Frequently Asked Questions About the Flagg-Rochelle Public Library District

• All books and magazines can be checked out for a period of 14 days.
  These items may be renewed once and have a late fee of $0.10 per day. All books magazines come with a 1-day grace period before overdue fines apply. 
• Audiobooks can be checked out for a period of 14 days.
  These items can be renewed once and have a late fee of $0.25 per day. All audiobooks come with a 1-day grace period before overdue fines apply.
• Music CDs and short DVD/VHS materials can be checked out for a period of 7 days and may not be renewed.
  These items have a late fee of $0.25 per day and come with a 1-day grace period before overdue fines apply. Long DVD/VHS materials can be checked out for a period of 14 days. 
• Computer software and games can be checked out for a period of 7 days and may not be renewed.
  Fines are $0.25 per day, and all computer software and games have a 1-day grace period before overdue fines apply.
• Newspapers, pamphlets, and reference material are available for on-site library use only. 

PrairieCat is a centralized library search database that helps you find the materials and resources you need. This database covers 136 libraries across the Northern Illinois area. The My Account feature in PrairieCat lets you manage your account, check out materials, place holds, and more. To reach the My Account feature, complete the following steps:

• Log in by clicking on LOGIN in the upper right-hand corner of the main PrairieCat Search screen
• Enter your 14-digit library card number in the first box. Then, enter your PIN number in the third box labeled PIN NUMBER. Your PIN is the last four digits of your library card number
• After a successful login, you will see your name at the top of the screen and MY ACCOUNT at the right-hand side of the catalog

Inside the My Account feature, you can easily: 

• View a list of items you have checked out and their due dates
• Renew materials
• See items you have placed on hold
• Find out when your holds will be removed from the holds shelf
• Cancel holds
• Check whether you have any fines
• Notify the library of a change in email address
• Change your PIN number  
  
  

Once you’ve logged into your PrairieCat account, you will see a search bar on the main page. Search by entering keywords around a topic — for example, entering the term Lincoln into the main search bar will return materials about Lincoln, with Lincoln in the title, and books either written by Lincoln or authors of the same last name.

A search result based on keyword will provide information about the kind of material (book, ebook, audiobook, music, etc.), the title, author, and a drop-down list of all of the PrairieCat libraries that own the item.

The left side of the search results screen allows you to narrow your search by a number of criteria to help you quickly and easily find the material you’re looking for. Some of these criteria include:

• Format (book, audiobook, CD)
• Availability
• Libraries that own a certain title
• Publication date
• Language

To determine if an item is available or checked out:

• Click on the small + sign to open the dropdown list of libraries that own the material
• Search for the Flagg-Rochelle PL item under the Status
• If the item is checked out, you will be able to see its current due date
• You can also check the status of this item at other libraries in the borrowing network

If you need more assistance with using PrairieCat, our staff is available at any time during business hours. 

The Flagg-Rochelle Public Library District offers wireless internet access throughout the building free of charge. Users can easily connect to the wireless network without a password, and we also offer wireless printing services as well. For those with laptops and other devices, please note the library has a limited number of power outlets and does not provide chargers, power cords, or extension cords. Read more about computers and Wi-Fi access.

The Flagg-Rochelle Public Library District is located at 609 4th Avenue, Rochelle, Illinois, 61068. Get more information about the library location, including a map. 

Most library materials can be renewed once online unless:

• The material is on reserve or hold for another patron or library
• The material has already been renewed
• The material is not allowed to be renewed

PLEASE NOTE: You will need to provide your library barcode when renewing materials.

In order to renew your materials online, log in to the PrairieCat catalog on our website using your library card barcode and PIN number. Once you’re logged in:

• Open the My Account feature
• On the left-hand side of the screen, under your name and contact information, select  “Items Currently Checked Out”
• A list of materials you have checked out will appear
• Click on “Renew All” if you want to renew all of your materials or click the box next to the titles you want to renew and then click the “Renew Marked” button
• You should then see a renewal confirmation screen

A NOTE ABOUT RENEWING INTERLIBRARY LOAN MATERIALS: Interlibrary loan materials from outside of the Prairie Area Library System are not always renewable. Loan periods for interlibrary loans are set by the loaning libraries, and we encourage patrons to use these materials in the time the home library has allotted. If a renewal is necessary, please contact our Interlibrary Loan Department at least four business days before the material is due.

• Go to the PrairieCat catalog on our website
• Log in using your library card barcode and PIN number
• Open My Account
• Click on “Items currently checked out”
• A list of the items checked out on your library card will be displayed with their due dates

From this page of your PrairieCat account, you can also see which items you have placed on hold and cancel any holds no longer needed by checking the “cancel” box next to those items. 

To request an item at the Flagg-Rochelle Public Library District be placed on hold or brought in from another library, go to the PrairieCat catalog and log in using your library card number and PIN. Once you have found your desired material, click ‘Request It’ at the bottom of the item’s listing.

A "Request It" box will open and display 'Flagg-Rochelle PL - FRPY-12'. You can also browse and request neighboring libraries to hold this item. Once you’ve selected your library, click ‘Submit’ and the item will be held. You may not place holds on more than 75 items at a given time. 

The Flagg-Rochelle Public Library District is open Monday through Saturday, and our hours of operation vary daily. Learn more about our hours, including our holiday closures.