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Get Ready for a New Online Catalog

The Upper Hudson Library System (UHLS) is launching a brand new online catalog starting January 1, 2026. The new catalog is called Vega Discovery and has both a desktop and mobile version.

In this post, we’ll go over the new features of the catalog, as well as give instructions on how to use features from the old catalog.

The screenshots below show the desktop view. It may be slightly different on mobile devices.

Searching

To search for an item, click into the search box on the catalog homepage. If you are not on the homepage, you can click the orange magnifying glass icon in the top right corner.

Screenshot with an orange square with a white magnifying glass icon in the middle.

You can search for materials using keyword, author, title, subject, and more. To search by specific criteria, use the drop down box next to the search field.

Once you have searched, you can refine your search using the panel on the left. On mobile devices, you can tap on Refine Results.

Mobile view:

Screenshot showing mobile example with the words refine results with a red square around the words.

Desktop view:

screenshot showing refine results to the left of the image with availability, date, format, age group, contributors, concepts, language and locations underneat the words refine results.

Availability has two options: At library, which are physical books at the library, and online, which are ebooks and digital audiobooks available through Libby or hoopla. If you select At library, the search is refined to books at the library that are not currently checked out.

Date is the publication date of the item. Format is the type of item you’re looking for (for example, book, DVD, Large Print, etc.). Age is helpful if you’re looking for items geared for certain age groups such as Teen, Juvenile, etc. Language limits to a particular language.

The Concept limiter is for subjects. For example, when searching for cats and I want to limit by concept, I am shown these options:

screenshot showing the word concepts with example concepts underneat: cats-fiction, cats-juvenile fiction, cats-comic books, strps, etc, and electronic books.

Next to each is the number of items within that particular concept/subject.

Locations allows you to limit your search to a particular library or libraries within the Upper Hudson Library System.

Item Details

In Vega, all of the item types (book, ebook, audiobook, etc) are listed on tabs near the item record on the results page or an individual item page. To see what items own each item type, click on its tab. For example, if you wanted to request or see details about the audiobook version, click on the Audiobook tab.

To view other editions of an item, click on Find Specific Edition.

Requesting an Item

To request an item, locate the item you are requesting by searching or browsing and then click on the Request Any Edition button.

To request a different edition (for example a version that came out in a specific year, click/tap Find Specific Edition and then Request Edition.

My Account

To login to your library account, click on the person icon in the top right corner.

Screenshot showing the words Log In in a red box in the top right corner.

Next, enter the full number on the back of your library card in the barcode field. Your PIN is by default the last four digits of your phone number. If you get an error and can’t login, please contact the library.

Once you have logged in, click on your name in the top right corner. You can quickly access your checkouts, holds, and fine/fees on your account by clicking/tapping the number above each heading. To view your full account, click on your name.

On the left sidebar, you will see checkouts & requests, bills & fines, bookmarks, and saved searches.

Overview

The first tab is an overview that shows a shortcut to your current holds and checkouts.

Account

The second is Account. On the account tab, you can view your contact details, your preferred pickup location, and your card’s expiration date.

To edit account details, click or tap on the pencil icon next to your name. This is where you can edit your preferred pickup location. Note: to change your address, you must contact the library.

To save a list of all the items you have checked out, click/tap the checkbox next to Reading History.

After making any changes, be sure to click/tap the save button at the bottom.

Checkouts & Requests

Within this section, there are three tabs. On the checkouts & requests tab, you’ll see the checked out date, the due date, how many times an item has been renewed, and the option to renew the item. You will also see the total number of items you have checked out.

On the hold requests tab, you will see the total number of holds, your place in line on the hold list, the pickup location of the hold, and the option to cancel or freeze the hold (which you can edit by clicking/taping the manage hold button).

The history tab shows your checkout history. If you don’t see a list, make sure you have opted in as discussed above in the account tab section.

Bills & Fines

This tab will show any outstanding fees or fines on your account, along with the ability to pay online.

