General FAQ

In Person:

Visit any one of the 61 Minuteman libraries and branch libraries. Be sure to bring a photo identification and proof of address. If you live, work, or go to school in MA but your home library is outside the Minuteman network, you can still sign-up for a Minuteman card or have your existing library card added to Minuteman's user database.

You will be issued a card with borrowing privileges at all Minuteman member libraries, as well as access to our shared digital catalog from OverDrive.

Online:

You can also pre-register online for a temporary library card! Go to https://library.minlib.net/selfreg and apply with a valid email address.

Your card number will be emailed to you. You can use the temporary card to borrow titles from our digital collection and place holds in the Minuteman catalog. Visit a Minuteman library in person to complete your registration and get a full Minuteman account.

Minuteman Library Network is a consortium of Metrowest public and academic libraries that work collectively to provide excellent service to library users. Libraries in a network share resources, including a single catalog that allows Minuteman card-holders to find, request, and borrow member libraries' materials, both digital and tangible.

(Local policy may restrict borrowing new materials and special collections. Talk to a librarian if you have any difficulties requesting or accessing an item.)

For a list of member libraries including their website and contact info, visit our Member Libraries page. For more information about Minuteman Library Network, visit the About Us page on our website.

The Minuteman Library Network provides free unlimited access to nytimes.com in all public member libraries, and 72-hour home access through our libraries' websites with a promo code.

In Library Access: Visit www.nytimes.com on any public Minuteman library computer or wireless network. Log in or create an account to access NY Times online content for free. 

Home / Remote Access: Follow this link or click on the New York Times link at your library's website. Click "Redeem" and log in or create an account to use the promotional code for 72 hours of free access to NY Times online. 
To extend access for another 72 hours, return to the link to redeem another code. There is no limit for code redemptions per account.

Features included:

  • Unlimited access to NYTimes.com content
  • International Edition and Chinese Edition
  • Historic Coverage 1851-1922 and 1981 to Current
  • Newsletters, Alerts & Times Wire
  • Sharing & Commenting
  • Times Topics
  • Search and Cross Searching
  • Real-Time Market Data & Company Research Pages
  • Mini Crossword puzzles

Remote Access pass also includes:

  • NYTimes Apps
  • Today's Paper: Digital edition of today's print edition
  • 5 Premium Archive (1923-1980) articles per day

OverDrive is our digital collection of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and streaming video. You can borrow and place holds for OverDrive items directly from the Minuteman catalog search results, from Minuteman's OverDrive website, or with the Libby App on your mobile device.

Borrow or request an OverDrive item directly from your search results... 

Click the "Checkout with OverDrive" button in catalog results to borrow.

or follow the Econnect link to go to the OverDrive Digital Catalog.

Click the "Econnect link" in the Item details to go to OverDrive Digital Catalog

For instructions on how to download or stream your digital loan, including how to send to a Kindle reader, visit OverDrive Help or Libby App Help.

Hoopla is an online collection of streaming audiobooks, music, movies, plus ebooks and comics. Not all libraries in the Minuteman Network subscribe to Hoopla. Check your library's website or ask a librarian for details.

Hoopla titles can be found in the catalog and can be accessed by clicking on the "Instantly available on hoopla" link. (You will need to create a Hoopla log-in with your library card number or username.)

Select "Instantly Available on Hoopla" from the catalog results to access an item.

Items can be renewed by a valid card-holder if the item has no holds and the renewal limit has not been reached. 
Items will automatically renew two days before the due date if they are eligible at that time. If you have supplied your library with your email address, you will get a courtesy email of which items have automatically renewed and which are due soon.
 

You can also renew items yourself. We offer a variety of tools to view and renew your loans:

For more assistance with renewals, call or email the lending library. You will need your library card number.

With your Minuteman library card you can borrow up to:

200 tangible loans (books, DVDs, equipment, etc), with a limit of 5 console video games per account

10 digital loans (ebooks, audiobooks)

You can request up to:

50 library holds

10 digital holds

If you reach ANY of those limits, your account may be blocked from further activity until you release some holds and/or loans. Contact a librarian for assistance if your account is blocked.

To keep account information current, Minuteman library cards are set to expire every 5 years. (6 months for online registrations)

Each Minuteman library has its own policies for renewing library cards. Contact your library for details on how to renew your account.

Checkouts eligible for renewal will renew automatically 2 days before the due date. The new due date is extended one full loan period from the last due date.

Items will not auto-renew if:

  • The item is on hold for another patron

  • Your library does allows this type of item to renew

  • The item has reached its maximum allowed renewals

  • Your library card account is blocked or expired

Eligibility is based on the status of the item and your account at the time the 2 day reminder notice is generated. 

How will I know if my items auto-renewed?

You will receive an email message with the subject "Library Due Date Reminder". The message will let you know which items are due soon and which items auto-renewed, along with current due dates.

If you do not have an email address on file with your library, you will not receive the message. Check your account with our mobile app or website to stay up-to-date about your items. Text Message Notices will alert you about which items are still due in 2 days.

If you do not have access to email and our app & website, you can also call any Minuteman library to confirm due dates, or return items by the original due date.

OverDrive & Libby

The Libby App / OverDrive collection is our digital collection of ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines. For the best experience, we recommend using the Libby App / Libby website, or the classic digital collection website. You can read or listen to loans on your device, as well as an option to read ebooks on Kindle.

