Guide to First-time Access

Library Home  *  Circulation Home

Online Catalog

If you are here, you know you want to access your library record through the SWAN online catalog, but you are not sure how to start.

The following dialog goes on the assumption that you have never accessed your account online before.  If you have accessed Your Account before and need assistance, follow the link for Tools, Tips, & Troubleshooting.

Starting at the beginning

The online catalog for the SWAN system (part of the Metropolitan Library System, or MLS) is located at https://swan.mls.lib.il.us, and you can access your account through their My Account page, on the right hand side of their main page.

What you will find at the Login page

A screen that requests Your Name, Barcode, and Enter Your PIN.

HELP links exist within the My Account Login page.  The information you see below is based on what Berwyn Library staff have needed to tell people on multiple occasions, which may duplicate the information they provide.

What those really mean

• Your Name

The "Your Name" field wants to know your name as it appears on your record in the computer.  You can type it as Elizabeth Smith, or as Smith, Elizabeth - the order does not matter.

Mainly, keep in mind that if your name is entered on your record as Elizabeth Smith, and you type Betty Smith, the computer is not going to find you!

• Barcode

Your "Barcode" is a little more complex, but still basic.  Your library card has a fourteen (14) digit number on it, somewhere.

You enter that number in the Barcode field with NO SPACES.  Type your barcode carefully; the digits appear as dots, so there is no easy way to confirm a mis-hit key.

• Enter your PIN

Entering your Personal Identification Number (PIN) is the point at which most people need assistance, because they get confused.  The first time you access your account online, you create a PIN.  Enter what you want your PIN to be; it should be at least five (5) characters, and can be letters, numbers, or a combination of both.  Submit the page (by either clicking the Submit button, or pressing Enter on your keyboard).

If there is no PIN associated with your account, a new page will load with the phrase Please enter a Personal Identification Number (PIN) appearing in red at the top of your screen.  The name and barcode fields will be filled in, and it will want you to enter your PIN in two more fields underneath your barcode, to confirm it.  Submit the page again; you should now be routed to Your Account.

If you do not see those instructions, you can refer to the Tools, Tips, & Troubleshooting page, or contact Circulation at (708) 795-8000 ext 0.

After confirming your PIN with your first account access, you should only have to enter it once from then on when you log in.

For your own sense of security

The PIN you enter is as secure as anything can be online.  Your PIN appears, encrypted, within the account your library accesses; a real-life sample PIN, which in reality is four numbers, appears in their file as 4AQisIjhfos9A.  That way, the library can erase it if you encounter a problem with it, but they cannot actually see what it is.