As of December 5th, the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (including the Chelmsford Library) is going to implement a more secure password for your online library account. This means disabling the existing “PINs” from our previous system, and patrons will be prompted, when logging in, to create a new secure password.

Why are we doing this?
Information on what materials you have checked out, on hold, etc. is private data protected by state law. The current four-digit PIN does little to prevent a hacker from compromising your account information. They could also provide a hacker with a way to access and potentially damage the system itself.

Beyond this, we’ll be immediately introducing some new services, and next year we expect to introduce additional user services that will require us to retain more information about the materials you’ve previously checked out and placed on hold. We need to better protect your data in order to provide these services. After you update your password, you’ll also have the ability to update your e-mail address online and, if you wish, to choose a user name for your account other than your library barcode number.

Please Note: With the new system, a username other than your barcode number will work only for logging into the MVLC catalog. Any other services that currently require you to enter your barcode (databases, museum passes, etc.) will still require you to use your barcode for access.

What you’ll need to do
When you log into your account after December 5th, you’ll be automatically prompted to change your password. You’ll need to select a password that’s at least seven characters long and contains both letters and numerals. Once you make this change, you’ll be able to log into your account.

Should you forget your new password, you’ll still have the ability to update it online. Your library also has the ability to reset your password or to assign you a temporary password that will allow you to reset your password yourself online.