You can also borrow and place holds for digital titles directly from the Minuteman catalog search results.

Click the "Checkout with OverDrive" button in catalog results to borrow.

For detailed instructions on borrowing items in the Libby App or Overdrive website, see their in-app help or visit their help sites.

Libby App Help: help.libbyapp.com

OverDrive digital collection website: help.overdrive.com

For instructions on how to download or stream your digital loan, including how to send to a Kindle reader, visit OverDrive Help or Libby App Help.

Partner Libraries are other Massachusetts library networks that have agreed to share access to their digital collection with each other. 
This means you can borrow ebooks and audiobooks from any Partner Library with your Minuteman library card. Visit their digital collections or add them as libraries in the Libby App, and login as a Minuteman patron visiting their collection.

Partner Libraries:
Boston Public Library
CLAM Library Network
CW MARS
NOBLE: North of Boston Library Exchange
Old Colony Library Network (OCLN)
SAILS Library Network

Note: Some titles and formats, including magazines, are not eligible to be shared between Partner Libraries.

To get started:
1. Find or add a partner library network from either:

-Our Digital Collection website (minuteman.overdrive.com):  Click on Partner Libraries
-Libby App: Select Add a Library and search for a partner Massachusetts library network

2. Sign in as a Minuteman Library Patron with your Minuteman card number (or username) & password. (In the Libby App, select the "I'm visiting from another library" option.)
3. Enjoy! Borrow and request from our neighbors’ library collections. 

Digital Collection Website (OverDrive):

Click on Partner Libraries at the top menu of the page. Click on a library network name to visit their digital library. 

Home page of minuteman.overdrive.com with Partner Libraries menu expanded

Sign in to borrow a title. Select Minuteman Library Patrons from the drop-down menu, then sign with your Minuteman library card number and password (PIN).

Image of the sign-in page, with "Minuteman Library Patrons" menu option highlighted

Libby App:

To find and switch between collections, tap Libby menu icon in the top right corner. Select Add A Library.

Screenshot of Libby App: Tap Menu icon and Add a Library  

Search for a Partner Library (Boston Public Library, CLAMS, CW MARS, NOBLE, OCLN or SAILS). 

Libby Screenshot: Search for library network by name

Click on the library network name to visit their digital library.

Libby screenshot: Sign in with I'm visiting from another library

Sign in to a borrow a title. To sign in, select I'm Visiting From Another Library and choose Minuteman Library Network. Enter your Minuteman library card number and password (PIN).

Libby screenshot: Select Minuteman Library Patrons

Visit help.overdrive.com for instructions and training videos, as well as info about device compatibility and troubleshooting.

For help with the Libby, visit help.libby.com or tap Libby menu icon to open the Libby menu. At the bottom of the menu, find tips and tutorials under "Learn Libby" or help under "Help & Support."

If you need further assistance, contact a library using this form.

In the Libby app, all of your digital loans, holds, and tags are accessible on your Shelf

The lending library network of each hold or loan is marked by a square with their brand colors.

Libby screenshot: holds on shelf

Note: You need to sign-in and save a library card in the Libby app at each library network for your loans & holds from that network to display. If you borrowed an item from a library's digital collection website (OverDrive) and it is not appearing on your shelf, confirm that you have added that library in Libby. 

To borrow from other Massachusetts partner libraries with your home (Minuteman) library card, be sure to choose "Minuteman Library Patrons" from the drop-down menu whenever you sign in. (In the Libby App, first choose "I'm Visiting From Another Library".)

OverDrive sign-in screen

Libby sign-in screen

If you try to sign in as another library's patron, you will receive an error message such as "Library Server Message- Invalid Library Card" or "Library Server Message- Request Record Not Found".

If you need assistance signing in, contact a library with this form.

Different libraries have different default loan settings, so you will need to set your preferences for each partner library network. Also, preferences need be set separately in the Libby app and OverDrive.

To change your settings for loans and holds:

  • In each partner library's OverDrive collection: Sign in with your Minuteman library card and password. Go to My Account and select Settings.
  • In the Libby App: See these instructions to change default loan period and holds settings.

Even if you updated your email address in MyAccount, you will need to change the email address for existing holds in OverDrive or Libby. Once you've changed the email address on a hold, holds you place in the future will go to the new address by default.

To change your email address in OverDrive: 

Sign in to your account. Click on My Account and select "Holds".

For each existing hold, click on the Edit Email icon and 

Most ebooks from the Libby App / Minuteman collection can be sent to your Kindle. You can limit titles viewed by setting preferences and search filters in the Libby App, or using Advanced Search->Format limit in the digital collection website.  

Find more instructions on reading with Kindle for:

Libby App: https://help.libbyapp.com/en-us/6017.htm

Minuteman collection website: https://help.overdrive.com/en-us/0431.html

Ebooks from Hoopla cannot be read on a Kindle.

The Libby App is not available in the Amazon App Store, but there are two ways use Libby on Kindle Fire tablet:

Option #1: Use the browser version of Libby at www.libbyapp.com with the Silk web browser.

Option #2: Download the Android version of the Libby App directly from the web using these instructions: https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby/kindlefire

Contact the tech support staff at Minuteman library if you need assistance.

Search the Catalog

When you search the catalog from your library's website or from the Minuteman catalog page, you receive a list of results matching the words in your search.

