I’ll admit it: I don’t like change. One of the reasons I love working in libraries is that they are, in some ways, places designed to make change easier for everyone. Want to learn about something new? We’ve got a book, or more likely several books, that will help you, not to mention all the friendly librarians ready and eager to guide you on your way.

Still, not even the library is immune to new developments, and this last year brought us a big one: Personal Identification Numbers, or PINs,, which are now a requirement for anyone who wants to request a book through interlibrary-loan.

PINs may sound like a pain, but they’re a necessary, important way for us to safeguard the privacy of all our patrons. The books you request and check out are your business and no one else’s, and PINs provide added security to make sure that remains the case.

Setting up a PIN is easy. The next time you go to put a book on hold, you’ll see a form that asks for your patron barcode (the number on the back of your library card) and your PIN. If you don’t already have a PIN, or if you’ve forgotten it, there’s a “Create/Reset PIN” link under the PIN field. Just click on that, and you’ll be able to provide your own four number code.

If all of that sounds too complicated, you can also just call the library (or come to the Circulation desk) and ask us to enter a PIN into your library record. You will still need to choose your own number, though, so make sure it’s a memorable one.