Bookmarks Tab

On the bookmarks tab, you can find items you have saved to view later. To save an item for later, search for the item, and then click/tap on the For Later icon. You can also choose to create separate book lists, and they can be view here as well.

Screenshot showing a bookmark icon with the words For Later underneath it highlighted by a red square around the button.

Once items are on your Bookmarks tab, you can place holds on them by checking the box next to the title and then clicking/tapping the Place Hold button. You can also quickly view the item details in the future by clicking/tapping the title. When clicking/tapping the For Later button, you have the option to save to a new list as well. For example, you may want a Travel booklist, or a Romance Fiction booklist.

Items that are available will be displayed first. To see all of your lists, scroll down to the bottom of the page.

If you would like to delete or rename a list, click/tap on the three dots in the corner of the list details. To share via email or by copied link, click/tap on the share booklist link. Bookmarks can be accessed through the account area or by clicking/tapping the bookmark icon in the top right corner.

Saved Searches Tab

If there is a search you perform frequently, you can save the search to your account. To save a search, perform the search, and then click/tap the Save Search button.

You can edit and delete saved searches by clicking the three dots to the right of the list name.

Conclusion

The new catalog is going live January 1, 2026. When you first visit the site, you may see a popup asking about your cookie preferences. You can click x to exit or manage to change your preferences.

If you have any questions about the new catalog, please contact the library.

A New UHLS App Has Arrived

The Upper Hudson Library System (UHLS) has released a new version of their app.

The previous app was called UHLS Mobile App. The new app is called UHLS Libraries and has a new look and several new features. The old version of the app will continue to work until August 13, 2025. After that, the old app will no longer work. The new app is available for download in the iOS App Store for Apple Devices and in the Google Play Store for Android Devices.

Home Screen

After downloading the app, you will see the main UHLS interface.

In order to use any features of the app, you will need to login with your library card. You cannot use any features other than Nearest Libraries without logging in. To login, tap on the My Account button. Enter your full library barcode number with no spaces. Your PIN is the last four digits of your phone number unless you have changed it.

Search

Once logged in, you will see the interface for your home library.

To search the UHLS catalog, tap in the search box in the top center and enter your search term. Next, you will see a list of items that match your search term. Tap on the name of the item to see more information. On the item information screen by default, you will see a place hold button. This does not indicate if an item is currently available for checkout. To see an item’s availability, scroll down to see a list of which libraries own the item and whether or not it is currently checked out. You can tap on the Available Only button to only show items that are currently available.

gif showing an item page scrolling down to reveal where a book is available in the library's catalog.

Notification Area & My Barcode

Under the search icon is the notification area. Here, you will see if you have any requests available for pickup or any items that are overdue.

Underneath your notification area is My Barcode. You can enter your library barcode for easy access while checking out items at the library. If you have any cards linked to your account (more on that later!), swipe left to use them as a digital library card.

Underneath My Barcode is a book carousel featuring new and upcoming book titles available and soon-to-be available at the library. You can tap on a book cover to see more information on that title or on more to see more book lists.

My Account

Tapping on My Account shows a list with checkouts, holds, and fines. Next to checkouts and holds, there is a number containing your current number of each. The number next to holds is the total number of items on hold, including items not yet ready for pickup.

Checkouts

Tapping on Checkouts brings up a list of currently checked out items, including items from hoopla. Checkouts are grouped by overdue, due soon, and general.

To view your checkout history (formerly called My Reading History), tap on your name under the Checkout History header. If you have linked accounts, the names on the accounts are listed under Checkout History as well. To renew an item, tap on select, choose the item(s) to renew, and then tap on renew selected.

screenshot of checkouts screen showing two buttons that read select and renew all, a drop down box labeled account, and a sample list of books.

Holds

Tapping on Holds will show your current lists of holds. They are grouped by ready for pickup and on hold. On hold is a list of all holds placed that are not yet ready to pickup. For items ready to be picked up, their pickup location is shown. For other items, your queue position is shown.

