Jennifer Schmidt

The MCFLS office is working with its app vendor to correct the connection issues and unexpected app behavior our libraries have been experiencing on and off for over three weeks.  Our office is aware that patrons are experiencing a variety of different problems with the app, and we greatly apologize for this inconvenience.  The issue is happening widely for other customers of the app. You do not need to uninstall and reinstall the app.  That step will not resolve the issues our site is experiencing.  The company reports, as of 3/10/2023, that they are actively trying to fix the performance problems and move our libraries to an improved version of the app. The My Account areas where you can view checkouts and holds as well as renew items, is functioning correctly.  

OTHER OPTIONS AT THIS TIME

Please note the CountyCat Mobile web site is another option available to you along with the desktop version of CountyCat.  Both can be used to search the catalog, place holds and access your account. We appreciate your patience as we work to resolve this issue and improve the patron experience.      

Users may set the default hold pickup location.

Here’s how:

• Log into CountyCat, and choose the Edit Account button.
• Look for a drop-down menu called Preferred Hold Pickup Location.  [You may also ask a library staff person at any service desk to set this for you.].

The next time you go to place a request for a title in CountyCat, you will see the hold pickup location field has been changed.       The CountyCat Mobile app will reflect this hold pickup location as well. You may alter the hold pickup location again at any point. VIEW A HANDOUT HERE

Bonus Borrows are available in Hoopla for February 2023. Any items borrowed from this collection will not count against your monthly checkout limit. Browse the full Bonus Borrows collection for February 2023 Want to know how to find these titles in Hoopla?

• If you are using the Hoopla app on your smart phone, find the image carousel near the top. Swipe to the right until you see the blue Bonus Borrows icon. Click and it will bring up the list.
• If you are using Hoopla in a web browser, go to the open search box and enter in the word ‘Bonus.’  From there you will see a drop down listing of Bonus Borrow offerings.

Due to the winter storm in our area, these libraries will close early on Thursday December 22nd: Hales Corners – closing at 5pm; Oak Creek – closing at 4pm, Greenfield – closing at 4:30pm, Shorewood – Closing at 3pm. All public libraries in Milwaukee County will be closed Saturday December 24 and Sunday December 25, 2022 in observance of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, as well as Saturday December 31st and Sunday January 1, 2023 for New Years’ Eve and Day. Below are the hours and closings across the library system for the rest of the December 23rd and December 30th weekends. [wptb id="8671" not found ] For specific information per location, please consult the given library’s web page. *The Hales Corners Library will close early at 6pm Monday December 26th through Thursday December 29th.

All public libraries in Milwaukee County will be closed Thursday November 24, 2022 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.  Below are the hours for Friday across the library system. All locations will be open on Saturday November 26, 2022 except for ** the Brown Deer Public Library and the South Milwaukee Public Library. [wptb id="8656" not found ]

On the morning of Wednesday November 9, 2022 starting at 6:00 am CST, the Milwaukee County Federated Library System will be migrating its library network. The scheduled maintenance impacts all public libraries in Milwaukee County, and is expected to take 4-6 hours to complete.  The maintenance needs to be performed during a business workday to ensure that key staff working behind the library system software are readily available to assist with the project. While our libraries will be open this day, CountyCat, CountyCat Mobile and all resources or services with a connection to our library system (such as Hoopla, OverDrive/Libby, Kanopy, etc.) will be unavailable for the duration of the scheduled maintenance.  If you have downloaded titles from any online service in advance, then you will be able to use them that day.  Patrons just won’t be able to checkout, stream or download NEW items during the outage. E-resources with access set up via a library barcode, such as the BadgerLink databases, Creativebug (Wauwatosa, West Allis), AtoZ databases (Shorewood), Gale Virtual Reference Books (West Allis) are available at this time.  Go to the Databases by Library page to access individual resources. A news item and social media announcement will be posted as soon as the project is completed that day.   The Milwaukee County Federated Library System apologizes for this great inconvenience.

The Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC) seeks your valued feedback on your experience with the collection of materials in Wisconsin’s Digital Library. Your input will help guide us as we continue to grow and develop the collection of ebooks, audiobooks, and other digital materials so it is most relevant to Wisconsin library patrons. This survey is performed annually, and some questions are repeated from year to year. It will take an average of 10-15 minutes to complete and is available through November 4th. Click here to get started: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/wplcpatronsurvey2022

All public libraries in Milwaukee County will be closed Monday September 5, 2022 in observance of Labor Day. Below are the hours for Saturday September 3rd across the library system. All locations will be closed on Sunday September 4th except for the Cudahy Family Library which will be open from 12:00-4:00 pm. *Brown Deer Drive Up will be open Saturday – 10:00-1:45.[wptb id="8577" not found ]

Bonus Borrows are available in Hoopla for August 2022.  Any items borrowed from this collection will not count against your monthly checkout limit. Browse the full Bonus Borrows collection for August 2022. Want to know how to find these titles in Hoopla?

• If you are using the Hoopla app on your smart phone, find the image carousel near the top. Swipe to the right until you see the blue Bonus Borrows icon. Click and it will bring up the list.
• If you are using Hoopla in a web browser, go to the open search box and enter in the word ‘Bonus.’  From there you will see a drop down listing of Bonus Borrow offerings.

All public libraries in Milwaukee County will be closed Monday July 4, 2022 in observance of Independence Day. All locations will be closed on Sunday July 3rd as well except for the Cudahy Family Library which will be open from 12:00-4:00 pm. Below are the hours for Saturday July 2nd across the library system. *Brown Deer Drive Up will be open Saturday July 2nd – 10:00-1:45.[wptb id="8224" not found ]