# SWAN Libraries + — Your library catalog app

> Chicagoland library consortium catalog and account management app. (iPhone/iPad app by System Wide Automated Network.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swan-libraries-plus/id6473793650 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [System Wide Automated Network](https://appshunter.io/developer/1472754657)
- Category: Books
- Price: Free
- Rating: 1.80/5 from 73 App Store ratings · 53 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.1 · 45 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2023-12-11
- Data updated: 2026-08-14
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swan-libraries-plus/id6473793650/reviews.md

## What is SWAN Libraries +?

SWAN is a library consortium of public, academic, school, and special libraries in the Chicagoland area. Manage your account, search the catalog, renew and place holds on books, download ebooks and audiobooks, and more. Visit your library including: 
• Acorn (Oak Forest)
• Addison
• Alsip-Merrionette Park
• Batavia
• Bedford Park
• Beecher
• Bellwood
• Bensenville
• Berkeley
• Berwyn
• Bloomingdale
• Blue Island
• Bridgeview
• Broadview
• Brookfield
• Calumet City
• Calumet Park
• Carol Stream
• Chicago Heights
• Chicago Ridge
• Cicero
• Clarendon Hills
• Crestwood
• Crete
• Dolton
• Downers Grove
• Eisenhower (Harwood Heights and Norridge)
• Elmwood Park
• Evergreen Park
• Flossmoor
• Forest Park
• Frankfort
• Franklin Park
• Geneva
• Glen Ellyn
• Glenside
• Glenwood-Lynwood
• Grande Prairie (Country Club Hills and Hazel Crest)
• Green Hills (Palos Hills)
• Harvey
• Hillside
• Hinsdale
• Hodgkins
• Homewood
• Indian Prairie (Darien, Willowbrook, and Burr Ridge)
• Itasca
• Justice
• Kaneville
• La Grange
• La Grange Park
• Lansing
• Lyons
• Markham
• McCook
• Matteson
• Maywood
• Melrose Park
• Messenger (North Aurora)
• Midlothian
• Nancy McConathy (Sauk Village)
• North Riverside
• Oak Brook
• Oak Lawn
• Oak Park
• Palos Heights
• Palos Park
• Park Forest
• Prairie Trails (Burbank and Nottingham Park)
• Richton Park
• River Forest
• River Grove
• Riverdale
• Roselle
• Schiller Park
• South Holland
• St. Charles
• Steger
• Stickney-Forest View
• Sugar Grove
• Summit
• Thomas Ford
• Thornton
• Tinley Park
• Town and Country (Elburn)
• University Park
• Westchester
• Villa Park (Villa Park and Oakbrook Terrace)
• Warrenville
• West Chicago
• Westmont
• William Leonard (Robbins)
• Wood Dale
• Woodridge
• Worth
• National University of Health Sciences
• Theosophical Society
• Morton Arboretum

## Key features

- Manage library account
- Search library catalog
- Renew items
- Place holds
- Download ebooks
- Download audiobooks

## What do users think of SWAN Libraries +?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 👍 Easy to look up books
- 👍 Can place holds easily
- 👍 Can see checked out books
- 👍 Get notified for pick up
- 👍 Digital library card available
- 👍 Good for searching and exploring
- 👍 Works for checking out
- 👍 Works for creating lists
- 👍 Old app was fine (mentioned by some)
- 👍 Basic functionality works for some users
- 👍 Can renew books
- 👍 Mobile access to library card

**Cons**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Constantly logs out users
- 🐛 Slow loading times
- 🐛 Filters do not work
- 🐛 Discover section is blank
- 🐛 App won't open
- 🐛 Keyboard/number pad not working
- 🐛 Difficult to navigate
- 🐛 Search requires retyping
- 🐛 Inconsistent filter results
- 🐛 Clunky interface
- 🐛 Limited options
- 🐛 Kicked out of app for no reason
- 🐛 App is unreliable
- 🐛 Not smart or intuitive
- 🐛 Glitchy operation
- 🐛 Loading screen issues
- 🐛 Filters don't stick
- 🐛 Category toggles are tricky
- 🐛 App is garbage
- 🐛 Takes forever to load
- 🐛 Locks up iPhone
- 🐛 App immediately crashes
- 🐛 Major issue with crashing
- 🐛 So sad, won't open
- 🐛 Important features don't work
- 🐛 Frustrating experience
- 🐛 Awful slow and clunky app
- 🐛 Not better than last version
- 🐛 Cumbersome and a downgrade
- 🐛 Gutter trash
- 🐛 Extremely limited functionality
- 🐛 Basic, boring and slow
- 🐛 Annoying notification prompts
- 🐛 Slow & Barely Works
- 🐛 Needs lots of improvement
- 🐛 Not ready for prime time
- 🐛 Forgot pin link doesn't work
- 🐛 Can't get a book sent to my library
- 🐛 App startup is cumbersome

