=====My Account Area=====

The My Account Area allows a patron to view and make changes to his or her own account from any computer with Internet access.  

To access your account, begin at the OPAC search page, and click the link to **My Account**.  You will be prompted to login by entering your username or library barcode and your password.  If you have not used the My Account feature before, your password will be a number assigned to you at the time you signed up for your library card.  If you do not know this number, contact your library to reset it.  The first time you login to your account, you will be prompted to update your password to a more secure password at least seven characters long and containing at least one letter and at least one number.  After updating your password you will be asked to login again, with the new password.  

Once you have successfully logged in, you will be taken to your **Account Summary** from which you can access the other features of My Account by clicking the links provided.  There are 6 major areas of My Account in the online catalog, listed below, accessible through links within My Account.  Additionally, you will be asked to login to My Account before placing a hold on an item, after clicking "Place Hold" from a search result page or item record page.

  * **[[#account_summary|Account Summary]]**

  * **[[#items_checked_out|Items Checked Out]]**

  * **[[#items_on_hold|Items on Hold]]**

  * **[[#fines|Fines]]**

  * **[[#account_preferences|Account Preferences]]**

  * **[[#my_bookbags|My Bookbags]]**


----

====Account Summary====

The **Account Summary** screen displays the logged-in user's name, phone, email address, and other account information. Users have the ability to change usernames, passwords, and email addresses here. 

----

====Items Checked Out====

The **Items Checked Out** screen displays all of the items the logged-in user currently has checked out, the associated due dates, and remaining allowed renewals. If allowable renewals remain on the circulation, the user may select the **renew** link to renew the materials and extend the due date. 

----

====Items on Hold====

The **Items on Hold** screen shows the materials the logged-in patron currently has holds on. The title, author, format, pickup location, and hold status are displayed. Additionally, the user may **cancel** or **edit** a hold.  

----

====Fines====

The **Fines** area displays any fines or fees the logged-in user has accrued.

----

====Account Preferences====

In the **Account Preferences** area, the logged-in patron can affect the look and feel of the catalog. At the time of this writing, there are 3 options.

  * **Search Hits Per Page:** The user can increase or decrease the number of hits that appear by default when searching the library catalog.
 
  * **Default Font Size:** The catalog offers a /large font/ and /regular font/ option.

  * **Default Hold Notification Method:** The user may elect to be notified of available holds by email, phone, or both. 

----

====My Bookbags====

The **My Bookbags** section allows users to create, edit, share, and remove bookbags. Bookbags are covered in more detail at [[Bookbags]].