Click or tap on the title of an item for more information, including availability, item details, reviews, and recommendations for similar works.
To narrow down a long list of results, use the filters on the left hand side to narrow down your search.
Request an item or use the action buttons to save or email item information.
If your search results in no items found, check your spelling and try again, or see below.

Results are ranked and sorted by Relevancy, much like a search engine. Re-sort by Date, Title, or Author as desired.

View of catalog results with labels
  • Check the spelling in your search words. Our catalog software does not currently offer corrections for misspelling.
  • Talk with or email a librarian for assistance with searching. Some items may be hard to find in the catalog.
  • To find and request items from Massachusetts libraries outside Minuteman, search the Commonwealth Catalog. Log in with your Minuteman card number and request items not owned by Minuteman libraries.
  • If you cannot find or request an item through Minuteman catalog or the Commonwealth Catalog, contact a librarian. They may be able to purchase it for the collection or borrow it through from another library through Interlibrary Loan (ILL).

The Advanced Search form helps you build a complex or pre-limited search. Your search is displayed as a code at the top of the form as you create it. You can copy, save, and reuse that search code by pasting into the basic Search box. 

To build an advanced search:

  • Choose a field to search from the drop down tab (Keyword searches all fields. Title, Author, or Subject searches only those specific fields.)
  • Enter your search word or phrase. (See Search Terms below for more information.)
  • (Optional) Use the AND / OR / NOT buttons to specify relationships between search terms. (See AND/OR/NOT below for more information.)
  • (Optional) Specify any limits you want to apply. (See Search Limits below for more information.)
  • After you have built the query you want, choose Search.
Advanced Search Form

Search terms

Phrase searching: Multiple words are searched together as one phrase when enclosed in quotation marks.
Example : "vampire bat" will show only results that have "vampire bat" as phrase; vampire + bat will show results with the word 'vampire' and the word 'bat' anywhere the item's record

Truncation: You can use truncation to include various endings to word in the results. Use a single asterisk * to truncate. 
Example : libr* Results will include entries with library, libraries, librarian, librarians, etc

Note: If a title is hyphenated, you need to search by using that hyphen. (For example: Catch 22 will not return the same results as Catch-22.)

Using AND/OR/NOT

You can use the AND / OR / NOT buttons to narrow or broaden your search results.

AND - Records must contain all words to appear in the results. Use "AND" to narrow your search. (Example: artificial AND intelligence)

OR - Records must contain at least one of the words to appear in the results. Use "OR" to broaden your search. (Example: "artificial intelligence" OR AI OR "robots")

NOT - Records that include the "NOT" words do not appear in the results. Use "NOT" to narrow your search by excluding unwanted or irrelevant results. (Examples: intelligence NOT artificial [for results on natural intelligence], artificial intelligence NOT spielberg [for results about AI excluding the 2001 film])

All search terms entered in the search box are treated as "AND" by default. If your search results are "No catalog results found", try using fewer search words, or use the "OR" function. (The catalog search box treats uppercase AND, OR, and NOT as operators. It treats lowercase "and", "or", and "not" as regular search words.

Search Filters

You can use the drop down tabs to pre-limit your results by Format, Collection, Location, Language, and Year. You can enter multiple limits of the same type. Click the '+' button to create an additional text box

For example, if you want to search for recent Chinese language films at Brookline's Coolidge Corner branch, you can select DVD/VCD and BLURAY as your format filter and "Chinese" as a Language filter. Then select Brookline Coolidge Corner from the Collections tab and a minimum date into the Year range.

Within those limits, you could then use a keyword search for your favorite actor, or use * as a wildcard to see items that meet your criteria.

Advanced search form with highlighted limiters

Collection is a narrower breakdown. You can choose down to the building level in towns with branch libraries or differentiate between Adult and Children's collections within those buildings. For example:

Collection:
ANY
Acton
Acton Children's
Arlington Main
Arlington Main Children's
Arlington Fox
Arlington Fox Children's
And so forth

Location allows you to search the entire Minuteman network (41 libraries) at once, all of the Children's departments at once, or the whole collection of an individual town or academic institution. For example:

Location:
All Locations Collection
All Children's departments
Acton
Arlington
Ashland
And so forth


The other difference is the extent of the items displayed. If you limit by Location, only the items belonging to the Location you chose are displayed. If you limit by Collection, you see all of the items attached to the titles that result from your search.

Not sure what you're looking for? You can use Advanced Search filters and the wildcard * to browse a particular collection or format.

For example to browse recent Chinese language films at Brookline's Coolidge Corner branch, you can select DVD/VCD and BLURAY as your format filter and "Chinese" as a Language filter. Then select Brookline Coolidge Corner from the Collections tab and a minimum date into the Year range. By * as you search term, the catalog will retrieve all items that fit in your filters.

(There are over one million titles in the shared Minuteman catalog. For best results while browsing, use the filters to narrow down format + location/collection plus any additional limits)

Advanced Search with highlighted limits

The catalog displays the first five copies of a particular title. To view all of the copies, select the "Show Remaining Items" button. To see only currently available copies, select the "only show available" checkbox.

Expanded "Show remaining items" copies

Copies of a item are listed alphabetically by location, so at times there may be a long list of unavailable times to look through. To see just those currently available, select the "show only available" check-box in when viewing the record.

