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Learner guide: Wise OPAC and My Account

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Course overview

The Wise OPAC and My Account course provides instruction on how to navigate the user-facing OPAC and customer My Account menus, search the online catalog, and perform My account scenarios. This course is best suited for library staff who are new to Wise and already have a basic understanding of the Wise Staff client.

 Note: This learner guide is designed to accompany the Wise OPAC and My Account course.

Getting Started: OPAC Navigation

The online web catalog and My Account user portal are part of the Wise OPAC. Each library can configure aspects of the OPAC to reflect their individual library’s needs.

Within the OPAC, customers will be presented with the main menu bar, an online web catalog search box, and My Account sign-in to access the user portal menus.

OPAC menus and catalog search bar.jpg
Catalog Search

Using the online catalog search bar, customers can search the web catalog to find materials in the library collection. When a search is performed, items in the library’s physical and digital collections are searched.

Search bar
  • Enter search terms using one or more words, separated by a space
  • Use Boolean operators AND, OR, or NOT to narrow or broaden search results
Enhanced search help and suggestions
  • Enter at least three characters in the search bar to populate the first ten suggestions
  • Search suggestions include spelling and additional terms

The default search parameter for the search bar is a keyword search (All). Customers can utilize the drop-down arrow to the left of the search bar and select one of the following search fields:

  • All
  • Titles
  • Authors
  • Subjects
  • Series

Catalog Search Results

When a search is performed, the catalog search results pages will open where customers can apply additional filters and sorting options using Search tools and view information on Titles. 

Search help
  • Configurable by each library to include preselections that speed up searching
  • Can feature results by location such as system, library, branch, or external collections like cloudLibrary
Search facets
  • Refine search results by applying facets including Available now, Media type, Author, Audience, Subject, Language, or Genre
Search filters
  • Within a facet, filters are available. For example a Material type facet could include filters for Book, DVD, Graphic novel, Large print, etc.
  • Selected filters are now displayed as Filter chips at the top of search results. Filters can easily be removed by closing a chip or clearing all filters for a search
  • Enriched filters allow multiple filters to be selected within a facet
Sort results
  • Search results are sorted by Relevance, descending by default
  • Additional sort options include: Popularity, Year of publication, Author, Title, and Series

Search results

My Account

Accessing My Account

  • Customers will access their My Account menus by signing into My Account with their library card number or username and password.
  • Customers can sign in with an existing account or, if enabled, create a new account using an online registration form.
  • If a customer is signing into an existing account for the first time, they will need their library card number and the temporary one-time password they received from library staff. Customers will be prompted to reset their password upon login.

 Note: The Wise Staff client: Customer administration course reviews how library staff can reprint a one-time password for a customer to use when signing into their My Account.

My Account Menus

When logged into My Account, customers can select one of the menu options to view information or perform an action on their account. ​

 Note: The My Account menu options are dependent on each libraries configuration. For more information, see My Menu configuration.

My checkouts
  • Provides all items, including digital items, that are checked out on a customer’s account as well as any materials checked out to an associated account.
  • Provides option to renew eligible materials

My holds
  • Provides all items a customer placed on hold separated by hold type
    • Standard holds
    • First available holds
    • Sequential holds
  • Manage holds provides options to:
    • View available holds
    • Pause a hold or reactivate a paused hold 
    • Edit hold pickup location
    • Move holds between hold type lists
    • Delete holds
My purchase requests
  • Submit purchase request for items
  • View status of past purchase requests
Previous checkouts
  • If enabled, customers can view previously borrowed items
My lists
  • Items added to this screen have a Place a Hold option next to the Title
  • Once an item is checked out by the customer, it will automatically be removed from the list
  • Additional lists available with a Wise Community profile
Personal recommendations
  • Recommendation list of up to 50 titles
  • Titles based on loan history, wish list, and popularity

Make a payment
  • View and, if enabled, pay any fines and fees for the customer account and any associated accounts

My account details
  • View and manger personal information for the customer’s account

Inbox
  • View Inbox messages from the library

Notification preferences
  • View and manage library communication

Advanced My Account Options

Relationships
  • View and manage associated accounts

Report loss of library card
  • Customers can report their library card as lost
Cancel membership
  • Customers can deactivate their membership

Test your knowledge

1. What information is required for a customer to sign into My Account for the first time?

a. Library Card number and PIN number

b. Library Card number and temporary password

c. Email address and temporary password

 

2. What is the First available hold type?

a. Grouped holds are delivered in a specific order

b. Holds are delivered in the order they become available

c. The first available item from a grouped hold is delivered, canceling the remaining grouped holds

 

3. What happens when a library card is reported lost from My account?

a. The account is deleted immediately

b. The account remains active and useable

c. The account is blocked

 

Answer key
  1. b. Library Card number and temporary password
  2. c. The first available item from a grouped hold is delivered, canceling the remaining grouped holds
  3. c. The account is blocked

Additional information

 

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