Welcome to Our New Catalog & Website

Our new catalog and website have launched! We're excited about all the updates we have in store for you. Take a few minutes and explore. Here are some of the features you will find.

Updated Website

• Events & Locations, our most popular topics, are prominently featured
• A new menu called "I Want To..." links to other popular topics
• Redesigned branch library pages
• More engaging blog pages
• Mobile-first design – looks great on your phone or tablet.

Easier Catalog Searching

• Now you don't need to know "library speak" to find what you want in the catalog. Example: if you search for "kids movies" you will get movies for kids, not books about movies like you do in the current catalog.
• "While You Wait" carousels help you find a great read that's available now when the title you're looking for is checked out.
• Versions of the same title – book, eBook, audiobook, DVD, etc. – are grouped together in search results, making it easier to find what you're looking for.
• All this brings the experience of the library catalog much closer to what you are accustomed to on sites like Google, Facebook, Goodreads, etc.
• Note: Although the catalog has not changed, as of September 26, 2023, we've updated our website. Search is still located in the same spot as is was on our old sjpl.org website. However, on tablet and mobile devices, you first need to select the magnifying glass icon to show the search box. This update aligns with how our catalog and events websites have displayed search. For more details, please review our blog post on tips for searching the catalog.
  
  

  New Social Features

  • Create and share booklists; add tags, reviews, and ratings to the catalog; and share them with your friends.
  • Create lists of books, share them with your friends, write reviews, and more.
  • Organize everything you have ever read, watched, or listened to using the Shelves feature. You can make private or public lists of what you have read or want to read.
  • Browse lists created by other users, including friends, family, and library staff. "Follow" others and receive updates showing the activities of the people you are following.
  • Interact with customers and staff locally and also with users from over 200 libraries around the world including Chicago, New York, and Boston. Community-contributed content is shared across all libraries, creating a robust community with tons of great content.
  • Teachers
    • Use lists or tags to create study guides for specific topics, ages or classes.
    • Add tags like a teacher's name, school, subject or course number.
    • Share the list or tags with your class so they can easily find materials.
    • Library staff would be happy to help you create tags and lists for your class upon request.

  
  

  Improved Events Listings

  • Updated look & feel.
  • Easily add events to Google, Yahoo, Outlook or iCal.
  • Easily share events via social media.
  • Register online for popular events or join a wait list if an event is full.

  We're always trying to improve, and we'd love to know what you think.