3M Cloud Library - Mobile App for Android and Apple Devices Notes: these instructions were made using screen shots from an ipad. The layout on Android smartphones and tablets may vary slightly. Getting Started 1. Search your app store for the 3M Cloud Library, and install this free app. When downloaded to the device, the app icon looks like this. Android users: this will be listed as "Cloud Library" in your list of apps. 2. Open the app to set it up for your initial use (should only have to do this once). Answer each field! a. Select State/County - pick CA from the menu. b. Select Library - for CA, there is only one Cloud Library, but you must select it to continue. It is named "Pasadena and Glendale Public Libraries" c. Enter Your Library-ID - tap here to enter your Pasadena Public Library Card number. d. Enter Your Library-Pin e. End User License Agreement - open this and tap "agree" to continue. d. Tap the Login button to finalize your setup! Overview of App Features The 3M Cloud Library has 4 main pages, accessible through these buttons. Each section is described below.
Shelves formerly Channels These are the display cases of the library. To browse all of the books in a Shelve, click "list view" (circled above in green). This brings you a page that is easy to scroll through of the books. Each book's checkout status is shown on the page. Note that you can change how the list is sorted (button circled in red). It defaults to sorting by title. Categories Categories allow you to browse the entire library by subject. Search The search is a simple one for now. Try a one-word search for best results. Shown below is part of a search screen. The word "Jance" was searched (a mystery author). Note that you can sort the list of results (circled in red). Advanced search (circled in yellow) allows you to opt to only see books that are currently available for checkout in your searches.
My Books This is your account screen. The My Books screen has an area that shows what books you are reading, the books that you have on hold, and books on your wishlist. Currently Reading area appears as a bookcase. It will show the books you have currently checked out. Clicking list view (circled in red) will show you more options for your checked out items. List View allows you to see the details on each book without opening each book to check. Each book will be shown with these options, including how many days you have left of the checkout period. Choose the back button to return to your main My Books page.
The rest of your account information is shown below the Currently Reading area. Holds will always estimate how long of a wait you have on your books. For more about holds, see the section on Holds below. Wish List is an area to save books that the library does not have yet. If you stumble across a book that is suggested, but we do not have, you may add it to the wish list. If the library purchases that book you will be notified by the system. Reading History preserves what you have read, and any ratings you have applied to those books. Message Center will be a place that you can read notices and updates from the library, and notifications of items available on your holds or wishlist (if you have not yet seen them). Account Profile only shows that you are signed up with the Pasadena and Glendale Public Libraries Cloud Library, but it is also where you can "Change Library Identification" (ipad/iphone) or "Log Out Account" (Android). Either of these will return you to the login page, where another person could sign in with their account. This will only be necessary if you share your mobile device with another person. Check Out a Book! When you have found a book you are interested in, click on the book's cover. This will pull up the Book Detail page. Note that you can view a full summary as well as similar books to the one you are interested in. Usually these are other books by the author. Obviously, from here click the green "checkout" button to check out this book. If the book is currently checked out, it will be a button to place a hold instead.
Immediately after clicking Checkout, the My Books page comes up. The book has been checked out to you for 14 days. The new book will appear on in the Currently Reading list, and a blue bar will move across the bottom of the book cover. When this is complete, the book will open so you can begin reading immediately. Typically a book takes less than a minute to download.
Lending Periods, Limits Checkout period is 14 days. Please realize that you can return your books early. This is especially encouraged in the early days of our account. Please return your book when you are finished so it can be used by another. Checkout limit is five. You can have 5 books checked out at once! Holds limit is ten. You can have up to 10 books on hold at a time. Please realize that with the checkout limit this could cause a bind if you have multiple books come ready at once. You will have to decide which you are most interested in if this happens. Holds grace period is 3 days. You have 72 hours to check out a book once it becomes available to you. After that time, it will pass to the next patron. Reading a Book Turning Pages: tap on the right edge of the page, or swipe towards the left from the right edge to proceed through the book. To back up, do the same action from the left edge. Access book Options by tapping the center of your page. This will bring up a menu across the top that looks like this: Close will return you to the My Books screen. The i brings up the book details again, it also now contains button to return the book early. The double A button shows options to change text size (make it larger or smaller) and turn on "night mode." This will turn the background black and the text white. The magnifying glass allows you to search inside the book for a keyword. The faint square box on the far right of the options menu is the bookmarks feature. Bookmarks may be set with additional notes you create. Notice that the bookmark looks like a post-it. 3M also manufactures those.
Holds When a hold is placed, the progress of a hold is shown on the My Books screen. It estimates the wait period for a book based on the number of people ahead of you in the list and the maximum checkout period of 14 days. Notifications: the 3M Cloud Library cannot email you. You must keep track of your holds. If you open your 3M Cloud Library app at least every other day you will be able to catch any book that comes available to you. A notification message will pop up when you open the Cloud Library app:
Returning a Book Early If you are finished with a book, please return it. This will make the book available for the next person to use. Here is the easiest way to do this: On the My Books screen, click on the "list view" button (circled in red). This will bring up the list of your currently checked out books. Click the red "Check In" button next to the book you are finished with. Multiple Books or Multiple Devices Reading Multiple Books at Once--The Cloud Library is supposed to save your place when you close a book. Some users are having trouble with going back & forth between books, as they read multiple titles at once. Please set a bookmark to be certain! Reading on Multiple Devices--The Cloud Library is supposed to save your place in your book, so you can pick up where you left off on another device. Please realize that it will not be perfect. Devices do not have the same page size (more text fits on the screen of an ipad than an iphone). Set up your account on the other device as above. Open your account, and select your book. The book will need to download into this new device. When finished reading for the day, always be sure to close the book and return to the My Books screen. This should set your progress in the book. You could also set a bookmark manually to be certain. For more on bookmarks, see "Reading a Book."