FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Using your cards

Why doesn't the traditional barcode work?

Is the number correct? Firstly, check that the library card number shown on your Apple Wallet card matches the one shown on your physical card. You can ignore things like spaces or dashes.

If it doesn't match, delete the card from your wallet and create a new card.

Is the barcode different? Does the barcode on your Apple Wallet card look like the one printed on your physical card?

Don't worry about overall size - the barcode will probably be bigger on your phone screen than your physical card. Instead, concentrate on the thickness of the bars and the width of the gaps - e.g. "thick bar, small gap, thin line, big gap..".

If it doesn't match, turn your library card around so the bottom's at the top. Some libraries seem to print the barcodes upside down, but this really isn't a problem. If it matches when it's upside-down, all is good.

If the Apple Wallet barcode looks completely different, it would suggest that we've used the wrong type of barcode for your library service. Let us know!

The library's barcode scanner. If the number is correct and the barcode matches, the problem is most likely with your library's barcode scanner.

Laser scanners are unable to read screens since the light given off by phone screens confuses them. An imaging scanner is needed instead.

Unfortunately, the only way forward here for your Apple Wallet card is either for you to read your card number to the member of staff or for the branch to upgrade its equipment.

Self-service machines may give you the best chance of barcode success as they tend to built with newer technology!

Why doesn't the QR code work?

We include QR codes for a couple of reasons:

1. Some self-service library equipment can now read QR codes, but not all.

2. If we don't include it, you'll find that the brightness of your phone doesn't increase when you select the card in Apple Wallet. Having good screen brightness is important in helping barcode scanners work with screens. So it's also a means to an end.

Ultimately, if the QR code doesn't work, don't worry about. Just use the traditional barcode nearer the top of your card instead.

Sharing Library Cards

Can I share my library card with somebody else?

Yes, absolutely. In Apple Wallet, click the "..." button in the top right and then click the sharing button. You can send it using Messages, WhatsApp, AirDrop, etc.

When I share my library card it says the card belongs to CHRISTOPHER PETER WOOD!

It's not saying it belongs to him, it's saying it was created by him. Err, me.

To create a card for an Apple Wallet, you have to be known to Apple and you're given a certificate by them with which you need to sign every card you create. Since Libraree is a personal project and not a legal entity that can enter into a contract with Apple, the cards are signed using a certificate in my name.

In short, it's all OK and nothing to worry about; it's just a little misleading.

Privacy & Security

Is my library card number shared with anybody when I enter it?

No - never. Please see the Privacy page.

Library Branding

Have you received permission to use a library or local authority's logo?

No, permission hasn't been sought to do this, simply because it wasn't practical to do this for hundreds of separate library services as free-time community project. We hope we have used logos sensitively, respectfully, for the public good and purely as a means of allowing library patrons to recognise cards quickly.

Why are my library's logos or colours out-of-date?

You might want to try deleting your card and then adding it again. The branding of the cards in your Apple Wallet doesn't get updated automatically, so if things have changed since you first created your card, recreating the card would give you the newer branding.

Library brands aren't something that's monitored actively, however. Logos were correct as of January 2022, but if something needs updating, do let us know.