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Help & FAQs

If you have specific questions about your account or your question does not fall under the topics below, please contact us at (540) 422-8500 or fill out our online form and your question will be directed to the appropriate contact. 

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Account - Logging In

 

You will need your 10-digit library card number (200********) and your Personal Identification Number (PIN) to log in to your account.

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If you have problems logging in, make sure your browser is set to accept cookies and enable JavaScript. You will also need to turn off your pop-up blocker for certain functions in the catalog. If you bookmarked the library's catalog, be sure to clear your cookies and cache.

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If you receive a message that there is a problem with your account and to speak with library staff, contact your local branch (540-422-8500) and a staff member will review your record and assist you accordingly.

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Borrowing

All library materials, except reference, current editions of magazines and other non-circulating materials, can be checked out for 21 days. You can return your items at any library location.

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Check Out Limits:

  • Launchpad tablets - 1

  • Mobile hotspots - 1

  • Nature Adventure Packs - 1

  • CD Book, DVD - 10

 

If you'd like to borrow items owned by another library system, make your request through our interlibrary loan service.

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Fines & Fees

 

Excluding mobile hotspots, overdue fines are 15 cents per day, per item. There is a maximum fine of $5.00 on any item. The overdue fine for materials acquired through interlibrary loan is 25 cents per day, per item.

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You may continue to check out items if you have less than $10.00 in fines/fees.

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Fees for lost or damaged materials include the replacement cost plus the cost of processing, which varies by item type. See our Fines & Fees chart for details.

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You may pay for your library fines and fees by cash, check or online via credit card.

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Holds

When you place a hold on an item, your name is placed on a waiting list of individuals who wish to check out the item. If you place a hold on an item and the person who currently has it checked out wishes to renew it, s/he will not be allowed to do so because the hold will prevent the renewal. You will be notified by e-mail or phone when your hold is available and the date by which it must be picked up. You are limited to fifty (50) holds at any one time.

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How to:

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Holds - Cancel

 

You can cancel holds on items no longer desired, as long as they are not in transit or ready for pickup.

How to:

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Holds - Freeze/Thaw

If you place a hold on an item that is currently checked out or has holds pending, and you're going on vacation and don't want to lose your place in line, you can "freeze" your hold and then "thaw" it when you return.

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How to:

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Mobile App

 

The Mobile App enables patrons to search the catalog, place holds, and check fine status directly from their smartphone. Other features include:

  • Use the Managed Accounts feature to add family members’ accounts so you can manage their holds, renew checkouts and more!

  • Store your library barcode (when you forget your library card but not your phone/device).

  • Access “new and notable” items added to the library’s collection.

The app is available for download in the app store or Google Play – search for “Fauquier public library.”

My Lists/Bookmarks

 

Lists allow you to keep track of titles you'd like to check out at a later time or to create your own book lists, i.e., "Books to Read on Vacation."

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How to:

Notices - E-Mail

 

If you have a valid e-mail address, the library will send you notices related to your library account, including hold pickup, hold expiration/cancellation, courtesy (3 day advance notice of items due), and overdue notices. To ensure that library notices arrive in your e-mail, please configure your spam filter to receive messages from the following e-mail address domain: circulation@fauquiercounty.gov.

 

How to update your notice preferences:

  1. Log in to your account (enter library card number and PIN)

  2. Click on Profile (Vega) or Update Contact Information (Classic Catalog)

  3. Select to receive your notices by postal mail or e-mail

 

NOTE: Hold notices for OverDrive (Libby) e-books/e-audio books are not tied to your library account. Manage your notification preferences for e-book holds in your OverDrive account.

Notices - SMS/Text

 

The library does not offer a full SMS messaging service. Patrons may add an SMS address to their record but there are no guarantees that the entire notice will be received in its entirety in a text/SMS message, as messaging rules vary by carrier (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.). To ensure receipt of notices, the library recommends a valid e-mail address be used and/or patrons use the mobile app to keep track of checkouts, due dates, etc.

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To receive library notices on your mobile phone*, simply update your notice preferences:

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  1. Log in to your account (enter library card number and PIN)

  2. Click on Profile (Vega) or Update Contact Information (Classic Catalog)

  3. Vega Catalog users: Vega does not support more than one (1) e-mail address. Go to Edit Profile and instead of the e-mail address (john.doe@isp.com) you currently have in there (if any), enter your mobile number (5401234567@phoneservice.com) instead. 

