FAQs and Help Guides

 There are 2 ways to access ILL submissions.

  • From the home page, click on the drop down for your profile (usually Username), then click on “My Ottawa Public Library”.
  • From the catalogue, click on your profile (usually Username), then under MY EVENTS AND BOOKINGS, click on My ILL requests.                       

Once you get to the profile page, you now have 2 options, you can either click on ILL Submissions tab, this will bring you to a page that displays all ILLs and statuses, messages etc. OR you can scroll down and click on “Pending ILL Submissions”, this will show you only active ones. 

  • It is used as a tracking mechanism. It is a quick identifier for customers and library staff to ensure its return to the ILL department.  Leaving the pink band on will help avoid potential lost book fees.

What is SmartPay?

SmartPay is a secure online tool where customers can pay bills or fees to organizations or companies. SmartPay is the Ottawa Public Library’s (OPL) service provider that enables customers to pay their Library fees online (for amounts that are higher than $1.00).

How do I access SmartPay?

You can access SmartPay directly here.

You can also log in to My OPL using your Library card number and PIN and follow the link to SmartPay. Or you can follow the link to SmartPay either on the OPL homepage or in the OPL catalogue (Bibliocommons).

If I am already logged in to my OPL account, why do I have to log in again on the SmartPay page?

You need to log in to SmartPay separately because you are logging in to a secure site designed to protect your credit card information.

What methods of payment can I use?

You can pay by credit card only. You may use Visa, Mastercard or American Express. Debit cards are not accepted.

Can I only pay a portion of my fees?

You may choose to pay all or a portion of your fees at any given time unless your account includes long overdue items/fees that have been listed with the Library’s recovery agency. 

What if my account has long overdue items/fees?

Partial payments cannot be made on long overdue accounts that have been listed with the Library’s recovery agency. You may, however, pay these accounts in full by using SmartPay.

Can I still pay my fees online if my Library card has expired?

Yes.

Can I print a receipt of my transactions?

Yes.

Will OPL employees be able to verify that I’ve paid online?

Yes, your borrower record will indicate that a fee was paid using SmartPay.

I am not sure if I completed a transaction. How can I check?

Once you have logged in to SmartPay, go to the Transactions tab. Your past transactions will be listed. You can also click on the Pay Fees tab to see if you still owe fees.

How long will these archived transactions be available to me?

Your transaction history will remain available indefinitely.

How will I recognize these payments on my credit card statement?

They will appear as OPL/BPO Online.

Who has access to my credit card information?

You are the only one who has access to your credit card information. Credit card details are not stored and must be re-entered each time you login to pay a fee.

View the OPL’s privacy statement

Can I get a refund if I find and bring back the books I paid for?

No refunds are issued for fees or items that were paid for.

I cannot log in to the SmartPay site. What should I do?

Make sure you are using the correct number on your Library card and the right PIN. If you are sure you are using the right numbers but still cannot log in to the SmartPay site, please contact InfoService – 613-580-2940.

**For more information about SmartPay, go to www.comprisetechnologies.com**

What you will need

  • A valid Ottawa Public Library (OPL) card
  • A fast Internet connection (minimum 1Mbps for streaming videos)
  • If you’re using  a mobile device, you will need the Hoopla Digital app for iOS (7.1 or later), or Android (4.4 and up)

Creating an account

  1. Go to www.HooplaDigital.com.
  2. Click on Get Started Today.
  3. Enter your email, create a password and click on Next.
  4. Choose Ottawa Public Library (ON) from the menu and select Next.
  5. Enter your OPL card number and PIN. Click on the box that you agree to allow Hoopla Digital to exchange registration information with OPL and select Next.
  6. Review Hoopla's Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.  If you agree to the terms, click on Sign Me Up.
  7. Once your account is created, you can start borrowing and downloading videos and music.

What kind of content does Hoopla Digital have?

  • It has wide collection of movies and television shows including feature films, documentaries, foreign films, television shows and educational programs.
  • Over 100,000 music albums and growing.

  • OPL does not currently subscribe to the e-audiobooks in Hoopla Digital. Please use our OverDrive and Audiobook Cloud collections instead.