Check off "Show only available copies"
AV REPAIR This item is being repaired and is not available for check out.
AVAILABLE This item is available for you to borrow.
BINDERY This item has been sent to the bindery and is not currently available.
BROWSE This is a new item at the owning library and is currently part of their browsing collection. It is not yet available to fill a request.
CLMS RETD The patron who had the item checked out thinks that it has been returned. The patron and the library staff are both searching for the missing item.
DAMAGED There is damage to this item. It will not be made available to fill a request.
E-RESOURCE This is material that can be obtained over the Internet. There is no physical item associated with it.
IN PROCESSING This is a new item and is being prepared for checkout. Use the Request button or link to place a Hold, or visit a library where there is an Available copy.
IN TRANSIT The item is currently being shipped between libraries. Use the Request button or link to place a Hold, or visit a library where there is an Available copy.
INCOMPLETE One or more of the parts  of this multipart item are missing. The item will not be made available to fill a request.
LIB USE ONLY This item can only be used in the library.
MENDING This item is being repaired. It is not currently available for borrowing.
MISSING The item has been reported missing. Staff members search for items until they are found or are withdrawn from the collection.
ON DISPLAY 1 OR ON DISPLAY 2 This item is on display in the library. See staff for help locating this item.
ON HOLDSHELF Someone has requested this item and it is waiting for him or her to pick up. Use the Request button or link to place a Hold.
ON HOLDSHELF + 2 H0LDS As above and there are 2 more requests waiting for this item.
ON ORDER A few Minuteman libraries use the status of ON ORDER to indicate that they expect to receive this material. 
A line in the display such as: 
                 1 copy ordered for NORWOOD/Adult on 09-23-2010.
is the more common indication that the library has  ordered this material.
OUT This item is checked out. Use the Request button or link to place a Hold
PERIODICAL This is a magazine or journal that is issued on a regular basis. If you place a request, you will be prompted to select the specific item you need.
STORAGE This item is in storage, and cannot be retrieved at this time. It is not available to  fill a request.

The facets under the "Refine by" menu are sorted by the number of hits in your search results. You can re-sort alphabetically by selecting "More", then clicking on "Name". 

Results screen with Collections facet list displayed. Selecting more opens menu, where you can click to sort by Name or Hit Count

My Account

To access your library account, select the My Account option from the menu bar. (Tap the menu icon when using a mobile device.)

Menu bar with My Account option higlighted

To login, enter your Minuteman library card number or Username* and your password. (If this is your first time logging in, leave the password blank.)

To setup or change your Username, login with your library card number and select "Edit Account". Enter your preferred Username and hit "Submit" to save. (Username must be unique, and cannot match any other username in use.)

My Account Login form

If you are new patron, you need to create a password to access your online account and use other library apps.

To create a password:

  • Go to the login page: https://library.minlib.net/iii/cas/login or click on the My Account option from any minlib.net page
  • Enter your library card number and username and leave the the Password blank
  • Hit Submit, and you will be taken to a new page with instructions for creating a password

If you are unable to create a new password, it is possible that there is already a password in your account. Use the reset password steps below.

To reset your password:

  • Go to the "Forgot your password" link, which can be found under My Account login box.
  • Enter your library card number or username 
  • You should receive an email with instructions to reset your password, based the email address for that account

This only works if there is a valid email address in your library account. (For privacy reasons, library staff are unable to determine your old password. They can only assist you in resetting your password.)

Log in to My Account. You will need to enter your library card number and password. If you don't have a password, leave the field blank and you will be prompted to create one. 

The catalog displays your patron record information.

Click on the link Checkouts. The catalog displays the items that you have currently checked out. To renew everything on your account click on the button Renew All. To renew selected items on your account, click the check box to the left of the items you want to renew. Click on the Renew Selected Items button. Check for a confirmation message and the new due date(s).

Some items may not be eligible for renewal. Eligibility is calculated when you submit a renewal request. Select "Renew All" or "Renew Selected" and hit RENEW to see if they can be renewed.

Yes, you can pay your library fines over $1.00 online using a credit or debit card. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Switch and Solo cards cards are accepted.

  • Log in to My Account and select the tab that says "Fines/Fees".
  • Click on the Pay Online button and follow the instructions to choose which fines you wish to pay, and to provide your personal information and credit card information.
  • Once your payment is accepted, you will see a confirmation screen that you can print as your receipt. If you have provided an email address, you will also receive an email receipt as well.
  • If for any reason your payment is not accepted, you can visit your Minuteman library to pay your fines.

On your credit card statement "Minuteman" will be listed as the vendor. However, you may see the transaction listed as PayPal while payment is pending.

Online fine payments are sent by a secure (SSL) connection. Minuteman Library Network does not store any credit card information.

The catalog will not renew items under the following conditions:
  • There is a hold on the title for another user
  • Renewal limit is exceeded- varies by library location and material (e.g. videos, new books, etc.)
  • Your fines have passed the $10.00 fine maximum
  • Your library account has reached its expiration date. Visit any Minuteman library to renew your card.
Staff at any Minuteman library can assist you with your account.
Log in to My Account and select Edit Account. Select your preferred pickup location under "Choose your default pickup location" and click Submit.

To change your password you can use these steps:

  • Log into My Account
  • Select the "Edit password" button - leftmost button, under your name.
  • A pop-up box will open, prompting your to enter your old password once and your new password twice.
  • Fill out the information and click "Submit"
  • Next, you get a screen that says: "Your password has been modified." You can close that window.

Now you can log off of My Account and log back in using your new password.

