Frequently Asked Questions

Please note: Depending on your library or organization's individual configuration, all products and services may not be available.

I forgot my password. How can I get it?
To obtain your password, you must provide the answer to your Security Question. This is the answer to a question you provided when you first set up your NetLibrary account. Follow these steps to have your password sent to you via email:

  1. Click Log In.
  2. Click Forget user name or password? link.
  3. Type your email address and click Submit. The email address you type should be the same one you provided to NetLibrary when you opened or updated your account.
  4. NetLibrary displays a list of user names associated with your email address.
  5. Click the appropriate user name. If you have only one account, click that user name.
  6. Type the answer to your security question and click Submit.
You will receive your password via email within a few minutes.
Note: You must type the answer exactly as you first entered it when you set up your account. If there are any misspellings or variations in spelling, the system will reject your answer.

Can I read eBooks on my PDA or RocketBook?
If your library has licensed the Adobe Content Server, you will see the option to download and read the eBook offline for all eBooks that are available to read offline using the Adobe Reader 6.0. With Adobe Reader 6.0 you may read NetLibrary eBooks on your PDA if you have installed Adobe Reader 6.0 on both your computer and PDA and have activated both using Adobe's DRM activator. At this time, NetLibrary eBooks are not available on devices other than a PDA with Adobe Reader 6.0 installed.

What does "There are no copies available for checkout" mean?
The "There are no copies available for checkout" message appears when all copies of an eBook are in use by another user. We do not currently offer a queuing system that will notify you when the eBook becomes available. You may recommend that your library purchase additional copies of eBooks that are frequently in use by other members.

Why am I logged out of my eBook while I am reading it online?
The NetLibrary site allows books to be viewed in 15 minute increments. If you are actively using the eBook during the first 15 minutes, you will be allowed to view the eBook for another 15 minutes. You will retain access to the eBook as long as you continue to actively use the eBook (turn a page, perform a full text search, etc.). The eBook will reshelve itself if you leave it idle for more than 15 minutes. We recommend that you turn a page in your eBook every few minutes so that the site recognizes you are still using the eBook and does not reshelve it. Library patrons and staff are not able to change the site session time to last longer than 15 minutes.

How much does a NetLibrary account cost?
A NetLibrary account is absolutely free to register and use. You will not encounter any membership/annual fees, maintenance costs, or hidden charges with your NetLibrary account. Since we do not collect credit card information upon registration or elsewhere on the site, we cannot charge you for our service.

I changed my email address. How can I update my account information?
To change your email address or any other account information, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your account.
  2. Click the Edit Account button on the navigation bar on the home page. The Edit Account page is displayed.
  3. Edit your information and click update on the bottm of the page. Note: the Answer field will not display any information, even though it is still sotred in the NetLibrary system.
  4. The Account Update page is displayed, with your edited information. Reivew the information for accuracy. If hte information is not correct, repeat Steps 2 and 3 and enter the correct information.

What are the differences between Browsing an eBook and Checking Out an eBook?
Your library will offer one or more of the following options:

Note: If all of the copies of an eBook owned by your library are being used, you will be notified that there are currently no copies of the book available.

How do I enable cookies on my browser?
You can refuse cookies by turning them off in your browser; however, a significant portion of the NetLibrary site will not operate properly unless your computer accepts all cookies. In order for you to enable cookies on your computer, follow these steps:

If you are using MS Internet Explorer 5.X:

  1. Click Tools on the menu bar.
  2. Under Tools, select Internet Options.
  3. Under Internet Options, click the Security tab.
  4. Select the Internet icon web content zone.
  5. Click Custom Level at the bottom of the dialogue box.
  6. Scroll down to the Cookies section.
  7. Make sure both the Allow cookies and the Allow per-session cookie buttons are set to Enable.
  8. Click OK.

If you are using Netscape Navigator 4.X:

  1. Click Edit on the menu bar.
  2. Under Edit, select Preferences.
  3. Click Advanced in the list on the left.
  4. Go to the Cookies section in the right dialogue box.
  5. Select Accept all cookies.
  6. Click OK.
Once you enable cookies, you must reset the browser connection to the NetLibrary server. To do this, close your browser and then reopen it. Retype the URL address, www.netlibrary.com in the address field. This will eliminate the risk of error messages due to any previous cookie problems.

How can I change my User ID name?
Once an account is established with a User ID name it cannot be changed. If you want to use a different User ID name, you must set up a new account.

Can I read the same eBook on different computers (e.g., my home PC and a laptop)?
Yes, you can read the same eBook on one computer, close it, and reopen it on another computer. Close the eBook and Log out. Then log in on a different computer and reopen your eBook from your eBookshelf.

Can I access eBooks from Home?
Yes, simply type www.NetLibrary.com and then enter your user name and password (the NetLibrary account information that you created inside your library) at the NetLibrary homepage. Once you are logged into your NetLibrary account you will have full access to your library's eBook collection at home.

I get a "Page can't be found" message. How do I resolve this problem?
The browser cache holds the content of all the pages you have visited during previous sessions; therefore, it can get full quickly. When this happens, this message may be displayed. To clear your browser cache follow these steps:

If you are using MS Internet Explorer 5.X:

  1. Open your browser.
  2. From the menu bar, click Tools and go to Internet Options.
  3. In the Internet Options window, click the General tab.
  4. In the General section, click the Delete Files button in the middle of the box, under the heading Temporary Internet Files.
  5. Check the Delete all offline content option.
  6. Click OK twice, once in each box.

If you are using Netscape Navigator 4.X:

  1. Open your browser.
  2. From the menu bar, click Edit and go to Preferences.
  3. In the Preferences window, a white box with a heading named category is displayed.
  4. Locate the word Advanced at the bottom of the box.
  5. Click the plus (+) sign to the left of the word Advanced to expand the hierarchy. Three options, Cache, Proxies and Smart Update, are displayed.
  6. Click Cache.
  7. Click the Clear Disk Cache and Clear Memory Cache options.
  8. Click OK.

How long can I read an eBook?
In the NetLibrary system, individual libraries are able to set their own checkout times, therefore depending on your library's individual set-up you may have access for as little as 15 minutes or as long as several weeks. You have access to an eBook as long as you are actively using it, if your library has set an access time, you will be informed of that time when borrowing the eBook. To learn more about your individual library's access times please contact your librarian.

What software or hardware is required?
To use the NetLibrary site and online reader you only need a computer (either PC or Mac) with an Internet connection and a browser. Browser requirements are version 4.01 and above of Microsoft Internet Explorer or version 4.76 and above of Netscape Navigator.

In order to view some eBook titles you may need either the Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.05, 5.x, or Adobe Reader 6.0 plug-in or the DjVu 3.2 plug-in. If a plug-in is required to view a title, the eBook Summary page will show which plug-in is required and will provide a link to download the appropriate plug-in.