What is a PIN/Password?

To log in to your library account, you will need a PIN/Password. Since your library account displays your name, address, phone number, and any items checked out or on hold, your PIN/Password protects your privacy in the event you lose your library card. Your PIN/Password is encrypted and cannot be viewed by library staff to further protect your privacy.

Getting a PIN/Password

You do not have a PIN/Password when you receive your library card. Enter all other information on the "library account" or "place hold" page but LEAVE THE PIN/PASSWORD FIELD BLANK. After clicking "submit" you will be given a field to enter a PIN/Password and another to verify it. If you receive a "Sorry, the information you submitted was invalid. Please try again." message, see below for what to do.

Your 3-30 character long PIN/Password can be a combination of numbers and/or letters that you will remember so long as it is not a "trivial" pattern. A "trivial pattern" produces the following error message "Your PIN is not complex enough to be secure. Please select another one."

A "trivial" pattern has:

• a character that is repeated three or more times (for example, aaaa, ababa, bbbb)
• a set of up to four characters is that is repeated two or more times (for example, abab, abcabc, abcdabcd).

Error Message

Sometimes you forget your PIN/Password if you have not used it in a while. If you receive a "Sorry, the information you submitted was invalid. Please try again." error message then a PIN/Password already exists in your account. If you gave the library your e-mail address, click the "Forgot your PIN? Get a PIN reset e-mail." link. An e-mail will be sent to the account your gave the library. The e-mail has a link  to reset your PIN/password that is valid for 3 hours. If more than 3 hours pass before you read your e-mail, simply go back to the library account log in page and request another PIN reset e-mail.

If you did not give us an e-mail address or continue having problems logging in or placing a hold, ask for help at any library service desk or by calling 972-466-4800 during library hours. Staff cannot tell you your PIN/Password since it is encrypted, but they can delete it to allow you to create a new one. At your request, staff can also enter a PIN/Password of your choice in your account.

If there are more than five failed attempts to log in with the same barcode within one minute, the system will block access to the patron account for one minute.

Changing PIN/Password

To change your PIN/Password when you are logged in to your account, click on the "change PIN/Password" button. If you do not know your PIN/Password to log in to your account, library staff must delete your existing PIN/Password allowing you to create a new one.