Accessing your library account Once you find an "available" item you would like to request through Prospector, you will be prompted to enter your name and local library card number. If you are in good standing at your home library, the request will be approved. View Prospector requests on my account In most cases Prospector requests will show up under your local library account. However, some libraries use different software for their local catalog than Prospector. Patrons from the following libraries:
can view Prospector requests from here: https://codcb.coalliance.org/patroninfo What can be requested through Prospector? Items with a status of “available”, can be requested through Prospector. In some cases, you can place a request on an item that is currently checked out or has existing holds. This will depend on the lending library's local catalog software and policies. Requesting an Item To place a request, simply click on the "Request It” link. The system will present you with a list of participating libraries; select your home library. Enter your name and your library card/account number. (Some libraries will also require you to enter your PIN number.) If your library offers multiple pickup locations, you will also need to select one from the list. Click on "Submit" and the request is placed. Restrictions on requesting If your library has an available copy of an item, you can’t place a request on it through Prospector. Go to your local library catalog to place the request. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but most libraries only allow you to place a Prospector request if all local copies are checked out or they don’t own the item. You cannot request an item through Prospector if your library card is blocked at your local library, so be sure that you are in good standing with your local library Requesting Multiple Books at One Time Materials on Prospector must be ordered one at a time; there isn't a method to put books in a "shopping cart" and request them all at once. Receiving items through Prospector Most local libraries will notify you by email or phone that your book has arrived. It typically takes 2-5 days to receive an item depending on where it is coming from. Electronic resources in Prospector Most publishers and vendors license agreements restrict libraries from lending electronic resources (ebooks, audiobooks and streaming videos) through Prospector. There are some exceptions. Springer Publishing and Elsevier allow access to their e-resources through Prospector. There are also several open access documents such as government publications that are freely available through Prospector. If an e-resource has a "Request It" option next to it, it's requestable. In all other cases it is not requestable. Local Use Only Items with a status of "local use only" cannot be requested through Prospector. Prospector Lending Policy There are some exceptions, but most items in Prospector are loaned to you with the following policies:
Cancelling a Request Login to your local library account to cancel Prospector requests. If a request shows “in transit” you won’t be able to cancel the request. Once the item shows “ready to pick up” you can contact your local library to cancel the request. Searching ProspectorEncore You may enter in a subject, title, author, ISBN or keyword, anything at all, really. After a search is completed, you can use the facets on the left hand side under "Refine by:" to further narrow down your search. Facets include:
Classic Catalog Encore supports most search types. However, use the Classic interface to search for medical call #’s (PubMed IDs), OCLC numbers, government publication call numbers,LC call numbers and Dewey Decimal call numbers. See https://prospector.coalliance.org/help for more help with search. Large Print To find large print books in Prospector, keyword search (large type books) or (large print) You can also add other words to the search: shakespeare large print. Search Tips
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