In the event you have forgotten your current password you can reset it using the "Forgot your password" link at: https://find.minlib.net/iii/encore/myaccount

Library card registrations periodically expire to ensure that information such as your address and contact information are up-to-date.

If your library card account has expired, visit any Minuteman library to update your account. Once you have verified your contact information, staff will update your expiration date.

There are a few possibilities:


There is no email address in your patron record:
The password reset function only works if you have a valid email address in your patron record. If there is no email address in your record, you will receive an error message instructing you to contact staff at your library.

You have an email address on file, but it is mis-spelled or out of date:
If you are able to submit the password reset request, but do no receive a message within an hour, please contact staff at your library to confirm your email address information.

You received an email, but did not complete the reset steps within 3 hours:
If you have a valid email address, you should receive a message containing a link and instuctions to reset your password. The link is only valid for 3 hours from the time of your request. Request another password reset and click on or copy/paste the link before it expires. 

When you clicked on the (long) link URL in the email message, but part of it was cut off:
A common problem is that the long URL (web address) is not kept intact if it is displayed on more than one line. Some email programs split up long URLs, making it so that you can't click directly from them to a browser.
To complete the reset process: highlight and copy the entire link URL (including "https://") and paste it into the address/search bar at the top of your browser. 

A password is considered not complex enough if it contains:

  • a character that is repeated 3 or more times (aaa, aaaa...).
  • a set of 2, 3, or 4 characters is that is repeated 2 or more times (abab, abcabc, abcdabcd...)

Passwords must be between 4 and 30 characters long. Special characters, such as punctuation are not accepted.

If you wish to keep a list of what you have borrowed: 

  • Sign in on My Account
  • Select Reading History
  • Select the "Save Reading History" button

Because we value and protect your privacy, our libraries do not save your checkout history by default. Until you choose to "Save Reading History" borrowing history erased from your record once an item is returned*, except as described in our Privacy Policy.

My Account menu, select Reading History then Save Reading history

You can opt in and opt out of saving reading history at any time, or delete individual titles from your history. If you wish to opt out completely and erase all history, you will need to delete all saved titles.

To stop saving history, select Delete All and Opt Out

Your list can only be accessed by someone with your library card number/username and your password. The library staff cannot see this information. If others already know your password and you are concerned about your privacy, you may wish to change your password or consider not using this feature.

Whether you choose to save reading history or not, please be aware that your Minuteman password protects the record of what you have requested and checked out. It is prudent to safeguard your password as you would an ATM identifier.

*Note 1: Backup information remains in Minuteman data for up to one month, but cannot be accessed by library staff.
*Note 2: Please be aware that the law does allow law enforcement officers to see any existing library records IF they first obtain a subpoena from a judge.

Please contact a librarian if you have questions.

  • Log in to your My Account
  • Display your desired List or your Reading History
  • Click on the "Export List " button
  • Under Format of List, choose Pro-Cite
  • Under Send List To, choose "Local Disk"

Send list to options with "Local disk selected"

  • Hit Submit to download your reading history as text (.txt) file.
  • Open Excel and then use Excel to open your downloaded text file
    • When prompted, indicate that this is a delimited file, using the comma as a delimiter

 Use the Text Import Wizard in Excel and select "Delimited:

Select comma from the list of delimiters

You can now format the results as desired in Excel, saving only the relevant columns: 

Column C: Author 
Column F: Title 
Column Q: Edition  ... etc

Preferred Search was a feature in Minuteman's former catalog and is no longer available. Patrons who had created preferred searches will see them in their account, but they cannot make new ones. 
Patrons can bookmark searches if they want to have some similar functionality, but there isn't an option to save these searches within the patron's account.

Requests & Holds

Most libraries with an self-service holdshelf abbreviate your last name (family name) to the first 3-4 letters on the hold slip, but you can use an "alias" instead of your full name to display on the hold slips.

Please talk to staff at the circulation / access service desk at your library about setting a "pick-up alias". (A pick-up alias is different than your Username, and cannot be created in My Account).

With the Minuteman catalog:

(Recommended) Log in to My Account first, then search the catalog for items of interest.
To request an item, Click on the "Request" button next the title.

If you are already logged in, the catalog will remember you and will ask you to confirm a pick up location for each request. If not, you will be prompted to log in with your library card or username. Feel free to ignore the "Cancel if not filled by" field if not applicable.

With the MLN Mobile app:

The MLNMobile saves your account login at First Time Setup, so simply use the Search the Catalog tools to find an item of interest. Tap on the title, then press the "Place Hold" button. Confirm your pick-up location to request the the item.

With the Digital Collection and the Libby App

You can place holds for digital materials through the Minuteman catalog, or directly in the Libby App or the Digital Collection website. For details, visit their Help tutorials.

You will receive a notification that your hold is ready to pick-up.

You will receive an email notice long as you have a valid email address in your account. Email pick-up notices are run overnight, so you will receive the notice early in the morning the day after your requested item arrives. (Some libraries send out pick-up notices more frequently)

You can also sign-up to receive notices by text message. Text message pick-up notices are generated 3 times a day.

If you do not have an email address on file, you will receive a phone call from the library. (If you prefer to use text message notices only, notify staff at your library.)

No, due to the complexity of how a hold's priority is determined, the catalog does not provide that precise information.

However, there are some facts that will help you to interpret the data that you can view.

Catalog result with hold to item ratio highlighted, below item details.

