Oops! I’m having trouble!
Troubleshooting Online Access
General:
I don’t have a Bethlehem Area Public Library card. Do I need one to use your online resources?
Some things that we have available from our web page are available to you whether or not you have a library card. Others require a BAPL resident library card.
Things you can search WITHOUT a library card include:
• Our catalog
• Our own news and obituary indexes available in “Local History”
• Our local organizations file, available in “Reference”.
Things that require a BAPL resident library card include:
• Online databases
• Downloadable Audio Books
• Creating a catalog user name and password (in order to place reserves, etc.)
For information on getting a library card with us click here.
Library catalog:
How do I create a User Name and Password?
Instructions for doing this are available on our home page by clicking on "How to Access Your Library Account" at the top of
the lower left hand column.
You are free to choose any user name and password that you wish (although you can’t choose a user name that someone else has already chosen.) The name does not need to match your library card, nor is there a minimum number of letters or numbers. Try to choose something that is easy for you to remember!
When I log into my Bethlehem account, I see items that I have checked out at the Allentown or Easton Public Libraries!
We not only share our catalog with the Allentown and Easton libraries, but also our patron databases. Typically, when we see this sort of problem, it means that when you created your user name and password while in the Bethlehem catalog, you accidentally entered your Allentown or Easton library barcode to match up with the user name that you chose. To double-check whether this is the problem, log into your account, and then select the “Profile” tab. The fourth line is “Registered at:” This line is the library account that the system has connected to your user name and password.
If in fact the user name and password was connected to another library’s account, create a new user name for your Bethlehem account, connected to your Bethlehem barcode number. This number will always begin with 23062.....You may want to consider using a slight variation on your original user name to make it easy for you to differentiate your accounts: for example, if the original user name was MaryJ, and it was attached to your Easton Library account, you might want to try using MaryJBeth or MaryJBethlehem for your Bethlehem account. You CAN use the same password for both accounts.
When I try to log into my account, I get the following message: “ Invalid username and/or password, please log in again.”
User names and passwords are case sensitive, and what you enter must exactly match what you entered when you registered.
Double-check whether your caps lock key may be on, and try some variations on what you thought you had used. (We all tend to have common variations on user names and passwords.)
Still no luck? Either the user name or the password may be slightly “off”. Try isolating the problems:
• From the log-in screen, select “Forgot your password or need to change it”. Try resetting your password. If you are
able to do so, that means the problem was just with the password, and you are ready to go once again. You CAN
re-use a password. So if you thought you originally used cats as your password, and you liked that one, you can use
it again. You don’t have to think up a new one!
• No luck changing your password? Then that probably means that the user name that you are entering is just slightly
different from what you thought it was. Try a few variations that you might have used, but if you don’t feel like doing
that, or are unsuccessful, at this point, we advise that you select “Register as a new information portal user” and
start fresh.
• Staff do not have a window into the part of your record that contains your user name and password, so we are
unable to see what you originally used.
NetLibrary: Downloadable Audio books
When I try to log in, I’m asked for my borrower ID. What's that?
Your borrower ID is the barcode that is located on your library card. Enter the number (which should begin 23062...) with no spaces or dashes.
When I try to log in, I’m asked for a PIN number
We currently do not use PIN numbers for the online databases. There ARE other Bethlehem Libraries out there. Are you sure you are on the right page? Make sure you are on our home page: http://www.bapl.org
When I enter my Bethlehem barcode # that begins with 23062......the screen just flips back and says “Sorry”.
A number of things can cause this error message:
• We may not be your home library. You may be using an Access PA registration, which is not valid for the online
databases. Solution: go to your home library’s web page. Because we have a Lehigh Valley-wide group contract,
your home library provides exactly the same collection of downloadable Audio books as we have.
• Unsure which is your home library? Look for the library card with the blue Access PA sticker on it. That will be your
home library card.
• Your card may be expired, or there may be some other difficulty with your registration. Call us at 610-867-3761 or
email info@bapl.org and we can check the status of your card.
I was successful in logging onto the NetLibrary site via your home page, but the “Create a Free Account” link does
not appear.
First, double-check to make sure that authentication worked correctly, and that you are on the right page. You should see a message saying “Welcome to the Bethlehem Area Public Library eContent Collection”. You should also be able to search and view content on the page.
