Frequently Asked Questions about VuFind Accounts or Logins

Why do I need a VuFind account?

VuFind accounts are separate from other library accounts you might have. A VuFind account allows you to "tag" records in VuFind, mark titles as "favorites," etc. If your VuFind account is profiled with your library account information, you can also use VuFind to check the status of your library account, request items from the library, and renew items that are already checked out to you.

What's the difference between my VuFind account and the "library" account I use to log in to the other library catalog?

Your VuFind account is something you create on your own. You choose the username and password you want to use. When you profile your VuFind account with your library account information, your VuFind username becomes a sort of alias, within VuFind, for your library borrower ID (which may be a barcode number that's more difficult to remember). Your VuFind account is also what allows you to "tag" records in VuFind, mark titles as "favorites," etc.

Your library account is something created for you by the library. Your library account is what allows you to request items from an I-Share library or renew an item that is already checked out to you from an I-Share library. To log in to your library account you need the name of the I-Share library with which you are affiliated (for instance, the college where you are a student), your library borrower ID (barcode number), and the form of your last name that the library has in its official record of eligible borrowers. Because you profile your VuFind account with your library account information, VuFind can log in to your library account for you, whenever you log in to VuFind (and do something that requires a library account login).

How do I create a VuFind account?

From the VuFind login page, click on the "Create New Account" link. Fill in the boxes as described below (ILLINET library staff, see below):

First Name:	Your first name (or whatever name you want VuFind to use for you). When you log in to VuFind, VuFind will display "Logged in as <First Name> <Last Name>" in the upper right corner of the page.
Last Name:	Your last name (or whatever name you want VuFind to use for you). When you log in to VuFind, VuFind will display "Logged in as <First Name> <Last Name> " in the upper right corner of the page.
Email Address:	The email address to which you want VuFind to send a new password, if you ever forget your password and ask for a new one. Note that updating the email address in your VuFind account does not update it in the library's official record for you. "Item available" and "item overdue" notices will be emailed to the address in the library's official record.
Desired Username:	Enter the username you want to use whenever you log in to VuFind. Your VuFind username can be the same as your library borrower ID (barcode number), or the same as your campus netID, or anything else of your own choosing. Be sure to choose a username that you will be able to remember. (Because VuFind usernames must be unique, you might need to try more than one before you find one that has not been taken by another user. Your library borrower ID might make a good username for this reason.)
Password:	Enter the password you want to use whenever you log in to VuFind. If it is important to you to keep your library catalog transactions confidential, you will want to use a "strong" password. A strong password is one that will not be easy for someone else to guess (for instance, it should not be the same as your username), and it should contain a mixture of lower-case letters, upper-case letters and numbers. Be sure to choose a password that you will be able to remember.
Password Again:	Re-enter the password you want to use. If you do not enter exactly the same password twice in a row, VuFind will prompt you to try again.
Borrower ID:	In order to use VuFind to check the status of your library account, request items from I-Share libraries, or renew items already checked out to you from I-Share libraries you need to enter your library borrower ID in this box, even if you decided to use your borrower ID as your VuFind username and entered it in the username box. Library Borrower IDs are often (but not always) 14-digit barcode numbers. Your library borrower ID probably displays on whatever card was issued to you by your I-Share library. If your library borrower ID ever changes (for instance, if you lose your library card and are issued another one with a new ID number on it), then you will have to re-profile your VuFind account with the new borrower ID by logging into your account, navigating to the User Account section, removing the existing data in the Borrower ID box, typing in your new ID number, then clicking Submit to save the new information.
Last Name on Library Account:	In order to use VuFind to check the status of your library account, request items from I-Share libraries, or renew items already checked out to you from I-Share libraries you need to enter here your last name as it appears in the library's official record for you. Note that updating your name in your VuFind account does not update it in the library's official record. If your name changes, be sure to contact your library to let them know.
I-Share Library with Which You Are Affiliated:	Select the library that issued you the borrower ID that you entered in the Borrower ID box.

Do I have to use my barcode number as my VuFind username?

Your VuFind username can be anything you want it to be. You may find it convenient to use your borrower ID (barcode number), since other library systems may require you to enter that number. On the other hand, you may find it convenient to create a VuFind username that is simpler to remember than a 14-digit barcode number, or that is the same as a username you use elsewhere.

What if I don't have an email address (or don't want to enter the one I have)?

You must enter some kind of email address in order to create a new account in VuFind. The only thing VuFind uses that email address for, however, is to send you a new password when you ask to have your password reset. If you are willing to miss out on that functionality, then you can enter a bogus email address like "noaccount@nomailserver.com."

May I create more than one VuFind account?

You may create more than one VuFind account. The "tags" and "favorites" that you enter with one VuFind account will not be accessible to you if you log on with a different VuFind account. If you enter the same email address for more than one account then, if you ever have to have the password reset on one account, VuFind will reset the password on all your other accounts at the same time. If you profile more than one VuFind account with the same library, borrower ID and last name, all the profiled VuFind accounts will have access to your library account.