Borrowing and streaming

  • You are allotted four (4) checkouts per month per card. 
  • Titles are always available.
  • Unused checkouts are not carried over to the next month. 
  • Your usage is reset on the last day of the month at 7:00 p.m. 
  • Loan periods are 72 hours for video, and seven (7) days for music. During the loan period content can be streamed repeatedly.
  • Content can be either downloaded or streamed through the Hoopla Digital app but only streamed through a PC or laptop.
  • Titles do not need to be returned.  They will automatically disappear once the borrowing period has ended.
  • Borrowed content can be accessed on multiple devices, but can only be played on one (1) device at a time.
  • The data used to stream Hoopla from the Internet at home or from your mobile device will count towards your Internet service provider’s monthly bandwidth cap. Watching a regular-length movie uses about 1GB of data for each stream of standard definition video.   Streaming an album uses about 35 MB of data.

 

What if I have other questions?

Database
Hoopla

This depends on the platform you are using to access your eBook or eAudiobook.

OverDrive (Libby app): you can use up to 6 separate devices to read or listen to digital items from OverDrive, as long as the devices are authorized with the same OverDrive account or Adobe ID.

TumbleBook Library: No limitations.

CloudLibrary Express: No limitations.

CloudLibrary French eAudiobooks: No limitations.

Cantook (Canoo app or Aldiko app): Not specified.

Toutapprendre: No limitations.

Hoopla: Can use any number of devices but only one at a time.

eBooks are available from the Ottawa Public Library in English, French, and Chinese depending on their platform.

You can use eBooks and eAudiobooks from third parties on both OverDrive and Cantook as long they are in a specific format, usually EPUB or MP3. Please visit the individual app for more information.

If you have updated the system and the app is not working, the app may need to be updated as well. Check your app store for an update. If the app is updated and not working, try shutting down the device completely (not sleep mode) and restarting it after half a minute. If this does not work, you may need to delete and re-install the app on your device.

Most Downloadable Audiobooks come in multiple files. In order to receive the complete Audiobook, you need to wait until all the files are downloaded, you can check this by clicking on the "show files" option of your app's menu.

The most likely cause is that your device has not been authorized by your Overdrive Account or your Adobe ID. Verify this by selecting Settings or Account from your app menu, or by selecting Authorization Information from the Help menu of Adobe Digital Editions on your computer (in the case of E-readers).
There are various error messages you may encounter, requiring different solutions. To find the solution, access http://help.overdrive.com and search for the specific error message in question.

If you have downloaded an eBook or eAudiobooks to your device, you can travel with them anywhere. However, if you are using OverDriveRead or OverDriveListen, you will need a consistent internet connection.

A wishlist is used to add titles to a list that you may wish to check out at a later time. It does not check out the item nor place a hold on it.

Each platform has its own restrictions regarding renewals.

OverDrive (Libby app): You can renew an item within three days of the expiry date, as long as there are no holds on the title.

TumbleBook Library: No checkouts or renewals required.

CloudLibrary Express: No renewals.

CloudLibrary French eAudiobooks: No renewals.

Cantook (Canook app or Aldiko app): No renewals.

Toutapprendre: No checkouts or renewals required.

Hoopla: A renew option will appear 24 hours before a title is due on the title details page. While you do not need to redownload a title you have renewed, renewing it title will take a borrow from your monthly limit.

If you have an appointment at the library to learn about using E-books and Downloadable Audiobooks, you will need your Ottawa Public Library card, the device(s) you are using, and the relevant power cords. If you have an E-reader, you will also need the USB cable and computer (laptop) with which to you connect your E-reader.

In a browser, select Print or Ctrl + P from the browser menu. To proceed with your print job, follow the prompts on the screen to send your print job to the print release station.

Go to the print release station and login with your library card number and PIN. Select the document(s) and the number of copies you would like to print. Once you have confirmed your job(s), your account will be deducted accordingly ($0.10/page), and the job(s) will print from the print release station. Please note, only black and white printing is available.

The apps that come pre-loaded on the Chromebooks are all Google based, such as: Chrome, Chrome Web Store, Google Search, YouTube, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Drive (which includes Docs, Sheets, Presentations, etc.), Files, Google Play Music, Google Play Books, and Google Play Movies.