Linked Accounts

Linked Accounts is on the My Accounts screen. If you have any linked accounts there will be a number next to the Linked Accounts header. You can add a additional accounts by tapping on Linked Accounts and then on the Add button in the top right corner. Once additional accounts have been added, you can access the barcode(s) on the home screen.

To view checkouts and holds on linked accounts, go to either of those sections and tap on the account button. You can select which account holder’s checkouts or holds you would like to view.

screenshot showing a drop down account box with two names you can select.

Other Home Screen Buttons

The home screen includes other buttons as well. Library Calendar shows a list of upcoming events at the library. eBooks & eAudiobooks gives you quick shortcuts to access the Libby and hoopla apps. Digital Library has shortcuts to our digital resources.

screenshot of a list of our digital resources showing times union acess, new york times access, novelist and mango.

Wireless Printing is a quick shortcut you can use to print items from your phone or tablet for pickup at the library. Scan ISBN allows you to scan a book or item’s barcode to see if the library owns a copy. The other buttons include Hours & Contact, a link to our social media pages, and Nearby Libraries to see location and contact information for other libraries in UHLS.

Two Simple Methods to Remove AI Overviews on Google

If you have used Google to search within the past year, you’ve likely noticed that the first thing that appears is an AI overview.

It takes up a lot of screen space, and its summaries are not always correct.

There are a few ways you can hide the AI summary. In this post, we’ll go over two methods you can try.

The first is to add -ai after your search term. If you were searching for “what is the first sign of spring” type in “what is the first sign of spring -ai” (without the quotation marks).

screenshot showing a google search field with what is the first sign of spring -ai in the search field.

The second method is a little bit more complex, but you only have to do it once as an initial setup. This method is only available when using the Google Chrome browser on a desktop or laptop computer.

Open Chrome and click the three lines in the top right corner. Next, click on Settings. From there, click on Search Engine in the left menu. For the next step, click manage search engine and site search. Scroll down to Site Search and then click Add. In the Name and Shortcut fields, choose whichever custom name you’d like. In the URL field, type in: https://www.google.com/search?udm=14&q=%s and then click save. To make it your default search engine, click on the three dots next to the new entry and click on make default.

screenshot showing the settings when editing a custom search engine.

To search using this new search setting, click into the address bar. Next, type in your search term and then hit the enter key.

screenshot showing a close up of the Google Chrome browser's address bar with "what are the first signs of spring" entered in the address bar.

Currently, the ability to add a custom search URL is only available in the desktop version of the Chrome browser.

Do you have another method to hide the AI summary? Have you experienced incorrect AI summaries? Let us know in the comments!

How to Access the New York Times for Free

The Upper Hudson Library System is now offering free access to the New York Times. Using a unique code, users can access content including News, Cooking, Games, and more!

Accessing the New York Times

To begin, go to our landing page. From there, you will be directed to a landing page on the UHLS website to enter your library card number.

screenshot of the landing page on the UHLS website showing a header reading New York Times with a text box underneath where you can enter your library card number next to a submit button

Once you’ve entered your library card number, you’ll be directed to a NYT unique link that grants 24 hour access to the New York Times. To access content, you’ll need to create a free New York Times account. If you already have a free account, you can login with that account. If you currently pay for the New York Times, you will be unable to use that account.

screenshot of the screen used to access the New York Times containing a blacked out redemption code.

After you’ve accessed the NYT landing page, click on the Redeem button to continue. Next, login or create an account. If you don’t already have a free account, you can use an email address to create a new account. If you prefer, you can create a NYT account with your Google, Facebook, or Apple account as well.

screenshot of the login screen showing a box for an email address or the ability to use Google, Facebook or Apple account.

After you have either created an account or logged in with an existing free account, you will see a conformation screen:

Your access to the NYT lasts for 24 hours. After 24 hours, you will need access the link on our NYT landing page and login again. To proceed, click the continue button.

Next, you can choose which areas of the NYT you’d like to explore. Once you’ve made your choices, click the continue button on the bottom right.

Sections to Explore & Newsletters

screenshot showing the areas of the NYT you want to explore including news, games, wirecutter, cooking, the athletic and audio.

