Normally I only post on Wednesdays, but I have some exciting news to report. The Upper Hudson Library System recently overhauled its mobile app when it transitioned to a new platform provider, and it’s available in app stores now!
To download the new app, search your app store for “UHLS Libraries” or use one of these direct links:
New Look
Because a different company provides the new app, everything about the look and feel has changed. When you first download the app, you are greeted with a list of options. Until you sign in, options are limited to seeing nearby libraries, visiting the UHLS social media accounts, and viewing the calendar. There are more items in the list, but they all prompt you to sign in, including searching the catalog. To perform any other actions, you’ll need to sign in.
We’re still learning how to configure the app and working out the bugs. When we’re finished, some screenshots in this article may be outdated. I’ll do my best to keep them up to date. Here are some things we’re still working on:
- Push notifications
- In-app payment
- Additional languages
To sign in, tap the menu icon in the upper-right, then tap Sign In or tap My Account. The app will bring you to the landing page of your home library. At this time, patrons cannot set a different library as their home library.
Home Screen
If Colonie is set as your home library in our system, you will see an image of our library in the header after you sign in. If you don’t see the Colonie Library in the header, your home library is set to another UHLS library. Only staff members can change this.
At the top of the screen, you’ll see notifications about any fees owed or items that are overdue/due soon. Click one to get more information.
Below that, you’ll see a button labeled My Barcode. Tap this to bring up your account barcode. It is both visible as a number and a barcode that can be scanned by a staff member in lieu of your physical card.
The My Account button leads to more information about your checkouts, holds and fines. We’ll take a closer look at this later in the article.
The eBooks & eAudio tab has links to OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla for your browsing convenience.
Online Resources leads to links to all of our online resources, including Consumer Reports, Tech-Talk, digital newspapers, job hunting help, online encyclopedias, digital museum passes, and more! You may be required to re-enter your account barcode after clicking on a resource, as the link will take you outside the app.
The Scan ISBN Barcode will allow you to scan the barcode of any book, anywhere, to see if it’s available in the UHLS catalog.
To visit the library’s event calendar, tap on Events.
If you’d like to send a print job to the library, select Print at the Library.
We’ve also added some helpful links to our catalog and social media. At the bottom of the page, tap the Nearest Libraries button to see information, including hours, about UHLS libraries.
My Account
Selecting My Account or the menu icon slides a menu in from the right side of the screen. From here, you can tap to see checkouts, holds (items you requested), fines, and linked accounts.
To link an account, you’ll need the barcode and PIN. Note: if you have already linked accounts in our system, they will NOT carry over to the app.
For app settings, select Preferences. In this section you can reorder the home page buttons, change to light or dark theme, or change to a simplified view.
Just under your name, you’ll see a link titled My Details. If you would like the app to remember your checkout history, tap My Details and then check the box to retain checkout history. Save changes.
Reading history will be collected from the time that box is checked. To view your reading history, tap checkouts, scroll to the bottom of the screen, and tap your name.
Summary
You can download the new Upper Hudson Library System’s app from your app store today and enjoy a modern interface with enhanced functionality. Got questions? Contact the Information Desk at 518-458-9274 or info@colonielibrary.org.