In the case of a bestseller such as this, the ratio of requests will give you a good idea of the length of the queue. In the case illustrated above, there are 67 holds for 52 copies. So, on average, the next round of returned items should fill most of the currently outstanding holds.

Yes, so long as the item is not already on the way to fill your request, or already on the Holdshelf.

  • Log in to My Account and select the Holds tab.
  • Use the dropdown menu under pickup location for that hold, select a new pickup location.
  • Click on UPDATE LIST to save your new pickup locations.
The catalog will not allow you to place requests under the following conditions:
  • You have already placed a request (hold) for that item. View your holds in MyAccount to check.
  • Your library fines have passed the $10.00 maximum. Pay your fines online or at a library to unblock your account.
  • Your account has hit the 50 holds maximum. Cancel any unwanted holds or create a List to save items for future requests.
  • Your account has reached its expiration date. Contact any Minuteman library to confirm your account details and renew your card.
  • No items under that title or record are eligible for you to request, based on the owning library's policy. See below for more details
Staff at any Minuteman library can assist you with your account.
  • Log in to My Account and select the Holds tab.
  • Place a mark in the check box that appears on the right in the column headed "FREEZE". (This box only appears if your Hold is eligible to be suspended.)
  • To save this option to suspend a request, click on UPDATE LIST
  • To re-activate your hold, reverse the process by unchecking the box in the FREEZE column and click UPDATE LIST.

You will not lose your place in the request queue by freezing a request. When you unfreeze your request you will be restored to your previous place in line.

If the system has already identified an Available item to fill your request, you will not be able to freeze the request. You cannot freeze a request that is already in transit to you or ready for pick-up. The "freeze" option works best in the situation where your request is in a long queue of requests waiting for an item.
If a title consists of multiple volumes or parts, the system will require you to select a specific copy to request. 
  • This can happen in the case of:
  • Comic book and manga issues
  • Magazine issues
  • Individual discs of a TV series or music anthology
  • Multiple volumes in a series of travel guides
  • Specific pieces of equipment
If you want to request several or all parts of the item, you can make a request for each copy.
No, that is simply option to use if you know you will no longer an item after a certain date. If you don't enter an expiration date, the catalog keeps your request effective for one year.
If none of the individual items on the title are eligible to fill a request, the Request button does not appear. Reasons for an item being ineligible to fill a request include:
  • Item is marked Damaged
  • Item is marked Missing
  • Item is in Storage
  • Item is long overdue and presumed lost
  • Item belongs to a location that is closed
If you are interested in obtaining an item for which the Request button does not appear, contact staff at your local library to pursue obtaining the item by Interlibrary Loan, or suggestion that your library purchase a copy with this form.

There are a couple of scenarios where you may see Available items, but not be given the opportunity to request the items.

Some items are intended as browsing collection and are not eligible to fill requests. However, you are always welcome to visit the library to check out these Available items. Browsing collection names include: Speed read, Express, See It Now, etc. 

This is also true of the variety of new types of materials libraries are offering, such as home & gardening tools, electronics, toys, musical instruments, telescopes, etc. These materials are in demand and cannot be easily sent through delivery, and typically require you to visit the owning library. 

In the case of recent feature film DVDs, most Minuteman libraries have a policy restricting requests on new DVDs to patrons living in the community owning the films. If the items are currently Available, you are welcome to visit the library to borrow the materials.

Items intended as browsing collections or purchased with special funds may be limited to requests by local patrons only.

Your borrowing privileges are based on your place of residence or college affiliation. If the town where you live allows you to place holds on feature films that they own, you will be able to do so. If the town you frequent allows holds but you are not a resident there, you will not be able to place holds on those films via the online catalog. You are welcome to borrow available items in person at the owning library.

My Lists

Yes! Use the My Lists feature to save items and create customized lists.

Some suggested uses for lists:

  • Titles you want to request in the future (Your account allows a maximum of 50 requests at a time)
  • "To-read" lists
  • Titles on a topic of interest
  • Titles for a class project or reading list

1. Before you start searching the catalog, Login to your account.

2. Search for your desired title, author, or topic. When you find a title you want to save, click on the book basket icon to add it to your cart. Repeat for all titles you want to save to a list.

Catalog results with arrow highlighting Bookcart icon

3. You will see a message on the right that the item(s) are now in your cart.

Confirmation: "The item is in your bookcart".

4. Click on "view cart" or My Book Cart.

Arrows highlighting "My Book Cart" and "View Cart"

5. Save the items to a list.

Arrow highlighting "Save to List"

6. You will get a popup asking you whether you want to save the items to an existing or a new list.

"Save to My List" Add to an existing list or create a new list

The "Book Cart" is temporary and exists only during a given session. Once you close your browser tab or window the contents of your Book Cart will disappear.

"My Lists" are saved to your account for as long as desired.  Multiple Lists can be maintained in one account.

Both Book Cart and Lists are used to collect lists of titles that can be requested, printed, e-mailed, or saved to one's account for later reference.

After you log in to your account, click on "My Lists" in the left navigation section.

Select MyLists from your account navigation menu

Click on the name of the list you wish to view.

