The Library's website has some things that are always public, some that are always private, and some that people can make private if they want, but they default to public. Here’s a handy list:
Always private
- Borrowing History (also known as Recently Returned or Reading History)
- Account information (name, address, email, phone)
- Card number and PIN
- Private Notes on catalog records
Always public
If you don’t want your username to show up anywhere, don't add any of these things to a catalog record. On catalog records, if you add these, you will be identified by username only. None of your personal information will be listed in the catalog record.
- Comments
- Quotes
- Similar Titles
- Notices
- Age Suitability
- Summaries
- Notices
- Videos
Things you can make private or public
- My Shelves – Completed, In Progress, For Later
- My Lists
My Shelves
When a new library account is created, all titles added to your shelves are private by default, meaning they are not visible to any other user. When an item is private it is only visible to the account holder when logged in. No one else will see the item. Private items are indicated with a lock icon.
Although newly registered users have their default set to private after registering, they can choose to change their shelf privacy settings from the Welcome page displayed to them after completing registration.
Existing users can change their default shelf item privacy settings from the My Settings page. Users can also adjust the privacy of existing shelf items from My Shelves.
Users can change the default privacy setting for any shelf at any time.
To change a shelves privacy default:
- Log in to your account.
- On the menu, click My Settings.
- On the My Settings page, look for the Privacy section.
- In the Privacy section, next to My Shelves, click Change.
- On the My Shelves page, click the checkbox next to each shelf you want to change.
- Click Save Changes.
Note that changing the shelf default does not affect items already on that shelf. The setting applies only to new items that are added.
My Lists
When you are ready to publish your list and make it available to the world, you need to confirm where you want that list to be visible. Your options are:
Everyone
The list will appear everywhere. This is the default, because lists are meant to be shared. Lists will show up in the catalog.
People in a Specific Location
This option limits the locations where your list will appear. There are four options:
- Country
- 1st Order Administrative Divisions, such as State or Province
- 2nd Order Administrative Divisions, such as Municipal District or County
- My Library
For example, you may wish to create a list about state tax resources available at your library. If you're in Arizona, and you set this to only be visible in your state, no one at a library outside of Arizona will see it.
Visible by Link
Visible by Link is useful when creating Personal Recommendation lists, where you provide a friend with the URL of a list of recommendations created just for them. This type of list doesn't appear in search results, on an item's record in the catalog, or on the activity feeds.
Me Only
A list with this visibility will never appear to anyone else, no matter what. When you're viewing the list, you'll notice there is no Share link, as there is with other types of lists.
Previously created private lists will have this visibility, and display on the My Lists page with a lock icon.
See Privacy Settings for more information.
