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CU Catalog
News and Updates

Having problems receiving library email notices for hold requests and overdue reminders? Here are a few tips:

Add circulation@tufl.info to your email address book, as your email provider might not recognize it as a legitimate address and reject your email notices.
Check with the staff at the circulation desk to see if the library has your current email address. Or you can verify your email address and update it on your library account through CU Catalog.
As always, to avoid late fees, please check the due dates stamped on each item to ensure your materials are returned on time.

CU Catalog
FAQ for Borrowers Residing Outside Champaign-Urbana

The Urbana Free Library is a member of the Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS) and welcomes patrons who have valid cards from public libraries throughout Illinois. In December 2011, The Urbana Free Library joined together with Champaign Public Library to introduce a shared catalog and automated circulation platform called CU Catalog, which is separate from the LINC catalog used by other area libraries.

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Q Can I Use My Home Library Card to Check Out on CU Catalog?

A In nearly all cases, you will use your home library card number at The Urbana Free Library. Although you will use the same library card number, you will have two separate accounts—one for use in CU Catalog and one for use at libraries other than the Champaign-Urbana public libraries. If your home library does not issue cards with barcodes, we will add a barcode to your card.
To register your card with CU Catalog, come to the circulation desk with your home library card and a photo ID, and complete an application. Your CU Catalog account will expire in one year or on the expiration date of your home library card—whichever is sooner.

Q How Do I Renew Items?

A To renew items, you may access your account in CU Catalog, stop by the circulation desk, or call 367-4057. Please remember that renewals for items you have checked out at libraries other than the Champaign-Urbana public libraries must be handled separately through those libraries.

Q Will I Receive Notices about Holds, Due Dates, and Overdue Items?

A You can choose to receive your library notices via email or text message. The library does not charge for this service, but your cell phone’s standard message and data rates apply. If you cannot provide an email address or are not able to receive text messages, you will not receive notices. Notices are sent to users as a courtesy. Failure to receive such notices does not excuse cardholders from late fees or charges.
Library users may sign up for Library Elf, a free personal email reminder service, which can help you manage multiple library accounts. Go to libraryelf.com to register.

Q Where Do I Pay My Late Fees?

A You may pay late fees and charges for all items from the Champaign-Urbana public libraries at The Urbana Free Library or Champaign Public Library. Late fees for items checked out from libraries other than the Champaign-Urbana public libraries must be paid at one of those libraries; we are not able to accept payments for those items here.

Q Where Do I Return Library Materials?

A To avoid late fees, we recommend that you return items where they were checked out. The Urbana Free Library is not able to check in items from libraries other than the Champaign-Urbana public libraries. Also, other area libraries will not be able to check in items from the Champaign-Urbana public libraries.

Q How Can I Request Items?

A You may request items through CU Catalog. To use CU Catalog, go to urbanafreelibrary.org and select the Renew/Request Items link. If you have provided an email address or cell number for receiving text messages, you will be notified when your materials are available. Or you can check your account status online at any time.
You may request up to 20 items at a time from The Urbana Free Library. If you find more items that interest you, we suggest using the “Saved Title List” feature on CU Catalog so you can request them at a later date.
To request materials that are not available in CU Catalog, place your request through your home library.

Q Is There a Limit to the Number of Items I Can Check Out?

A Most quantity limits on items are the same as those for cardholders from The Urbana Free Library. However, new and bestseller books are limited to 20. A total of 100 Urbana items may be checked out on your card at any given time.

Q Do the Champaign-Urbana Public Libraries Have Different Policies?

A Yes. Quantity limits on checkout, hold requests, late fees, and other policies may differ. Although The Urbana Free Library and Champaign Public Library are partners in CU Catalog, they remain independent libraries with separate governing boards.

12/08/11

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Something New Is Coming!

During the transition to CU Catalog (from November 30 until on or about December 8), your patron account information will not be available and you will not be able to place holds.

We apologize for this inconvenience.

12/02/11

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The Debut of CU Catalog!

Powered by an improved search engine to help you find everything you need, CU Catalog is the new automation database to be shared by The Urbana Free Library and Champaign Public Library. The catalog replaces LINC, the catalog of the former Lincoln Trail Libraries System, for access to the collections of Urbana and Champaign.

So what can you expect from CU Catalog? Economically speaking, it will offer library staff greater efficiency in operations. From the user perspective, we think you’ll love the variety of cool, user-controlled options. When using CU Catalog, you can:

Access your personal library account
View and print your account information
Renew items online
Keep saved reading lists
Save favorite searches and have new results emailed to you
Receive text messages for notices
Search for your favorite titles with ease and flexibility

With CU Catalog, some features will be different, but the catalog has a user-friendly interface that is easy to learn. We think you’re going to love it!

11/25/11

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You’ve Got Questions. We’ve Got Answers.

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Q What is CU Catalog?

A Powered by an improved search engine to help you find everything you need, CU Catalog is the new automation database to be shared by The Urbana Free Library and Champaign Public Library.

CU Catalog offers you lots of cool, user-controlled options such as saved reading lists, automatic email of new results for your favorite searches, text messaging, and more flexible searching. Plus, it offers our staff greater efficiency in operations.

CU Catalog replaces LINC, the catalog of the former Lincoln Trail Libraries System, for access to the collections of Urbana and Champaign.

Q Are Urbana and Champaign merging their libraries?

A No. The public libraries remain independent libraries with separate governing Boards. A shared automation database provides cost savings and convenience for our communities.

Q Are Urbana and Champaign public libraries leaving Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS)?

