FAQs

Related: Accounts & Library Cards | Digital Media: eBooks, Audiobooks, Video & More | Library Cards

Skip the wait list for popular titles and borrow them right away in ebook format and read them in OverDrive or the Libby app!

How it works:

• You can check out one Lucky Day ebook at a time. Once you return one, you can immediately check out another.
• Titles check out for one week only.
• No reserves, no renewals on Lucky Day ebooks.
• Check out the title, then read it how you prefer - OverDrive website, Libby app, send to Kindle, etc.

• Go to Lucky Day collection

About the collection:

• Lucky Day titles are exclusively ebooks, not any other format.
• You'll find fiction titles for adults and teens.
• Title availability is going to change constantly, just like our Lucky Day print items.
• Lucky Day ebooks are only available in OverDrive; they are not available in Hoopla.

Get the Libby app.

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Related: Digital Media: eBooks, Audiobooks, Video & More

Infoline is our telephone assistance line. You can call Infoline at 520-791-4010 with any question you can come up with.

How many people live in Pima County? When is the next lunar eclipse? How many holds are on the top bestseller? Call Infoline!

Infoline is open Monday–Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.

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Please see our Digital Media Help page for information about support for eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, streaming video, magazines, and music.

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Puede ojear los semillas personalmente en cualquiera de nuestras ubicaciones de la biblioteca de semillas:

También puede  buscar en nuestro catálogo en línea y hacer reservas de semillas para recogerlas en su biblioteca local. Cuando usa el catálogo en línea, escriba “seed Library”  o el nombre común de la planta en la casilla de “search” para obteneruna lista de todas las semillas disponibles.

Related: Biblioteca de Semillas | Preguntas frecuentes

How to place a hold:

• In a search results list, place a hold by looking to the right of the title: Click on the green button: Place a Hold.
• If you’re looking at a title’s record: Click on the green Place a Hold button on the right side of the screen.

To see what you already have on hold:

• Log In in the upper right corner of the website.   
  • If it's your first time logging in, you’ll need to register your account and create a username.
• Click on your username in the upper right corner where it previously said Log In. You'll see a menu of options drop down.
• Click On Hold under My Borrowing.

Enable one-click holds for faster service! You can enable one-click holds by checking the box you see when you place a hold. Once you enable one-click holds, you will be able to place a hold in one-click as long as you're logged in.

Please note: You can have 20 items on hold at one time. This includes any paused holds.

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Related: Accounts & Library Cards | Holds

Related: Computers & Technology

You can borrow many different kinds of things from the library, including seeds, opens a new window, digital media from our E-Library, opens a new window, and Culture Passes, opens a new window. 

Below are the rules for more traditional physical items you can check out from the library, like books, DVDs, and CDs.

Borrowing

• You can borrow up to 50 items, including up to 15 DVDs, with a full-service card. Items check out for 3 weeks (21 days).
• If you have a limited card, you will be able to check out 2 items.

Renewing

• The Library has autorenewal, which means your items will be renewed automatically up to four (4) times if no one is waiting for them. The new due date will be three (3) weeks from the original due date. 
• You can renew your items yourself as well either online or by phone, up to 4 times.
• Magazines, Lucky Day books (formerly Express books), and items with holds on them can't be renewed.
• If you need help, please call Infoline at at 520-791-4010.

Returning

You can return items to any of our library locations, by using the book returns inside or outside the library, or by handing them to a staff member at the desk. There is no need to return items to the same location where you picked them up -- just bring them to the library that is the most convenient.

One exception: if you have an interlibrary loan item, please return it to the library where you checked it out by handing it to a staff member -- dropping it in the book chute, or bringing it to a different library, could keep us from being able to return it to the library that owns it.

Placing Holds

You can place up to 20 physical items on hold at a time. Digital materials from OverDrive are limited to 10 holds. 

Fees: As of July 1, 2020, we are fine free! 

You can pay in person with cash or check, or online with a credit card. Learn more about online payment.

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See a list of our rooms. Some meeting rooms have induction loop technology for the hearing impaired.

Read our Meeting Room Policy. Please bring a Meeting Room Application with you when booking a room.

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Related: Meeting Rooms | Services

Free wifi is available from 6 am to 10 pm.

Printing costs $0.10 per side of page.

About wifi:

• Connect to the Library-Public network, and enter this password: pclibrary
• See Wireless Printing Instructions for step-by-step instructions.
• You must configure your device or laptop yourself. We don't offer detailed tech support for wifi.
• Our wifi is open and has no security or anti-virus protections. You should make sure that your device or laptop is protected, as you assume all risks when using the wifi.
• You must abide by our Computer and Wifi Use Agreement when using our wifi. Content is filtered on wifi.
  • Computer and Wifi Use Agreement
  • Filtering information

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If you periodically search for titles by the same author, or on the same subject, you can save your search and run it again later. That saves you time, especially if the search you’re doing is complex.

