Library Books App for OS X and iPhone

There's a great — and free — application for the Mac called, fittingly, Library Books. It does something wonderful: it keeps tabs on your holds and loans at your local library. It only takes a click to double-check your due dates, and you can easily jump to your account to manage holds.


Although Library Books is fully compatible with the Spokane Public Library system, it doesn't come with a built-in preset. So for those who aren't especially technically inclined, or for those who are but would rather that someone else do the trial-and-error work for them, I've come up with a step-by-step guide for installing Library Books on your Mac and setting it up to work with the Spokane Public Library.

1. Download the Library Books application for OS X. It's safe to choose the "Library Books 3 βeta" option rather than "Library Books 2," which is a version that is no longer being actively developed.

However, to use the beta version you'll need to be running the latest version of OS X (i.e., Snow Leopard, 10.6.x). If you're still running the previous version of OS X (i.e., Leopard, 10.5.x), you'll have to download Library Books 2. These instructions might or might not work for version 2; your mileage may vary.

2. Install the application as you would any other: by placing it in your Applications folder. Then double-click on the icon to launch it. Because the beta version is still in development, it uses a generic app icon instead of the more aesthetically pleasing icon from version 2.

3. Click on the book icon that has just appeared in your menubar. Select "Preferences" at the bottom of the drop-down menu.

4. Under the "Library Cards" tab, click on "+ Add Library Card".


5. Move down to the "Generic Libraries" heading and then click on "Horizon" from that submenu.

6. You'll now be presented with some fields to fill out. For "Display Name," type something like, "Spokane Public Library," or, "That place in Spokane filled with lots of books that isn't Auntie's."


7. For "Barcode," enter your library card number. For "PIN," enter your four-digit PIN code.

8. When you're done, click on the "Catalogue Settings" chiclet.

9. Now, go to your Web browser (e.g., Safari, Firefox) and log in to your Spokane Library account.

10. Look to the upper right and click on the "My List" link.


11. Once you're on the "My List" page, copy the full URL that appears in the browser's address bar.


12. Paste that URL into the "Catalogue URL" field. The date format option beneath it should be set to "Month Day Year" if it isn't already.


Finally, click the "Save" button and you're all set.

Keep in mind that Library Books has a companion iPhone app, which, since we're not always sitting with our desktops or laptops, might be more practical for the mobility-minded, but you pay $2.99 for that practicality. That cost does offset some of the time and labor that go into the free OS X version.


Let me know if any of the above is unclear, or if you encounter any problems during setup. And if anyone knows of an equivalent program for Windows, please feel free to mention it below in the comments.