More books, more DVDs, more everything: SCLENDS widens catalog for library patrons

Did you know the Beaufort County Library is part of a state lending program that gives Beaufort County residents access to more than 2.75 million materials throughout the state?

The Beaufort County Library is one of 19 county libraries in South Carolina that make up SCLENDs (South Carolina Library Evergreen Network Delivery System), a consortium of libraries around the state, plus the State Library, that have agreed to share resources and circulating materials. These 2.75 million materials include books for children and adults, DVDs, audiobooks, graphic novels and CDs.

Combining these resources has been a great success story for the libraries of South Carolina and should be taken advantage of by all library cardholders.

So how exactly does SCLENDS work? All libraries that are part of SCLENDS share a single catalog, meaning customers can search for items at any of the libraries at any time of day. With the click of a button -- and your username and password -- available items at any of the libraries can be transferred and delivered to your home library for pickup. In addition, SCLENDS has some other great features to offer:

ELECTRONIC BOOK BAGS/LISTS

Let's say that when searching the SCLENDS catalog, you see books you would like to read in the future. SCLENDS offers a feature where you can create reading lists and add to your list as you navigate the catalog. This convenient feature tracks materials for you for later access. It's a great feature for big readers. There's just so much to read and so little time.

SUSPENDING YOUR HOLDS

Another element to SCLENDS is the ability to suspend and activate your holds. Say you are going out of town for two weeks, but don't want to lose your spot on the latest David Baldacci book. Within your account, you can suspend and activate your holds -- never losing your place on the holds list.

SIGN UP FOR TEXT MESSAGE NOTIFICATIONS

When placing items on hold, you can now be notified via text message. As soon as your item arrives in our building, you will receive a text message notifying you that your hold is now available for pickup. Sign up online today or contact your local librarian to begin receiving text notifications.

CHECKOUT HISTORY

For avid readers, keeping track of titles and authors you have read can be a daunting task. Within your SCLENDS account, you (and only you) can view your checkout history and even download a printable list. This makes keeping track of your reading/watching/listening history simple and easy.

As you can see, SCLENDS has a lot to offer Beaufort County library cardholders. Check out the online catalog today at www.beaufortcountylibrary.org.

Don't have a Beaufort County Library card yet? Stop by one of our five library branches in Beaufort County and get a card today. All you need is proof of residency in Beaufort County; this includes a driver's license, military ID, utility bill, mail with current address or property tax information.

Stacey Inman is reference manager at Beaufort County Library.

This story was originally published January 24, 2015 at 4:00 PM with the headline "More books, more DVDs, more everything: SCLENDS widens catalog for library patrons."