What does it mean to "profile" or "sync" my VuFind account with my library account information?

Your VuFind account is separate from your library account. In order for VuFind to connect to the library catalog system and allow you to check the status of your library account, request items from I-Share libraries, or renew items that are already checked out to you from I-Share libraries, VuFind must have the same information you would use if you were to log in to the library system directly: the name of the I-Share library with which you are affiliated, your borrower ID, and your last name as it appears in the official library record for you.

I can log in to VuFind, but I still can't request an item or renew an item I already have checked out. Why?

If you can log in to VuFind with your VuFind username and password but you cannot check the status of your library account, it may be that the library catalog system is temporarily unavailable or it may be that your VuFind account is not correctly profiled with your library account information. When you created your VuFind account, did you fill in the boxes for "Library Borrower ID" and "Last Name on Library Account," and did you select the name of your library from the drop-down list? If not, you will need to do so to see status information. If so, has any of that information changed since the time you created your account? You can check or reenter your Borrower ID, Last Name on Library Account, and/or I-Share Library information by logging into your VuFind account and navigating to the User Account section. If you make any changes, click the Submit button to save and try to access the status of your library account again.

If you can log in to VuFind and can check the status of your library account but cannot place a request or renew an item that is already checked out to you from an I-Share library, there might be a problem with your library account, or there might be a problem with the item you are attempting to request or renew. Do not hesitate to contact your library for help if you are having trouble using VuFind or any other library system.

I'm trying to log in, but I'm getting a message about cookies being required. What's that about?

VuFind uses cookies to manage logged in sessions. If your browser's privacy settings forbid cookies from illinois.edu, you will not be able to log in to the catalog. For information on how to (re)enable cookies in your browser, click one of the links below:

I'm at an ILLINET library. How do I create a VuFind account?

From the VuFind login page, click on the "Create New Account" link. Fill in the boxes as described below:

First Name:	ILLINET library staff should enter the first portion of their library's name. When users log in to VuFind, VuFind will display "Logged in as <First Name> <Last Name>" in the upper right corner of the page. There is a 50 character limit for this field.
Last Name:	ILLINET library staff should enter the remainder of their library's name. When users log in to VuFind, VuFind will display "Logged in as <First Name> <Last Name> " in the upper right corner of the page. There is a 50 character limit for this field.
Email Address:	Enter the email address to which you want VuFind to send a new password, if you ever forget your password and ask for a new one. Note that updating the email address in your VuFind account does not update it in I-Share libraries' official record for you. Overdue and recall notices will be emailed to the address in the official record. To update the official record, ILLINET libraries should contact the CARLI Office.
Desired Username:	The CARLI Office recommends that ILLINET libraries use their 9-digit I-Share borrower ID as their VuFind username.
Password:	The CARLI Office recommends that ILLINET libraries use the word "illinet" as their VuFind password.
Password Again:	Re-enter the password you want to use. If you do not enter exactly the same password twice in a row, VuFind will prompt you to try again.
Borrower ID:	ILLINET libraries should enter their 9-digit I-Share borrower ID. Do not enter any punctuation such as hyphens in this field.
Last Name on Library Account:	ILLINET libraries should enter the word "illinet" as if it were their last name.
I-Share Library with Which You Are Affiliated:	ILLINET libraries should select "ILLINET libraries" from the dropdown list.

What if I forget my VuFind username or password?

If you need to be reminded of your VuFind username and have your VuFind password reset, click on the "Forgot Your Password?" link on the VuFind login page, then enter the email address that you used when you created your VuFind account originally. VuFind will send you an email containing a link that will log you on to your account with a temporary password and take you to the page on which you can reset your password to something you will remember. (To be reminded what your username is you can click on the User Account tab on the right side of the page.)

Some Internet Explorer and Google Chrome users have reported a problem with the VuFind password-reset function. If you receive a message saying "username cannot be blank" please try one of the following workarounds:

In your Internet Explorer "Tools" menu, choose "Internet Options." On the "Privacy" tab, click the "Edit" button to override cookie handling for individual web sites. Enter "illinois.edu" (without the quotation marks) into the "address of web site" field, then click "Allow."
OR: In your Internet Explorer "Tools" menu, choose "Internet Options." On the "Privacy tab, reduce your setting to "Medium High" or lower.
OR: Use another browser, such as Firefox, to complete the password reset transaction.

If you do not receive the reset-password email (for instance, if you no longer have access to the email account you entered in your VuFind account), you can simply create a new VuFind login (you will be able to see the status of everything in your library account, but not any tags or favorites associated with your previous VuFind login), or you can contact the CARLI Office for help in recovering your VuFind account. (Note that if your personal email has changed, you may also need to contact your library so that they can update it in the library's official record for you.)

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February 2012

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