  4. Classic Catalog users: In the E-Mail Address field, enter your your cell phone number@cell phone carrier - ex. john.doe@isp.com,5401234567@phoneservice.com* followed by a comma (,) and NO SPACES and then e-mail address if desired (if one is not currently listed)

 

Here are the e-mail addresses for the most popular cellular phone carriers, where phonenumber = your 10-digit mobile phone number:

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  • AT&T: phonenumber@txt.att.net

  • Boost Mobile: phonenumber@sms.myboostmobile.com

  • C-Spire: phonenumber@cspire1.com

  • Cingular: phonenumber@cingularme.com

  • Consumer Cellular: phonenumber@mailmymobile.net

  • Cricket: phonenumber@sms.cricketwireless.net

  • Google Fi (Project Fi): phonenumber@msg.fi.google.com

  • Metro PCS: phonenumber@mymetropcs.com

  • Nextel: phonenumber@messaging.nextel.com

  • Page Plus: phonenumber@vtext.com

  • Republic Wireless: phonenumber@text.republicwireless.com

  • Sprint: phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com

  • Straight Talk: Straight Talk uses multiple carriers depending upon market conditions. To determine who your carrier is, send a test text from the Straight Talk phone in question to your email account. You will receive an email with the full SMS address ([phonenumber]@[carriergatewayvariable]) in the, "from" line.

  • T-Mobile: phonenumber@tmomail.net

  • Ting: phonenumber@message.ting.com

  • TracFone: TracFone uses multiple carriers depending upon where you live. To determine your carrier, send a test text from your TracFone to your email account. You will receive an email with the full SMS address ([phonenumber]@[carriergatewayvariable]) in the, "from" line.

  • U.S. Cellular: phonenumber@email.uscc.net

  • Verizon: phonenumber@vtext.com

  • Virgin Mobile: phonenumber@vmobl.com

  • Xfinity Mobile: phonenumber@vtext.com

 

SMS/Text notices are limited to approximately 140 characters. So for a hold pickup notification, for example, you may only get the part of the message that you have a hold to pickup. Because library notices include more information than will fit in a standard text message, patrons will want to check the mobile app or have a valid e-mail address listed in their account for complete/additional information.

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*Charges may be incurred from your cellular provider for text messaging. Patrons are encouraged to check the terms of their contract for details on charges related to receiving text messages.

 

NOTE: Hold notices for OverDrive e-books/e-audio books are not tied to your library account. Manage your notification preferences for e-book holds in your OverDrive account.

Personal Identification Number (PIN)

 

Your library Personal Identification Number (PIN) is an additional method, along with your name and library card, of verifying your identity and ensuring the security of your online library account. In most cases, when you get a library card, your PIN is automatically set by library staff.

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You can change your PIN by clicking Modify PIN after you've logged into your account.

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If you forgot your PIN, click on the Forgot Your PIN? button and an e-mail will be immediately sent to the e-mail address you provided when you created your account. The e-mail will include a link that you can click on to reset your PIN. The link is valid for 3 hours and is active from the time you submit the request. If you don't have an e-mail address in your library record, you will need to call the library and have staff reset it for you.

Preferred Searches

If you have a favorite author or subject for which you often search for, you can save the search with the click of a button. This will prevent you from having to key in the search each time and allow you to quickly place reserves on new materials.

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How to:

Reading History

If you want to keep track of the items you've checked out from the library, you can opt in to the Reading History service. The Reading History service is only available through your online account and the mobile app - library staff do not have access to your reading history.

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How to:

 

Once you opt in to the service, all items you check out will be recorded in your account, displayed in the order of checkout. If you would like to see the latest items in your Reading History, you will want to select your last/close-to-last result page. You can sort your Reading History by Author and Title by clicking on the column headings. You can delete specific entries or all entries or opt out of the service.

Renewals

Library cardholders may renew their own materials online, in the mobile app, or by contacting their local library at (540) 422-8500.

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Note: Due dates for renewed items are three weeks from the date you renew, not from the original due date.

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How to:

 

Why some items may NOT be renewed...

  • the item has pending holds

  • you have fines over $10.00

  • your card is expired

  • you've renewed the item the maximum number of times

  • the item is NEW

  • the item is a tablet, mobile hotspot or nature backpack

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