Catalog Help: Using Bookbags

The library's catalog, called Evergreen, allows patrons to keep lists of items, called "bookbags." You can create as many bookbags as you like, use them for whatever you like, and add as many items to them as you like.

Please note: Bookbags are only accessible when you are logged into your account. So, the first step is always to log in.

Ideas for Bookbags You Could Create

• Books you've read, movies you've seen, etc
• Books you'd like to read, movies you'd like to see, etc
• Lists divided by genre (ie, mystery books, history books, etc)
• List of items for other people (ie, books Mom would enjoy)
• Wish list for gifts

Create a Bookbag

There are two ways to create a bookbag - from the My Account screen, or from the Item Details page of any item in the catalog.

From the My Account main screen, click the My Bookbags tab on the right.

This will show you all the bookbags you've already created, which you can click into to view, share/hide, or delete. To create a new bookbag, type the name of the bookbag into the box in the center, choose to share it or not (this can be changed later), and click the Submit button.

You can also create bookbags on the fly, while you're searching for items. From any Item Details page, click the dropbox on the right that says More Actions... and choose "Create a new bookbag." Enter a name, click the OK button, and the bookbag will be created.

Add Items to a Bookbag

Adding items to a bookbag takes place through the search interface. First, search for the item you'd like to add to your bookbag. When you find the right item, click on the title from search results page to view the item details page (if your search produces only one item, it will automatically go to the item details page).

Near the top-right corner of this page, there will be a dropdown box that reads "More Actions..." (this box only appears when you are logged in). When you click this box, you will see a list of your existing bookbags, as well as an option to create a new bookbag. To add an item to your bookbag, just click the bookbag to which you'd like to add the item - you will then see a confirmation message that the item has been added.

Sharing a Bookbag

The Evergreen catalog allows you the option of making your bookbags public, so other people can view them. You might like to do this if you want other people to see what books you've read, or if you want to share a "top ten best movies" list, etc.

To share a bookbag, you can either mark it as shared when you first create it, or share it (or un-share it) later on. To make the change, click the My Bookbags tab in the My Account screen, then click the "Share this Bookbag" or "Hide" link for the appropriate bookbag.

Then, to really get the bookbag out there to other people, you can click the "View" link and copy/paste the URL to distribute to other people, either by email or to link to from another web page. Only the people you send this link to will be able to find and view your bookbag.

Also, to make that link much more helpful, and to make your bookbag look like the rest of the library catalog, replace the "html-full" part with "opac" - for instance:

So this...		...Becomes this
http://chelmsford.mvlc.org/opac/extras/feed/bookbag/html-full/52570		http://chelmsford.mvlc.org/opac/extras/feed/bookbag/opac/52570

Delete a Bookbag, or Remove an Item

To delete an entire bookbag completely, click the My Bookbags tab on the My Account screen. Then, to the right of the bookbag you'd like to delete, click the Delete link. Deleted bookbags cannot be undeleted.

To remove just individual items from a bookbag, first click the name of the bookbag from the list. This will display all the items in the bookbag, and to the right of each item you can click the Remove link. Items that are removed cannot be unremoved, but you can readd them to the bookbag using the directions above.

Questions?

If you have any questions or need more help with any aspect of the catalog, please contact the Reference Desk at askus@mvlc.org or 978-256-5521 x211.