Yavapai County has a mobile patron base.  Citizens commute between cities, students attend high school and college at the same time, researchers do archival research from the online catalog, and more.  The YLN makes these activities easy on several fronts:

·         All libraries have the same online catalog.

o   Patrons need to know only one system

o   Library staff can expect to answer similar questions

o   The catalog is accessible anywhere and anytime the Internet is available

·         One library card can be activated at other YLN libraries.

·         Almost any item in the catalog can be placed on hold and picked up at any network library (only students attending a K-12 school may use their K-12 library where they are attending school).

·         Any item can be returned at any network library even if the patron does not have their card activated at that library (only students can return an item at a K-12 library).

·         Subscription databases can be accessed from home using our Remote Patron Authentication server.

These benefits allow patrons to be creative in their use of the system.  Here are some examples:

Mom or Dad can have their child return public library items at the school library.  Through the transit system the items are sent back to the owning agency.  Since the system keeps track of each item, the owning library knows where that item is and when they will receive it.

A Chino Valley patron is going to go shopping at the Prescott Gateway Mall in a week.  He calls his local library and arranges to pick up his reserved items at the mall instead.  He can do this even if he does not have his card activated at the Prescott Gateway Branch library.

A patron realizes in the middle of the night that a new book by her favorite author is due to be released.  From her home computer she places a hold on the title.  While viewing her account she realizes that she just rented a DVD she has on hold, so she cancels the hold.