The South Central Library System is moving into a new building, and as a result we will be experiencing some service outages from Friday, November 20 through Monday, November 23. On November 20, LINKcat and digital catalog information will be inaccessible. Outages are possible through the remainder of the weekend and the following Monday.
Please call your library to check on the availability of materials when LINKcat is down. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Library customers who receive email newsletters, holds notices, or preoverdue notices from the library at their @charter.net email accounts may not have received notices late last week or over the weekend. Charter has fixed the problem. Unfortunately, any library messages sent late last week to Charter customers cannot be re-sent. If you have any questions about your due dates or holds, please call your library or check the status of your holds and item due dates online. We sincerely regret the inconvenience.
Add comment June 8th, 2009 Tana
All Madison Public Library locations will be closed on Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day. While we’re closed, use our book drops to return items, place holds or check your record through LINKcat, or connect to AskAway to talk with a non-local librarian. History buffs can read the story of Memorial Day, courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Please note that LINKcat will be unavailable from 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, May 23 through early morning on May, 25, as we will be doing regularly scheduled system maintenance. We apologize for any inconveniences.
Add comment May 19th, 2009 Alicia
Blu-ray DVDs are now available in LINKcat. Middleton Public Library has purchased a Blu-ray DVDs and the Blu-ray DVDs are being cataloged and are available for holds. To view these Blu-ray DVDs, you will need to have a Blu-ray DVD player.
To find Blu-ray DVDs in LINKcat, search “blu-ray” in the keyword index or title keyword index (KEY WORD(s) or TITLE Key Word(s) on the Basic Search tab), along with any other relevant information (sample search: “blu-ray dark knight”, see below). In addition, you can search for Blu-rays in the Video Key Word(s) index under the Format tab.
Also, a limit has been added for “Blu-ray DVD Videos,” so you may find Blu-rays by limiting. For example, you can do a key word search for “dark knight” and then limit your search to “Blu-ray DVD Videos” (see below). Please note that Blu-rays will not show up under the limit for “DVD Videos.” The limit for “DVD Videos” will only limit to “regular” DVDs, not Blu-ray DVDs.
Add comment April 8th, 2009 Tana
LINKcat will be down longer than usual from 8:00 p.m. Saturday, April 4 to noon on Sunday, April 5.
We’ll be making needed upgrades at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Add comment April 2nd, 2009 Tana
From 10:35 p.m. Wednesday, December 31st until approximately 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 1st, LINKcat will be down for maintenance. This maintenance is required to keep the library’s catalog system operating at an optimal level. We apologize for the inconvenience, and wish you a happy holiday season.
If you’re like me, you’ve got so many books checked out that it’s hard to keep track of what’s due when. Now we can make it easier for you with email reminders two days before your library items are due!
Sign up for email notification in person at your favorite library, by phone (266-6357), or through our online form. With two days advance notice, you can renew your items or get them back in time. Just be sure to set your email’s spam filter to accept mail from @scls.lib.wi.us addresses.
3 comments November 21st, 2008 Tana
Did you know that when you access the LINKcat library catalog, you are logged out after five minutes of inactivity? Starting November 11, 2008, the five minutes will be extended to fifteen minutes.
This change is being made in response to customer suggestions that the time be extended. Thank you if you’re one of the customers who have made the suggestion. Those of you working from home will most likely enjoy the change - I know I will! But it’s important to remember that the five minute timeout was originally set so low to maintain the privacy of the thousands of people who use the 
catalog in the library every day on our public computers. When you check your record at the library, please remember to log out when you are finished. If you see your name at the top right corner of the screen, you’re not logged out.
We will increase the session timeout for six months as a pilot project, which will allow us to evaluate the change based on how it affects our server and based on your feedback. Please let us know by commenting on our blog if you think this is a good change (or not).
This is one of several upcoming changes to the LINKcat library catalog in the next few months. Stay tuned for other LINKcat news.
The Library Board approved a change to the DVD Rental fee at the July 10, 2008 meeting.
Effective August 1, the DVD rental fee will increase from $2.00 to $3.00.
Our Rental DVD collection is very popular. Increasing the rental fee for a one-week checkout allows us to increase additions to the collection without decreasing additions to our free DVD collection or other collections. There has been no increase in this fee since 1995.
We always purchase a free copy of all Rental DVD titles as well, but due to long hold lists, it may be several months or more before free copies are available for checkout.
4 comments July 15th, 2008 Tana
Effective immediately, all “My Lists” will be saved for 365 days instead of 90 days. This means that you can continue to access your “My List” in LINKcat for 365 days from the last day that the list was accessed. The limit of 100 items per “My List” has not changed. For more information on using “My List,” see the My List online brochure.
Add comment March 7th, 2008 Tana