the “Submit a Comment” link on the right side of the page at
http://www.cooslibraries.org. We'd love to hear what you think!
Last updated: July 27, 2010, by Buzzy Nielsen
Getting the most out of the Coastline Catalog, p.15