Frequently Asked Questions
myLIBRO Mobile App
MyLIBRO is the library catalog mobile app. Download myLIBRO to your device for a convenient way to search the catalog, place holds, and view your library card and account activity.
- Visit your favorite app store and download myLIBRO
- Search for County of San Luis Obispo Public Libraries
- Sign in with your library card number and password
You’ll need your library card number and the password you usually use to sign into your library account online. Forgot your password? Reset your password at any time from the My Account page at SLOLibrary.org or contact staff for assistance
Yes! Once you’ve signed into the app, tap the icon with the lines in the blue navigation box. You’ll see your card number and barcode. You can use your digital card at any of our service desks and library self-check machines.
From the Home screen swipe left on the blue navigation box and tap Add Library Card.
Make sure you’re searching our entire catalog by selecting All Branches from the dropdown menu at the top of the Search screen. If you’d like to suggest a title, please sign in to the My Account page at SLOLibrary.org to submit the Suggest a Title form. Staff is also happy to help you online or in our branches.
Yes! From the Home screen, tap the search icon. Then select your library from the dropdown menu at the top of the Search screen. You can also set your search preference to All Branches to search the entire catalog.
MyLIBRO does not offer some features that are available when you sign into your account from our website. To suspend your holds to a later date or ‘thaw’ currently frozen holds, or to change your preferences, sign into the My Account page at SLOLibrary.org or contact staff at your favorite branch.
Currently, myLIBRO only shows your Libby/OverDrive checkouts. It does not show Hoopla, Kanopy, or cloudLibrary checkouts.
MyLIBRO does not offer this feature. Please sign into the My Account page at SLOLibrary.org to pay your fees and fines.
Currently, only the Voice setting is active. We do not offer the Chat or Schedule features at this time.
Collection
We've moved them to storage to make room for more of our popular collections. But don't worry—you can still place holds on CDs from our catalog
Because technology is changing and there are so many streaming and downloadable options, we won’t be adding any more music CDs to our collection. We recommend using our free online service Hoopla for access to thousands of titles you can listen to instantly.
If you’ve used our on-demand online service Hoopla recently, you may have received this notice. About 18,000 of our library members use Hoopla currently, as you can imagine, this can quickly add up.
While we love offering you a huge variety of instantly available content it's important that we keep our overall collections spending balanced, which means putting daily and monthly limits on Hoopla checkouts.
On those times when our Hoopla fund is temporarily tapped out, we hope you’ll explore our other downloadables on Libby, cloudLibrary, Kanopy, or The Shelf. We think you’ll find something good there, too!
It's the Library's free online music service. Once you sign up with your library card, you can listen from your desktop or download to your device with the free Hoopla app. Everything in Hoopla is on-demand, so you can enjoy your music instantly—there's never a wait.
Account
1. Place items on hold using the online library catalog, www.slolibrary.org Click on the Search the Catalog button and place requests.
2. If you need assistance, please call the library to speak to a staff person. Have your library card number ready.
3. You may place up to 20 holds.
4. When you receive notification that your hold is ready for pickup, visit your selected library to pick up your requests.
You can change the pick-up location to any of our 14 branches in your account online. Go to your holds list and check the box by the items you wish to change the pickup location for, then click the Change Pickup Location button.
You will receive an email, text or phone notification based on the preference selected in your account.
With an online card, you can check out digital materials, but not physical items. To update your online card, please bring identification and go to the information desk at one of the libraries listed above. Let us know you have a digital card and we’ll take it from there.
Yes. Please bring the library card of the person who requested the hold items and you can pick up their items.
We encourage you to contact library staff before paying fines on your account.
We will always send an item back to its owning library, even after we leave the Black Gold Cooperative Library System in July. Please note that it will stay on your account until it’s checked in at the owning library.
Yes—You’ll find your digital card (barcode) in two different places:
- In your online account when you sign into My Account from SLOLibrary.org
- In the Library’s mobile app, myLIBRO
You may still be signed into the Black Gold side. You'll need to add your SLO Libraries card to Libby. Here's how:
- Tap the icon with the three lines at the bottom of Libby and select Add Library.
- Enter your zip code
- TapCounty of San Luis Obispo Public Libraries
- Tap Sign In With My Card
- Enter your library card number
- TapSign In
- TapNext
- Tap the Book iconto go to loans and holds
Some patron holds were affected during our updates. This was unexpected. If you notice something’s not right, please let us know so we can help you manage your holds. If the title you want to place a hold on isn't available, please submit a suggestion for purchase online or recommend it in the OverDrive app. We’ll do our best to get you your eBook or audiobook!
If you have anything borrowed from Black Gold on Libby, it will stay there until you've returned the book. It should automatically disappear when you've added your County of SLO Public Libraries card and viewed your account or checked something out. We don't recommend uninstalling/reinstalling the app—That might erase certain tags, lists, or histories.
You can also remove the Black Gold card. Click or tap on the 3 lines at the bottom of the app. Underneath YOUR LIBRARIES you'll see Add Library and 1 Card+, both in red. Click or tap on 1 Card+ to see all your library cards. Choose Black Gold. On the image of the Black Gold card, you’ll see ACTIONS. Click or tap ACTIONS for more options.
Services
Some public computers are available at each library. Computers are spaced 6 feet apart, and computer sessions are limited to a one-hour session per day. Mobile printing is available. Chromebooks, Wi-Fi hotspots, and Launchpads are available for checkout.
Library staff are following State and County guidelines to ensure safety by maintaining separate workspaces, sanitizing workstations, and wearing masks . The spaces inside the libraries have been adjusted to accommodate distancing; furniture will be arranged with safety in mind.
We are not able to guarantee the safety of shared library materials. During this time, it is recommended that you consult the CDC guidelines on how to protect yourself from exposure to COVID-19, and use our Digital Library if you have any concerns.
Please check with your local branch.
After many years of proposing to Black Gold various alternatives in sharing costs more equitably, our requests were always denied. We have the resources, staffing, and funding to better provide for our patrons without relying on Black Gold.
We hope you will find what you are looking for in our collections. If you do not, please let us know what you are looking for either via suggest a title, through an email at Ask A Librarian, in person, or via telephone. We want to hear what you’re looking for! We may also be able to help you find existing items in our collection that meet your needs.
Yes. You will still have access to all of our digital platforms. Since we will no longer share Libby with other patrons in Black Gold, for example, you may see that you will not need to wait as long for your item.
If your library card number begins with the digits 2206300 you will not need a new card. If your library card begins with a set of numbers other than these, you will need a new library card. Please contact library staff for assistance.