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Category toggles are tricky and don't reflect changes immediately
- Pick up location changes don't seem to stick
- App logs users out constantly
- Discover section is blank, new content doesn't appear
- Filters to search for items no longer work
- App works less than 50% of the time
- App is logged out every session, requires re-entry of library card number
- Cannot sign back in after being signed out
- Keyboard and Number pad do not work on login screen
- App takes forever to load
- App is impossible to customize
- App is clunky and has very little options
- App kicks users out for no reason
- App is generally unreliable
- App is not smart or intuitive
- App is buggy and unreliable
- App is consistently closing out and logs users out at random
- Filters for searches frequently don't work
- Buggy mediocre app
- Search requires retyping the entire field
- Filters by media format show results of filtered-out formats
- Filtering by library only shows home library and eVideo
- App crashes constantly
- App is slow
- App is signed out for no reason on a weekly basis
- App locks up iPhone before login
- App asks for Library Card # and return from keypad does NOT work
- App crashes on startup
- App is bricked after latest update
- Categories on discover page aren't linked or showing selected ones
- Tapping account icon and menus has a delay, leading to double taps
- Search filtering doesn't work
- Offline ecard access doesn't work
- Cannot select library location to get past initial screen
- Error when requesting certain holds
- App won't open
- App immediately crashes
- App crashes when it starts
- App won't open anymore, just crashes immediately
- Tapping holds crashes app
- App startup is cumbersome, requires selecting library each time and reading trivia screens
- Tapping my holds list keeps crashing the app
- Notifications are enabled but app says they are not
- App doesn’t support automatic iOS light/dark mode
- Correct login info returned as incorrect on first input
- Forgot PIN link returns a blank window
- Progress bar is choppy and not indicative of loading time
- Brightness doesn't return to original setting after using ecard
- Double/back to back loading icons at the start of future app launches
- App keeps crashing and/or losing account info during a session
- Old app was working fine, new app is a mess
- Filters are ignored
- App is extremely limited in functionality
- Categories like New DVDS do not open/populate
- App asks to allow notifications EVERY TIME
- For every book ordered, user has to input their library
- App is slow to start up
- App provides no convenient access to the library
- Facial recognition to open app should be available
- In notifications, enable all switch is confusing with individual alerts
- App is slow to load
- Have to force quit and go back in to see account info
- App is buggy

**Most requested features**

- Fix the issue of being logged out every session
- Improve category toggles and make changes stick
- Fix discover section to show new content
- Make filters work correctly
- Add app support to website
- Improve loading times
- Allow customization
- Add more options
- Fix the issue of being kicked out of the app
- Improve reliability
- Make the app smarter and more intuitive
- Fix glitching and bugs
- Improve loading screen experience
- Ensure changes to pick up locations stick
- Allow retyping search fields instead of full retype
- Fix filter results to match selected media formats
- Allow filtering by any library, not just home library
- Add self checkout option
- Add facial recognition to open app
- Improve notification enabling process
- Add variety to loading screen facts
- Add a report feedback option
- Improve backward compatibility for older iOS versions
- Add a spinner or hourglass for loading
- Make categories on discover page linked
- Allow users to select library every time or remember it
- Add a submit or go button after entering library card number
- Add a percentage to the progress bar
- Add more fun facts with variety
- Ensure brightness returns to original setting after using ecard
- Remove double loading icons
- Fix 'Forgot PIN' link to work
- Add option to create a new account
- Include all libraries in the pick-up location list
- Add a search guidance for users
- Make the app less annoying with notification prompts
- Add a dark mode option
- Improve the discover page functionality

## Recent user reviews (10 of 53)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swan-libraries-plus/id6473793650/reviews.md

### 2/5 — Buggy

*2026-05-24*

Managing the category toggles is tricky. You toggle the button, the app does something, but the toggle button stays the same, when in reality there is a delay. This creates confusion since you’re never quite sure if the change stuck or not. Likewise the pick up locations — the changes don’t seem to stick at all.