Select the list name to view

When viewing the contents of a List you have the following options options:

Export your lists
Change name or description of a list

  • Log in to your My Account
  • Display your desired List or your Reading History
  • Click on the "Export List " button
  • Under Format of List, choose Pro-Cite
  • Under Send List To, choose "Local Disk"

Send list to options with "Local disk selected" 

  • Hit Submit to download your reading history as text (.txt) file.
  • Open Excel and then use Excel to open your downloaded text file
    • When prompted, indicate that this is a delimited file, using the comma as a delimiter

 Use the Text Import Wizard in Excel and select "Delimited:

Select comma from the list of delimiters

You can now format the results as desired in Excel, saving only the relevant columns: 

Column C: Author 
Column F: Title 
Column Q: Edition  ... etc

Email & Text Notices

Log in to MyAccount and click on the "Edit account" button. Enter your new email address and select Submit.

Arrow pointing to Edit account button

Type new email and hit Submit.

New Library Card Message
When you register for a new library card, you should receive a welcome message including your information about your account and Minuteman library services. Online registration messages are sent immediately and in library registration send within 24 hours. Available as: Email

Hold Pickup Notices
When a requested item arrives, you will receive a notice including the location and pick-up by date. Email messages are generated overnight, text messages three times a day.  Available as: Email, Text Message, Phone Call, & U.S. Mail

Library Due Date Reminder Notices
Due date reminder notices are sent 2 days before items are due. Includes current due dates for items that are due, as well as new due dates for items that were automatically renewed. Available as: Email (Text Message reminders list items due in 2 days only)

Overdue Notices
Overdue Notices are generated after your items are at least 14 days overdue. Available as: Email, Text Message, & U.S. Mail in some libraries

Bills
Bills are sent 2 weeks after the Overdue notice (or 4 or more weeks after the item was due). All Minuteman libraries send out Bills. Available as: Email & U.S. Mail

Library Card Expiration Notice
Reminder notices are 30 days before your library card reaches its expiration. Available as: Email & Text Message
A second reminder notice is sent the day after your library card expires. Available as: Email

Our Text Message Notices service sends you library notices and other reminders as text messages. You can also renew items and check your account details by sending a text message.

To get text message notices, text the word "SIGNUP" to 833-201-1813 and enter your library card number or username when prompted. (You should receive this prompt text within an hour of registering.) You will receive several introductory messages after successfully enrolling.

Registering for text messages will not change your email notice settings. You will still receive email notices from Minuteman libraries. If you only want standard library notices as text messages, consider filtering your email by the Subject line corresponding  with the message you do not want to receive.

The service, provided by Shoutbomb LLC, is free to use, though your mobile plan's rate for text messages apply.

To renew all eligible items, text the ALL command. Only eligible items that are overdue or due within 2 days will renew.

To view and select individual overdue items for renewal, text the command RL or OL. You will receive a response listing items eligible for renewal (due within 2 days or overdue) and instructions for renewing individual items.

You may only renew items that are overdue or due in two days or less via text message. Check-outs have a limit on the number of renewals allowed, so this limit is place to prevent unnecessary renewals of recently checked-out items when using the renew all commands.

To renew items before the two-day "reminder" period, log in to your account with the MLN Mobile app or online with MyAccount.

List of all renewal commands:

ALL- Renew all items
RA- Renew all reminder items (within 2 days of due date)
RL- Renew reminder items by list- follow the prompts to renew individual items from list
OA- Renew all overdue items
OL- Renew overdue items by list- follow the prompts to renew individual items from list
RW- Check which items are not eligible for renewal and why

There may be an error in how your email address was entered.

  • Check online by going to: https://find.minlib.net/iii/encore/myaccount and entering your barcode and password.
  • Once logged in, choose "Edit account". Confirm or update your email address.

Your email provider may be treating Minuteman library notices as suspicious or bulk mail.

  • Check your email account's "spam" or "junk" folder. If library notices are being flagged as spam, follow your email provider's instructions to mark them as "not spam" and/or add "library.minlib.net" & "@minlib.net" to your email account's safe sender list.
  • Check your email settings to determine whether you have filtered email in way that might exclude library notices.

Some email and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) filter out or refuse emails before they even reach your account.

  • Check with your Internet Service Provider to determine whether their service refuses to deliver some email and let them know you want to receive emails from Minuteman (library.minlib.net)

If you are unable to receive library notices to your email address due to email provider filters, please consider registering for Text Message Notices.

Shortly after registering you should receive a text prompting you to enter your library card number. There may be several minutes of delay between texts. You can test your connection and setup by texting the command TEST or resend notices you may have missed to texting RESEND. If you do not get any response to those commands, try registering again with the SIGNUP command. 

If after trying the above steps, you are still not receiving messages or experiencing other technical issues with text message notices, please talk to a librarian. Please let them know your library card number and mobile phone number and, if possible, screenshots of any problem text messages.

Just text SIGNUP again and enter your correct library card number. The new card number will replace the existing one.

You cannot register multiple library card numbers under one phone number. Registering a new card number always un-registers the previous one.

No, you cannot register multiple library card numbers under one phone number. Registering a new card number always un-registers the previous one. This feature is intended to protect library patrons' right to privacy.

If you've changed your mobile provider or phone number. Text the command SWITCHPHONE and follow the prompts to update your phone number.
To cancel and stop receiving text messages, text the command QUIT and confirm by replying to the prompts.

Add the following to your allowed senders:

Minuteman library notices come from:  library.minlib.net
Email from Minuteman library staff comes from:  minlib.net
Citations emailed from the Mintueman catalog come from:   iii@minut-encore.iii.com

Mobile App

The Minuteman combines the commonly used features of your library website into a single mobile app.