On the next screen, choose which areas of the NYT you are interested in browsing and click continue.

Continuing on, you can select which NYT newsletters you would like receive via email. Note: the emails are quite frequent. If you don’t want to receive any email from the NYT, uncheck all of the pre-selected choices. Click the View All button in the bottom right of the screen to confirm that all of the boxes are unchecked. If you see a plus symbol that means the selection is unchecked. Once you have made your selection, click continue to proceed.

Next, you can choose which NYT games you may want to play. Once you have made your choices, click continue. If you are not interested in Games, click continue without making a selection.

On the next screen, there is a prompt to download the app. If you want to use your phone, scan the QR code to continue. Otherwise, click the not right now button. Note: users have reported a delay in access when using the app.

Click Explore the New York Times to continue.

From here you can explore the site for 24 hours. Once 24 hours have passed, you need to access the site via the unique link mentioned above. Each time you access the NYT with the redemption link, you will need to go through the process above to choose which sections you prefer, which newsletters you want to receive and which games you like.

If you have any questions, please contact the library or the Upper Hudson Library System.

Discover a New Way to Return and Delete Kindle Ebooks from Your Device

If you’re a Kindle user and regularly use the Libby app, you may have noticed you can’t return your Kindle eBooks early in the same way you may be used to. In order to return a Kindle eBook loan early, you will now need to do it on the Amazon website or Amazon app.

After the eBook has been deleted, the title will still appear on your Kindle devices. Read on to learn how to return a Kindle eBook early and how to delete returned Kindle eBooks from your Kindle.

Returning a Kindle eBook

Start by going into the Libby app or to libbyapp.com from a browser. Next, go the shelf section of the app.

Go the book you would like to return early and tap Manage Loan. From there, tap on Return Early. Next, tap on Return with Kindle.

Screenshot showing the location of the steps mentioned in the directions with manage loan, return early and return with Kindle emphasized.

Next you’ll see an Amazon window pop up. If you are not logged in to Amazon, you will be prompted to log in. There will be a message stating that the digital book has already been claimed. Click on the “return this book” link to continue.

A conformation screen will pop up asking if you’re sure you want to return this digital library loan. Tap on yes.

screenshot showing the deletion conformation page with the word yes highlighted in yellow.

You’ll get a conformation from Amazon the book has been returned. When you go back to the Libby app, you can confirm you have returned the book has been returned. If you don’t complete the return process through Amazon, the book will remain on your shelf in the Libby app.

screenshot showing Libby asking if you were able to return the ebook via Amazon with the option Yes I've returned it in bold and the additional options no, I need help and skip also shown.

Deleting a Returned eBook from Your Kindle Library

Once you have returned the book, the title will still appear in your content library on your Kindle, but you will be unable to open it or read it. When you attempt to open it, you will see an error message prompting you to purchase the book if you want to read it:

screenshot showing a Kindle e-ink with the previously returned books still displayed. Second image shows title not available with the option to purchase.

If you would like to remove it from your library so it doesn’t appear on any of your Kindle devices, there are a couple of ways to do it, depending on if you’re on the desktop website or mobile.

On the desktop website, click on Accounts & Lists in the top right corner, and then click on Content Library:

screenshot showing how to access your content library from Amazon's desktop website.

In the mobile app, tap the three lines in the bottom corner. On the next screen, tap the account icon. In a mobile browser, tap your name in the top right and then tap the see all button next to Your Account:

Screenshots showing how to access your account from the amazon app with the account button, your name and menu options emphasized.

Next, scroll down and then tap on Content Library, and then books:

screenshot from desktop Amazon website showing content library and books highlighted.

From there, scroll down to the book you want to delete and then tap the delete button. There will be a confirmation asking if you’re sure you want to delete the title. Once you confirm, you’ll get a success message the item has been deleted. It will no longer appear on any of your Kindle devices. Please note you have to be connected to WiFi for the changes to take effect.

screenshot demonstrating the delete button and the delete conformation page.

If you have any questions about either process, feel free to call the library or leave a comment below.