Instructions for Maryland State Library and Accommodating Three Personas

How to find a book using the website of the Maryland State Library Resource Center, step by step:

Figure 1

Entering the URL

Step 1: Go to the Library Website

As seen in Figure 1, open your web browser and type in the Maryland State Library Resource Center’s homepage URL: https://www.prattlibrary.org/. This will take you to the library’s main website, where you can start finding the book.

Figure 2

Finding the Search Bar

Step 2: Find the Search Bar

Once open, the homepage will have a search bar at the top right, seen in Figure 2. The search space is titled ‘Search the Catalog,’ users can then search for books by title, author, or subject. Click inside the search bar to activate it.

Figure 3

Entering a Book Title or Author

Step 3: Enter the Book Title or Author

As seen in Figure 3, type the name of the book you are looking for or the book’s author. For example, if you are searching for a book entitled To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, simply type To Kill a Mockingbird or Harper Lee in the field.

Figure 4

Refining the Search

Step 4: Refine Your Search Results

As seen in Figure 4, after hitting ‘Enter’ or clicking the ‘What does this search?’ button, a page containing a list of books matching your search will load. On the left side of this page, you will see ways to filter your list results. You can filter on availability (is the book in the library?), format (such as eBook and print), and location (which branch the book is located in).

Figure 5

Choose Your Book

Step 5: Choose Your Book

As seen in Figure 5, browse through the search results and then click on the book title you want to see. It opens onto a book detail page where you would find its summary, how many pages it contains, and in which branch of the library it exists.

Figure 6

Checking Availability

Step 6: Check Availability

Scroll down from the book’s detail page to the book’s availability section, where there should be a green tick if it is available. As seen in Figure 6, this section shows the various branches in which the book is available. It also lists how many copies are available to check out and how many copies are checked out. If unavailable, a place-hold option will appear.

Figure 7

Placing a Hold

Step 7: Placing a Hold on the Book

As seen in Figure 7, you can place a hold if the book is available but at a different branch or if all the book copies are checked out. Click the ‘Place Hold’ button. You will be asked to log into your library account using your card number and PIN. After logging in, confirm your hold request by selecting which branch library you want to pick up the book.

Figure 8

Check out the Book

Step 8: Check Out the Book

As seen in Figure 8, if the library has processed your hold, you will then be notified by email or telephone that the book is waiting for you at your specified branch. Go there with your library card and pick it up.

Notes

Note: If you don’t have a library account, click ‘Create an Account’ under the login section before placing a hold. Follow these specific prompts to create an account using your library card.

Note: If you search for eBooks, you must access the library’s digital platform to borrow them (Maryland State Library Resource Center, n.d.). Follow the instructions on the website to then download and borrow eBooks. These directions will walk a person through how to find and borrow a book through the Maryland State Library Resource Center’s website. You can attach screenshots for each step to make this as straightforward as possible and highlight any buttons or parts of the screen for greater ease of instruction.

This process accommodates Mark Zane’s peculiar situation of not wanting any advertisements; it does not require signing up for extra and perhaps unwanted services. The hold and pick-up service will grant her the convenience of reserving her book in advance for Caren Jones, who is concerned about saving time (Maryland State Library Resource Center, n.d.). Lucy Roberts will find that the integrated eBook system at this library, which is accustomed to mobile payments, can be very convenient for immediately accessing the books she needs in digital format.

References

Maryland State Library Resource Center. (n.d.). Maryland State library resource center. Maryland State Library Resource Center. https://www.slrc.info/