  • Store your library card barcode for checkout
  • Renew items
  • Place, suspend, and cancel holds
  • View and pay fines
  • Find and request items by searching the catalog or scanning a book's barcode 
  • Find your library's event calendar and museum passes
  • Contact your library or ask a librarian
  • Access your library's digital collections and resources

Follow these instructions to get started with the Minuteman App:

  • Install the App: Go to your device's app store* and search for "minuteman" to find, download & open the Minuteman Library Network App
  • Choose your library
  • Enter your library card number/username and password**. The app will save your account and serve as a digital library card (with barcode for checkout)
  • You can now use the mobile to search the catalog, place holds, manage your account, and more!

*  App Store for Apple / iOS devices (iPhones, iPads etc) ;  Play Store for Android device (Google & most non-Apple mobile devices). For Kindle Fire devices, use the Silk Browser to go to the Play Store and install the Android version.

** Password / PIN is the same as your password for My Account on the catalog website. If you do not know your password, you can reset it here: https://library.minlib.net/pinreset. The password must consist of only letters and numbers, any special characters may cause login issues for the Minuteman App as well as other apps such as Libby.

At installation, you may be prompted to allow the MLN Mobile app permission to access certain features on your device. Allowing access enables the app to run smoothly and perform all functions.

Permissions needed for full functionality:

  • Camera: Required to use the SCAN ISBN feature with your device camera.
  • SMS: Enables the "Text Us" feature to contact your library.
  • Phone: Enables "Call Us" feature contact your library.
  • External Storage: Temporarily saves and displays cover images for Catalog Search results and Featured Items lists.
  • Seach & Siri (Apple only): Enables search suggestions in "Search the Catalog".

You can choose to Allow or Deny access to each of those features at installation or any time by managing your app's settings.

Some Minuteman libraries send notifications (such as emergency closures and announcements) through the MLN Mobile app. Only active users (devices that used the app within the last 6 weeks) will receive the notifications.

If you do not want to receive notifications, use your device's Settings menu or App manager to turn off MLN Mobile's notification permission. Ask a librarian if you need assistance in managing your app settings. 

If the answers in the Help Center did not address your question, contact your librarian. 

If you are experiencing issues with My Account or Holds, you may need to provide your account information.

If the app is not working properly, please describe the problem and try to include your device details like type, (Android/Apple), model, and operating system (OS) version (Android 4, iOS 8, etc). Screenshots are appreciated.
 

If your device has an auto-focus camera, you can scan book and movie barcodes on the go to see if Minuteman has a copy!

Select the Scan ISBN option in the app, point your camera at the barcode. Allow the camera to adjust focus and it automatically scan and search the catalog for that ISBN or UPC number 

If it does not automatically scanning or you are not offered the option of using the camera, then your device doesn't have an auto-focus camera. You can type the ISBN or UPC number instead.

If you do not find something with this tool, it does not necessarily mean our libraries do not have that title. It may be in a different edition or format, for example, an ebook instead of a physical book, or a DVD instead of a Blu-ray. So, if you do not find a match, try using a few keywords from the title and/or author.

The ISBN scan feature requires permission to access your device's camera. The app will only activate your camera while using this feature.

You may have several barcodes listed your library account record, and the app software does not know which one is current. Please contact the staff at your home library.
If your digital library card barcode is not scanning, try increasing your device's screen brightness. If it still fails to scan at full brightness, please ask a librarian for assistance.

Apple requires all apps that allow "Unrestricted Web Access" to be rated 17+. MLN Mobile App opens a web browser to bring you to library webpages and social media, so the app fits that web access criteria. Unfortunately, this rating cannot changed.

The Play Store on Android/Google devices rates the app for Everyone.

No, you cannot save multiple library accounts in the app. The app will save and display one account at a time.

To view the account of a different library card, reset your settings (with the refresh symbol in top corner) and log in with that account's card number and password.

This feature is intended to protect individual library patrons' right to privacy.

Currently, the mobile app uses a different search algorithm than our web catalog, so searches may yield different results. The app and catalog retrieve and rank search results differently, just like Google or Bing may give different results for the same search.

The app search only returns 50 results, and may interpret words like "or" and "not" as special search operators, which can effect results. If you are not finding an expected result in the mobile app search, try use less or more search terms, re-try your search in our web catalog, or ask a librarian for assistance.

(Note: By mid-2020, we hope to improve the app search and match our web catalog results.)

Some member libraries allow you to check out items with your phone or tablet, using the MLN mobile app!

To get started, make sure you are logged in to your account in the mobile app, and have selected a library that allows mobile checkout. (Use the refresh symbol at the top of page to reset your account and library settings)

From the Home Screen, go the Account page in the mobile app, and select the Mobile Checkout option.

In the Mobile Checkout screen, hold your phone's camera over the item barcode to scan, or choose to manually type in the item's barcode number.

Once the app has read the barcode, it will checkout the item to you and display the due date, or, if it cannot checkout that item to you, it will respond "Unable to checkout". If unable to checkout, ask library staff for assistance. 

Mobile App self check screen  Mobile App self check screen with completed checkout details

The current version of the app is availabe for Apple and Android mobile devices. Kindle Fire tablets can use the Android version of the app.

The Apple app requires an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch running iOS version 12.1 or higher.

The app is not available on Windows devices. Please use our mobile catalog on Windows devices.