LINK+ (Link Plus) is a free service that allows cardholders to borrow books not available at the San Francisco Public Library.  LINK+ is a cooperative effort among many California and Nevada public and academic libraries.

How it Works

We recognize that receiving email notices about your library account is important to you. However, email often bounces or ends up in your spam folder, or there may be problems on our end where it fails to send or problems on your email provider’s end where it’s not received.

As a result, we recommend that you add 2 email addresses to your library record, signup for LibraryElf, and configure your spam folder:

-Use the search box at https://sfpl.bibliocommons.com/ to find the item you want. Click the green Place Hold button.

-Sign in when prompted, and select your pickup location. Confirm by clicking the blue Place Hold button.

If you don't have a Bibliocommons account or prefer to use the Classic Catalog , you can find a link to it in the footer of every page of the Library's website.

From our home page sfpl.org  you can type in the exact title - or any other search term you want - into the large search box at the top of the screen, all the way to the right.

1. Let’s say I am looking for the DVD of ‘The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" - I would type the full title into the search box and click the magnifying glass.

2. When you hit enter or click on the magnifying glass it will send you to a search results page, which will show everything that comes back with that title, or things that have those words somewhere in the record.

Login to your Classic Catalog account with your library card barcode number and PIN.

Click "Modify Personal Information" and enter your email address. If you have 2 email addresses (work and home, for example), you can enter both email addresses separated by a comma (no spaces).

Tick the button for email under "I would like to receive my email notices from the Library by"

Click "ok" and then close the window.

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Once you have completed the Suggest a Title Form requesting SFPL order a title we currently do not carry, you can get an email notification letting you know when we have ordered the title, if we decide to do so.

You can do this is via Preferred Search in the Classic Catalog.

Due to licensing agreements with the vendors who provide our digital content, we are not able to issue library cards to people remotely unless you are a resident of the City and County of San Francisco who has a disability/long-term medical condition that prevents you from visiting the library.

All other applicants must visit us in-person to receive a library card .

Library cards are free to California residents.

NOTE: All ebooks and eaudiobooks return on their own, so there's no need to return them early. They will disappear from your library account and device once the loan period has ended. If you are using BiblioCommons (SFPL Catalog) to manage your ebook loans, please wait 15-20 minutes for this transaction to take effect.

if you would like to return a digital title early to free up space or to help reduce wait times, please see the instructions below. 

Libby App

1. Open the Libby app on your computer, phone, or tablet.

The Bibliocommons catalog offers adults and teens ages 13 and up the opportunity to use its social media components, but restricts children under the age of 13 from using these components. In the U.S., children under 13 are not allowed to enter free-text websites without explicit parental approval (per COPPA, the Child Online Privacy Protection Act). Kids can create a username color/animal/number format, but will not be able to create a personal user name until they turn 13.

Single Clicks Holds is a way to have your holds automatically sent to a preferred branch.

Here is how to turn on the SINGLE CLICK HOLDS option:

1. Log in to the Bibliocommons catalog by going to our home page sfpl.org  and click the LOG IN/MY SFPL link near the top, center of the screen. Enter your full 14 digit library card number or user name, and PIN/password.

2. Once you have successfully logged in. click on YOUR USER NAME on the top, right side of the screen, and select the ON HOLD option from the drop down menu.