Q. Why do I have to enter my library card number so often?

There's no "single sign-on" for all the library has to offer.

Many of the wonderful resources we offer are only for registered borrowers of Knox County Public Library. Your account authorizes you to use the resources, but these resources are on different systems that don't track your movement from one to another. Also, your sessions can expire; you don't remain authorized for a resource by leaving a tab open to the resource. After a session with a library resource stops working, you'll need to find the resource link on our website and use it to sign in again.

Saving your sign-in (and suggesting that information to you as you type) is a feature of the software that you use to access the resources (the software is called a browser). If you choose to, you can go into the settings of your browser to enable password saving and autofill. That should allow your browser to suggest your number and your password for signing in to the site in the future. (For example, the Chrome browser settings are called "Offer to save passwords" and "Auto Sign-in" but you can find both settings by searching for autofill in the settings screen.)

You will still need to type in your sign-in to access any other resource that your browser has not yet remembered. For example, your browser may fill in your library card number for your account on OverDrive, but not for access to Value Line. They are completely different systems.

We recommend that you use a password manager rather than browser autofill. Here's why.