How to find a book at the library

/ Preschool / By

An easy way to find books to read to your children….

Reading to our children is such an important part of their learning.  There are so many incredible books out there, many of them will be a wonderful jumping off point for your activity time you are planning.

Over the years I have honed an easy way to find and retrieve books from your local library.  Using your library is a cost-effective way to be able to expose your child to books.

Here we go…let’s find some great books

  1. Sign up for a library card.  To get a library card online, visit your local library’s website, locate the “Get a Card” or “My Account” section, and fill out the digital registration form. You will usually receive a temporary digital card number via email immediately, allowing access to eResources (eBooks, databases), while physical cards often require in-person verification of residency with ID. 
  2. Once you have your card, set up an account on your library’s page. This is a great resource for saving book title ideas and ordering books to be delivered to your library.

Here in the Metro Detroit area, the libraries of Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Livingston County are networked.  That means I can order a book that is shelved at over 100 libraries, some up to an hour’s drive away, and it will be delivered to MY library (or whatever library you choose to pick it up at) in these four counties!  Check your area to see if you have that kind of network!

  1. Now to find the book(s) you’d like to borrow!  Head to Pinterest and search for Children’s Books followed by the theme of the book you are looking for (i.e. Children’s Books about Fall).  Your search will produce a plethora of book blogs about books.  Click into one of the pins on your search board to VISIT the site and start scrolling through the books until you find one you like and, better yet, you think your child will like.
  2. Clicking of the picture or title of the book on the blog will take you to a website where that book is sold. I like to look at the

Illustrations…are they engaging, easily understood

Text or words….are there a lot of words per page or just a few.  Which one you choose will be set by the attention span of your child.

Pages….is it a short book you can read in one sitting or a long story that requires 2 or 3 reading sessions.

Consider your child as you look at these elements.

  1. If you can’t see enough of the book, you can always head over to the You Tube website and most likely someone has recorded a reading of this book.  This will give you a better idea if it is the book for you!  Sometimes, even if I can’t get a good picture of the book, I place a HOLD on it and know that I have the option to not read it and return it.
  2. Now you head over to your library website and click on ACCOUNT. A window will appear that has space for you to type in your library card number and your pin number.  Then click LOG IN.  Find the words MY ACCOUNT and click on that.  That will open a search box for the catalog.  Type in the name of the book.  My library website is very particular when it comes to titles.  No misspellings or leaving words out. It won’t be able to be found.
  3. The book options related to the title you typed in will show in a drop down screen. Select the book you want and click on it.   That will bring up all the information on that book including a summary, number of pages, ISBN number (helpful if you go into the library and pull it off the shelf) and what libraries in your network shelve that book.
  4. Click on the hold button and select the library you want this book delivered to. Finish by clicking on the SUBMIT HOLD button.
  5. When your book has arrived at your library for pick up, you will receive an email telling you which book has arrived. You have up to a week to pick up the book (check with your library or it might be noted on the email.)  I usually wait until all the books I ordered are in so I only make one trip.
  6. Your library or library network will pull the book and hold it for you behind the check out counter for one week. That way you can walk in, show your library card and check that book out.  You can order and check out several books at a time.  Some libraries offer to bring your books out to your car.  Check with the librarian to see if that is a service your library offers (great for Moms with several children or a sleeping baby in the car.)
  7. The library will email you the book information and the date it needs to be returned. (Since Covid my library has renewed my books when the time comes and I don’t need to pay a fine….bonus!)
  8. Take the books home and enjoy them. When you are done return them to the drop box at the library.

I hope this makes is easier for you to check out books from your library and use them as an educational tool at home.