The New and Improved MyMCLSNJ App

Since its launch in 2020, the MyMCLSNJ app has evolved to better serve our library community. After the outage of 2023-2024 (which was due to a contract dispute between the primary vendor and the software provider over the underlying software behind many other public library apps, “BLUEcloud Mobile”), the app has now been upgraded to the latest version — “BLUEcloud Mobile2”. This update brings improved functionality, enhanced performance, and a more seamless user experience. I’ll provide a quick overview of the most common features:

Home Screen

Upon logging in, you’ll land on the Home screen. At the top, you’ll see a friendly welcome message. In the middle, you’ll also see “Library Locations” with relevant branch addresses, social media links, and approximate distance from your location—useful if you’re deciding which branch to visit. At the bottom is your current account summary—fines and fees, the number of holds, and any current checkouts. This is a good at-a-glance summary if you just want to know if you have items due soon or if you need to pay an overdue balance.

Discover: Searching the Catalog

Tap on Discover at the bottom to open the catalog search screen. By default, you can type a Keyword search (like a title or a general subject). But if you want to zero in on something specific, tap the drop-down to switch between:

• Keyword – Best if you’re looking for broad or partial matches.

• Subject – If you know the official subject headings (e.g., “Cooking”).

• Title – Perfect for searching exact titles.

• Author – For when you have an author’s name.

You can also set a Search Limit by branch location—handy if you want to see only what’s available at, say, the Lawrence Branch or the Ewing Branch. After you submit your search, the app returns a list of results with the details for each title.

Viewing Availability and Placing Holds

When you tap a specific title from the results list, you’ll see a screen with details such as:

• Publication Date

• Series Information

• Language

• Subject/Genre

Below that, you’ll find View Availability, which lists branches with copies on hand and the item’s status (e.g., “MCLS Adult Fiction,” “Material has been checked out,” etc.). If everything looks good and you want to reserve the title, just tap “Place Hold”. The app will add it to your account, and you’ll be notified by email or phone when it’s ready for pickup.

My Titles: Checkouts and Holds

Under the My Titles tab, you can see:

• Holds – An overview of everything you’ve requested but haven’t yet picked up (or that’s still in the hold queue).

• Checkouts – Everything you currently have borrowed. From here, you can see due dates, item details, the option to renew and how many renewals remain.

• Fines & Fees – Displays your running total of any outstanding fines or charges. If you do have a balance, you’ll see it right at the top of your account screen.

My Account: Profile, Digital Card, and More

Finally, in My Account, you’ll see:

• Your digital library card barcode,

• The total of any fines and fees you owe.

• Biometrics Login – When enabled, you can use your phone’s fingerprint or face recognition to log in automatically.

• Help & Policies – Link to the MCLS policies. 

  

Have questions or feedback about the updated MyMCLSNJ app? Comment below, or drop us a line at https://mcl.org/about/contact/technical-support/. We’d love to hear how the update is working for you. Enjoy the new and improved MyMCLSNJ and explore everything MCLS has to offer.

-Dave, Information Technology