► To save a search

1. Log in. You must be logged in to save a search.
2. Run your search. See Using Advanced Search for information on creating complex searches.
3. If required, narrow your results by applying facets on the left side of the page.
4. When you have refined your search, click the Save Search icon above the search results.
5. Give the saved search a name that will allow you to easily identify it later. If you already have a search by that name, you’ll have the option to choose a new name or overwrite your existing saved search.
6. Click Save.

► To edit a saved search

1. Log in.
2. Click My Settings, and then click Saved Searches.
3. Find the search you want to modify. The criteria you used for each search is listed next to its name.
4. Click Edit Search.
5. Do one of the following:
   • If you created your search starting with the search box at the top of the page, apply or remove search options, as appropriate.
   • If you created your original search criteria on the advanced search page, add or remove the criteria you want to change, and then click Search.
6. Click the Save icon.
7. If you would prefer to save the search with a new name, type the name.
8. Click Save.

► To delete a saved search

1. Log in.
2. Click My Settings, and then click Saved Searches.
3. Find the search you want to delete. The criteria you used for each search is listed next to its name.
4. Click the check box next to the search name. You can select more than one if required.
5. Click Delete.

Want to take it up a notch and get notifications when you have new search results (e.g., the new James Patterson book gets added to our catalog)? Read more here!

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To find books in the catalog

Option #1: Type a search term in the the search box at the top of any page of the website. Note that you can change options for your search by using the drop-down menus. 

Option #2: Click on Catalog in the blue bar at top of any page of our site. This will display a search box where you can type your search.

For both options:

• Refine your search by using the filter categories that show up on the left to hone in on exactly what you’re looking for.
  • Want to limit to fiction? Click on Content and then click Fiction.
  • Want to see only kids’ materials? Click on Audience, then check Children.

If you need more information, the Help screens for searching are terrific and cover everything you need to know.

To find events

• Click on Events at the top of the page.
• Use the filters on the left to select the library or libraries you go to.
• Use the Event Types and Audiences filters to get more specific.

The Search bar is also a great way to find events. Use it at the top of the page to find events. Just select Events from the left-hand drop-down menu.

To search the website or FAQs

Use the Search bar as pictured above, to select Website or FAQs. You can also search the FAQs from the Help menu at the top of any page.

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The Library's helpful staff love connecting people with resources that make a difference in their lives.

In person: The Hours & Locations page, opens a new window has an interactive map that lets you find a convenient library.

From home: You can also contact Ask a Librarian, opens a new window by phone at 520-791-4010 or email for information on any topic you're curious about!

Community services: For social resources and community agencies that help with homelessness, housing, food, domestic violence, seniors/elderly, and more, see Community Services.

Tech help: See our Digital Media Help page for help with ebooks, download able audiobooks, music, streaming video, and more.

FAQs: To find answers to FAQs, click on the "Help" link at the top of any page, and search or browse the FAQs, opens a new window. They cover a wealth of topics, including:

• Getting and using your library card, opens a new window       
  • All about your online account
  • Checkout rules
  • Placing holds / reserving items
  • Registering for and logging in
• How to search the catalog, opens a new window       
  • Where's the search box?
  • Narrowing down your search
  • Saving your search
  • Hiding book covers for a more streamlined, text-based view of search results
• How to borrow books that we don't own, opens a new window       
  • Interlibrary Loan - Borrowing items from another library system
• Suggest a purchase   
  • Suggest something to add to our collection
• Using our computers and technology, opens a new window       
  • List of computers at each branch
  • Assistive technology
  • Using our WiFi and wireless printing
• Using our meeting and study rooms, opens a new window
• Using the Seed Library, opens a new window
• Will you buy my book?, opens a new window       
  • How authors can market a book to the library
• How to become a Library Presenter, opens a new window

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The search on our website is pretty smart. You can put the format you want right into your search, and the results will limit to the format you want. For example, give these searches a try:

• new mystery books
• kids books
• vampire romance ebooks
• large print mysteries
• Spanish DVDs

If you use words like "new," the search will know you want items recently added to the catalog.

If you use any word that indicates format (DVD, large print, audiobook, book, ebook, music), it will limit the results to that kind of item. This is by far the easiest way to limit to format.

The next easiest way is to limit using the filters in the results list. Read about filters here.

You can also use Advanced Search to limit to formats, but you have to remember to go to Advanced Search at the outset. You indicate which format you want by checking the boxes at the bottom of the form.

If you'd like to learn more, read more tips on doing searches in this FAQ.

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