Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some strategies for searching for eBooks and eAudiobooks in our catalog.

Basic Search

Enter your search term along with the name of your preferred service (Libby, Freading, or Hoopla) in the search bar, then click the magnifying glass icon (blue background with white outline).

Here is a sample result. Clicking the link indicated by red arrow in the screenshot below takes you to the vendor's website where you can download the title.

Direct Search Through the Vendor

If you prefer to use a particular service (Libby, Freading, or Hoopla), you may want to search directly through that service. For direct links to our eBook and eAudiobook services, please visit our Stream & Download page.

Questions?

Please contact our Virtual Information Center by phone at 513-369-6900. Our staff will be happy to assist you.

We work with many third-party vendors to provide library services. BiblioCommons is a library software company who follows best practices for library confidentiality and privacy. Your borrowing information is not stored in this system. Any information related to your account is kept confidential and cannot be used for purposes other than providing library services.

We are only actively maintaining our main website, but if you decide not to register an account on the new site at this time, you can still access your account information in the Classic Catalog.

Our new website is built on a new platform. In order to take full advantage of everything the site can do, all library accounts need a unique username.

An easy-to-remember username gives you quick access to your account if your library card isn’t handy. After you register, you can log in with either your username or your library card number/PIN, whichever you prefer.

You can renew your checked out items from the Library Dashboard page when you are logged into your library account.

Once you are logged in, click/touch the blue button located at the top right corner. It should now display your username indicating that you are logged in. Choose "Checked Out" from the drop down menu.

You can now see all your checked out items and choose which to renew.

Items can also be renewed by phone or in person. Titles may not be renewed if they are on hold for another customer.* Loan periods for special items may vary. Please refer to our Circulation Policy for additional information.

*All library items are eligible for a courtesy extension near the end of their first loan period, regardless of whether or not another customer has a hold on the item. Once the courtesy extension has taken place, eligible items are automatically renewed up the maximum number of renewals (eight for most items). Please note: There are a few instances when items are not automatically renewed, including the following:

• There are holds on the item*
• There are over $10 in fees on the library account
• The item has reached the maximum number of renewals
• The item is an eBook, eAudiobook, or eVideo
• The library card has expired
• The library account has been turned over to the materials collection service

SearchOhio items can be renewed as long as there are no holds on the item. If there are no holds, SearchOhio print and media can be renewed up to three times. If there are no holds, Print OhioLINK titles can be renewed up to six times and OhioLink media can be renewed up to three times.

Creating your online account is a simple process that takes just a few minutes.

Start here by entering your 14-digit library card number and PIN. You will be prompted to go through a few steps.

Customers older than 13 are required to create a unique username. You can always change this username later, or opt to continue logging in with your library card number and PIN.

After you set up your account, we recommend that you go into My Settings and specify your preferred pickup location where you would like to pick up your holds. If you always pick up from the same place, you can turn on single-click holds to easily request books with just one click.

If you want to track your Borrowing History, you can opt into that feature as well.

Find more information about online accounts here.

The new catalog has some great social features for people who want to connect with other readers. However, not everyone wants to participate and some people would rather keep their reading activities private.

The good news is that you have control over what gets shared with other people.

To change your privacy settings:

• Log in to your account.  
• Click the dropdown arrow to the right of your name.
• Click "My Settings" to make your changes.

Once you have selected "My Settings," scroll down to the "Privacy" section. You now have two options. Click "Change" under "My Shelves" and/or "My Feeds" and choose what you would like to keep private. Check all boxes if you want to keep everything private for your account.

In both cases, make your selection then click "Save Changes."

These settings can be changed at any time.

For users in the United States, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act requires websites that collect personal information from children to obtain parental consent. For this reason, children under 13 are not allowed to display their real names, nor can they type their own usernames, enter comments, or add other kinds of content that require typing, since these could be used inappropriately. To generate a username, a child can select a combination of colors and animal names.

If you are able to log in to your library account you can change your Password/PIN from your "Library Dashboard." From the dashboard, click or touch the "Settings" icon (it looks like a gear cog).

If you are not able to log in to your Library account you can reset your Password/PIN online as long as there is a valid email address in your Library account. To reset online:

1. Click "Log In/My CHPL" button located in the top right-hand corner of any page of chpl.org.
2. Click the "Log In/Register" button.
3. A login page will appear. Click the "Forgot your Password/PIN" link and follow the prompts.

Libraries in Kenton County, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, and beyond use the BiblioCommons library catalog as well, so we understand how customers of more than one library would appreciate the convenience in a single username. However, at the present time, usernames are unique across all BiblioCommons libraries and cannot be linked between the different library systems that you may visit, because they're exclusively tied to the member accounts you have with those libraries.