A No. CU Catalog is a separate catalog, not a separate library system. Both public libraries remain members of Illinois Heartland, which is the new system that resulted from the merger of Lincoln Trail, Rolling Prairie, Lewis & Clark, and Shawnee library systems.

Q Are Urbana and Champaign the only area libraries that are not in the LINC catalog?

A No. There are other area libraries that have their own catalogs. Examples include those in Urbana schools, Parkland, U of I, and EIU; and public libraries in Homer and in Vance Township.

Q Why is borrowing suspended between CU public libraries and LINC libraries after November 1?

A This suspension is a temporary situation recommended to reduce the complications of separating the collection and borrower records. From November 1 until early December, CU public library cardholders must use The Urbana Free Library or Champaign Public Library, and other LINC cardholders must use other LINC libraries.

Borrowers may encounter inconveniences such as items that can’t be renewed or holds that can’t be filled. Borrowing between CU public libraries and LINC libraries resumes once the new catalog is ready.

Because the Urbana and Champaign records are moving together to the new CU Catalog, Urbana and Champaign cardholders can continue to borrow from both The Urbana Free Library and Champaign Public Library during this time.

Q When does CU Catalog start?

A If everything proceeds on schedule, our target date is December 8.

Q Will I use the LINC catalog one day and CU Catalog the next?

A Not quite. From November 30 until December 8, The Urbana Free Library and Champaign Public Library will operate off-line while the final data is being transferred.

During this time, CU cardholders will not be able to check their online accounts. You can still search and view our items in LINC, but the status of the items will not be accurate and you won’t be able to place holds.

CU cardholders can still check out at both libraries while we are off-line, but we will not have a way to look up your card number. Please remember to carry your library card during this week.

Q Can I still borrow from other libraries after there are separate catalogs?

A Yes. However, if you wish to physically go to another library to borrow, you may need a reciprocal borrower’s card.

If you have an Urbana or Champaign public library card and wish to go to a LINC library to check out, visit a LINC library and request a LINC reciprocal borrower card. Call first to see what you need to bring with you to get a card.

If you live outside the two CU public library districts and wish to borrow in CU, visit The Urbana Free Library or Champaign Public Library and request a CU reciprocal borrower card. Bring a photo ID and your current LINC library card, which must be in good standing and not expired.

Most likely, reciprocal borrowers can be registered using their existing home library cards and barcodes so there is no need to carry a second card.

Q Does that mean that everyone needs a reciprocal borrower’s card?

A No. Because they are registered in the same catalog, Urbana and Champaign cards can be used at either Urbana or Champaign public libraries. Similarly, a card from any LINC library can be used at other LINC libraries. And, if you just request items to be sent to your home library, your home library card is all you need. You need a reciprocal borrower’s card only IF you physically go to check out at a library that does not share the same catalog as your home library.

Q Will I search separate catalogs?

A Yes. To search for items in the collections of The Urbana Free Library or Champaign Public Library, search CU Catalog. To search for items at LINC libraries, search the LINC catalog or WorldCat Local.

Q Can I still request items from other libraries?

A Yes. The process will be different, so we’ll test the options and report back on new procedures.

Q Are there other changes?

A With the Polaris Library Systems® software, some operations will be different. Fortunately, Polaris has a user-friendly interface and is easy to learn.

We think you’re going to love it!

11/09/11

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Important Information about Upcoming Library
Catalog Transition

The Urbana Free Library continues to get ready for the big changes that will come with the transition to CU Catalog on or around December 8. Although the library will remain a member of the Illinois Heartland Library System, as we transition to the new catalog, we want to inform you of some temporary inconveniences that will occur during the migration period from November 1 to approximately December 7.

Part of the preparation will be to make sure that as much of The UFL collection as possible is returned to us from other libraries in the Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS), and that items are returned to other IHLS libraries by UFL users as soon as possible during November.

Urbana and Champaign cardholders who may have borrowed items from other IHLS libraries should return those items by November 1.
Items borrowed from The Urbana Free Library and the Champaign Public Library by cardholders from other IHLS libraries should return those items by November 1.
From November 1 to approximately December 7, Urbana and Champaign cardholders may borrow materials only at The Urbana Free Library and the Champaign Public Library.
From November 1 to approximately December 7, cardholders from other IHLS libraries will temporarily not be able to borrow materials from The Urbana Free Library and the Champaign Public Library.
On or around December 8, Urbana and Champaign cardholders may begin using CU Catalog and resume borrowing materials from all libraries in IHLS. Cardholders from other IHLS libraries may also begin using CU Catalog, but we’ll need to register your home library card on your first visit. To do so, please bring your current library card and a photo ID.

If you have questions or concerns, you may email the library at administration@tufl.info.

10/11/11

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The Urbana Free Library and Champaign Public Library Choose Polaris^® Library Systems

The Urbana Free Library and the Champaign Public Library are joining together to migrate to a shared catalog by Polaris^® Library Systems. Headquartered in Syracuse, New York, Polaris is a leading provider of library automation technology, and serves libraries such as the Denver (CO) Public Library and the Phoenix (AZ) Public Library.

As the foundation for the variety of functions performed in the library, the new shared Polaris automation platform will include an online catalog to help users locate and select library materials from The Urbana Free Library and the Champaign Public Library. You will find many familiar components, such as the ability to renew items and place requests, plus new features designed to serve you better. Some of these innovations include the ability to keep a reading history and saved searches that will automatically deliver new results by email at specified intervals.

Scheduled to launch this December, the next-generation shared catalog by Polaris^® Library Systems reaffirms our libraries’ commitment as leaders in library technology and cost-effective service to our users.