So far, so good? The reason for the missing graphics may be internet security / personal privacy software which is blocking the referring web page. This can result in missing graphics or content on some web pages. Rules can be created to allow missing content to properly display on affected sites.
Norton AntiVirus, for example, is a common package that can block the creation of a free account, due to the absence of the “Create a free account” graphic. Other security can have the same effect, however.
If you have Norton Internet Security or Norton Personal Firewall you can adjust the settings (create a rule) that will allow NetLibrary to work correctly:
(1) Open Norton Internet Security or Norton Personal Firewall 2003 and select Options > Internet Security, then click on the Web Content tab – or – open Norton Internet Security or Norton Personal Firewall 2004 (or newer versions) and double‑click Privacy Control; then click Advanced
(2) In the bottom of the Advanced window, click Add Site
(3) In the New Site / Domain box, type the name of the site that you want to receive the referrer information (www.netlibrary.com) and click OK. The site name appears in the left frame of the Options window 5. Click the name of the new site (www.netlibrary.com)
(4) On the Global Settings tab, under the Information about visited sites section, uncheck "Use default settings"
(5) Click Permit then click OK to close the Options window
I am having trouble downloading a title, OR I just downloaded a title but I am getting an error message that I don’t have a license to play the file or transfer it to my MP3 player.
eAudiobooks are protected by Digital Rights management (DRM). Your computer’s date/time clock settings must match the actual time zone, be set for the correct time of day, and must be as exact as possible. If these settings are off, DRM won’t allow the download, OR the license may not transfer correctly. To check / fix this issue:
(1) Close any browser windows that are open.
(2) Go to the Control Panel (click Start - Settings - Control Panel) and click on the Date/Time icon to change the clock.
(3) Confirm that the date is set for the correct day of the week.
(4) Confirm that the clock is set to the correct hour and minute (don’t worry about seconds).
(5) Confirm that the clock accurately reflects AM or PM.
(5) Check the time zone setting.
(5) Click on Apply to save the changes and then click on OK to close the window.
(6)
After all of the clock settings have been adjusted, start your browser, return to the web site, and try downloading your eAudiobook again. You should now be able to download it successfully.
For more help with downloading and/or transferring eAudiobooks, visit NetLibrary's help pages.
Troubleshooting Online Databases: General
When I try to log in, I’m asked for my borrower ID. What's that?
Your borrower ID is the barcode that is located on your library card. Enter the number (which should begin 23062...) with no spaces or dashes.
When I try to log in, I’m asked for a PIN number
We currently do not use PIN numbers for the online databases. There ARE other Bethlehem Libraries out there. Are you sure you are on the right page? Make sure you are on our home page: http://www.bapl.org
When I enter my Bethlehem barcode # that begins with 23062......the screen just flips back and says “Sorry”.
A number of things can cause this error message:
• We may not be your home library. You may be using an Access PA registration, which is not valid for the online
databases. Solution: go to your home library’s web page. Because we have a Lehigh Valley-wide group contract,
your home library provides exactly the same collection of downloadable Audio books as we have.
• Unsure which is your home library? Look for the library card with the blue Access PA sticker on it. That will be your
home library card.
• Your card may be expired, or there may be some other difficulty with your registration. Call us at 610-867-3761 or
email info@bapl.org and we can check the status of your card.
I am able to log in, and see the message “Welcome” and my name, but when I select a database, I’m asked for a user name and password. OR the Power Library link tells me to access it from a participating PA Library.
To use the databases, you must have "cookies" enabled in your browser. There are other browser compatibility issues that can also cause this symptom. These sorts of messages can also occur because of firewall, Norton AntiVirus, or other antivirus or personal privacy software. For troubleshooting help with all of these issues, please visit http://www.powerlibrary.org/Browser.asp
Troubleshooting Online Databases: Reference USA
I am able to log into the database, but when I select a way to search (business or residential) either the search page does not load, or I see html code in the box on the right-hand side.
Are you using Internet Explorer as your browser? If so, on your top Internet Explorer menu, select Tools > Internet Options and then select the Advanced tab. Scroll down to HTTP 1.1 settings. Make sure that both boxes are unchecked. Exit Reference USA and re-enter. This should solve the problem.
Nothing worked? Or you don’t see the answer to your question here?
Please call 610-867-3761 x224 to speak to a librarian, or email us at info@bapl.org