The library is a member of BCCLS!
*Note for eBCCLS users (11/8/24): The MP3 audiobook format will be removed and OverDrive’s desktop app for Windows and Mac will stop being supported on November 13, 2024. Download audiobooks using the Libby app instead.
These changes are for outdated technology. If you’re using the Libby app, this will likely not affect your use of e-content at all.
South Orange Public Library is an official member of the BCCLS consortium.
BCCLS (Bergen County Cooperative Library System) is a consortium of 78 public libraries in northern New Jersey. These libraries share a member/item database, allowing their patrons to easily and efficiently access each other’s materials, either in person or by delivery.
If you’re a SOPL resident, you will not need anything more than what you already have. Your South Orange library card grants you walk-in and delivery access to all libraries in the consortium. There is no special BCCLS card; your current SOPL card will be accepted at all member libraries.
Requested items can be delivered to either of our temporary locations.
You must present either your library card, current photo ID, or your card scanned into the BCCLS app to any member library to access your account. We cannot look up accounts by name.
If you don’t have a library card and live in South Orange, you can register for one here. If you live in another town with a BCCLS library, you must register with that library first, and then you can use that library card here.
BCCLS FAQ
-
What can I do as a BCCLS member?
-
BCCLS members have access to more than 5 million items in 78 libraries. They can walk into any library and check out available materials using their SOPL card. They can also place items from other libraries on hold and have them sent to SOPL for pickup, or arrange to have materials sent to any other member library for pickup there.
Members also have access to various e-resources.
-
What do I need to present at a BCCLS library?
-
You must present either your South Orange library card, a photo ID, or your library card scanned into the BCCLS app at any BCCLS library. We cannot look up accounts by name.
-
Who is/is not eligible to use the BCCLS consortium?
-
South Orange residents of all ages are entitled to use the full services of the BCCLS consortium, including item delivery and digital content via the Libby app.
Per BCCLS policy, patrons who are eligible for a South Orange Public Library card through employment or school (including au pairs), or out-of-town residents who pay for a SOPL card, can check out SOPL material but cannot use the card to have items delivered from other libraries in the consortium, or to access digital content with Libby.
-
How do I log into BCCLS? What is my password?
-
Logging into BCCLS requires two numbers: your 14-digit library card number beginning with 29507 (entered without spaces) and a password.
If you’re a patron with a card registered before Nov. 1, 2023, your password has been reset to 1234. You can keep that password or change it once you log in for the first time.
If you registered for a library card after Nov. 1, 2023, ask us to create a password for you or use the Forgot Password link to have a link sent to your email address.
-
How do I request items from the BCCLS catalog?
-
- Log into BCCLS website with your card number and password, or use BCCLS app.
- Search for item you want to request.
- If the item is available, choose red “Place Request” button
- If you want the item delivered to a library other than South Orange, choose it from the drop-down menu. South Orange is the default option.
- Click “Submit Request.”
If the item is available in consortium, one of the libraries will deliver it to designated spot and you will receive a notification once it is ready. You have a maximum of 3 business days to pick item up.
-
Can I have items delivered to Baird Center?
-
Yes, you can now select Baird Center as a pickup location for your BCCLS requests. Our Walton Ave. branch will appear as the default location, so use the drop-down menu to choose Baird Center.
In your BCCLS account settings, you have the option of making Baird Center your preferred pickup location, at which point Baird will become your default branch.
-
Which local libraries belong to BCCLS?
-
This is the complete list of member libraries, but the libraries closest to us that are also BCCLS members are:
Bloomfield
Glen Ridge
Livingston
Maplewood
Millburn
Montclair
West Orange
-
Is there an app I can download to my smartdevice?
-
Yes, search for “BCCLS” in your app store.
-
What is eBCCLS? Does this replace eLibraryNJ?
-
eBCCLS provides access to digital books, audiobooks, and magazines, using the Libby app on your smartdevice. (The app is exactly the same as we’ve been using up to now with the eLibraryNJ collection.)
To add eBCCLS to your Libby account, follow these steps:
Tap Menu (3 horizontal lines in middle of app footer,) then Add Library
Find Your Library: Use the Search Box to find your library by Name, City, or Zip (Name is recommended)
Tap the BCCLS Card option
Follow the prompts to add your library card information
-
Can I return materials from other BCCLS libraries to you?
-
Yes, and you can return our materials to any other member library.
-
What happened to ReBL? Does BCCLS replace this?
-
ReBL (Reciprocal Borrowing and Lending) is a non-binding consortium of roughly two dozen libraries in Essex County. We are still a member library, and with the ReBL sticker placed on your library card, you can continue to use the other libraries according to each library’s policy.
It’s worth noting that several libraries in ReBL are also members of BCCLS (see question about local libraries above), so you wouldn’t need anything beyond your library card to access them. For the others (Newark, East Orange, Seton Hall University, etc.), you still need the ReBL sticker.
-
Does BCCLS keep track of what I've taken out?
-
By default, we do not keep track of what you have checked out on your BCCLS account in the past. However, you have the option of activating this feature going forward in your BCCLS profile. When you are logged in, scroll down to “Keep Reading History” and check the box, then follow the instructions to confirm this decision.
-
Is interlibrary loan through JerseyCat still available?
-
Yes, we will still place interlibrary loan requests through JerseyCat, the statewide catalog, provided the materials are not available from a BCCLS library.
If they are not found in a BCCLS library, we will place the request in JerseyCat, which expands the search to the whole state, and if necessary, out of state.
NOTE: You can still place your own requests on JerseyCat and we will approve them, provided they are not available in BCCLS. If a BCCLS library has the material, we will cancel your JerseyCat request and place it in BCCLS for you.
-
How do I pay for fines/lost items? Can I use a credit card?
-
Overdue fines or lost/damaged charges stemming from SOPL material can be paid for in person at the library by cash or check, or by credit card through the BCCLS website (there is a 50-cent surcharge for online transactions). We do not take credit cards in person.
We will accept in-person cash payment for other libraries’ material for overdue fines only; lost/damaged material must be paid for by check/money order (made out to the lending library) or online. We cannot accept cash for other libraries’ lost/damaged material.
-
How does renewing items work?
-
BCCLS will automatically renew your items, unless they are on hold for another patron, they have reached the renewal limit, or your card is blocked.
Note: We are unable to extend due dates for other libraries’ material if they have reached any of the above conditions.
-
My items are more than 90 days overdue. What happens now?
-
You will receive an email/text notice for your materials 14 days after they are overdue, and a second notice after 28 days. After 60 days, you will receive a print notice through the mail.
Once the items reach the 90-day overdue mark, BCCLS marks them lost and will charge the replacement fees to your account.
At this point, we will begin receiving bills for these items from the member libraries. If you return the items before the bills are paid, we will return them to the member libraries and they will decide whether to waive the fines. Once we pay the bills, the fines revert to our library and you will have to pay the full cost of the items.