### 2/5 — Just frustrating enough

*2026-03-03, version 26.02.00*

I try to use it all the time. I find it smooth and simple. But it logs me out constantly.

### 2/5 — Discover section of App is blank, filters no longer work

*2026-02-07, version 26.01.00*

The site was semi-functional at first, but many portions of app have stopped working. New videos and books no longer appear in the Discover section. Filters to search for items such as only DVDs no longer work at all. Fine if all you want to be able to do is see what you have checked out.

### 2/5 — library deserves better than this

*2025-11-02, version 25.10.00*

this app is okay. it works less than 50% of the time

### 2/5 — I want to LOVE it….but I CAN’T

*2025-08-15*

The functionality of the app is great for searching, exploring and even placing holds but there’s one HUGE problem that renders the app next to useless. I am logged out every session. There’s no way to remain logged in to the app. I’m not sure if it’s due to a glitch or functionality but the fact that I have to find and enter my library card number every time I want to use the app is a huge deterrent. PLEASE FIX THIS ISSUE!!!

### 1/5 — No app support!

*2025-08-10*

The Swan library plus app signed me out and now I can’t sign back in. I can select my library, but my keyboard and Number pad will not work and I am running the latest iPhone software. There is no app support anywhere on their website. Disappointed.

### 1/5 — The worst

*2025-07-08*

I wish I could say something good about this app…it takes forever to load, it’s impossible to customize, it’s clunky and has very little options. It is very common to be kicked out of this app for no reason. Today alone, I’ve been kicked out 3 times. It’s annoying and I wish for so much more, especially because I am a very frequent library user.

### 2/5 — Good when it works…

*2025-06-09*

The app is great for checking out, placing holds and even creating lists but the app is consistently closing out and logs you out at random. One of the perks of having an app is not having to have the card/number on hand but having to log in at every use makes the app not worthwhile. I really hope they can find an update to solve the glitching.

### 1/5 — Not good

*2025-04-24, version 25.04.00*

The app is generally unreliable. It’s not smart or intuitive. So much potential, but l I feel is frustration

### 5/5 — Love it!

*2025-04-23*

So far I been using it for a while and I haven’t really had any issue with it. It’s so easy to look up books you’re interested in. See what libraries have it available to place a hold on them. See what books you have borrow or have hold for. Get notified when your books are ready for pick up! Pretty straightforward plus you get a barcode if you forget your library card at home!!!

## Frequently asked questions about SWAN Libraries +

### What does the SWAN Libraries+ app do?

The SWAN Libraries+ app allows you to manage your library account, search the catalog of participating libraries, renew borrowed items, and place holds on books. It also enables you to download ebooks and audiobooks directly to your device for convenient access.

### What are the key features of SWAN Libraries+?

Key features include managing your library account, searching a comprehensive catalog, renewing items, placing holds, and downloading ebooks and audiobooks. The app provides a centralized platform for accessing resources from multiple libraries within the SWAN consortium.

### Is SWAN Libraries+ free to use?

Yes, the SWAN Libraries+ app is free to download and use. There are no associated costs for accessing its features or for the books and audiobooks you download through the app. Your library membership provides access to these resources.

### Which libraries are part of the SWAN consortium?

The SWAN consortium includes a wide range of public, academic, school, and special libraries across the Chicagoland area. The app's description lists many participating libraries, such as Acorn, Addison, Alsip-Merrionette Park, Batavia, and many more, covering numerous towns and institutions.

### Who is the target audience for this app?

This app is designed for individuals who are members of libraries within the SWAN consortium in the Chicagoland area. It is ideal for students, residents, and anyone who wishes to conveniently manage their library interactions and access digital resources from their mobile device.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 26.07.01 — 2026-08-11

Fixes checking out Libby titles

### 26.07.00 — 2026-07-22

Bug fixes, layout fixes, and performance updates

### 26.06.00 — 2026-06-24

Bug fixes and performance enhancements

### 26.05.00 — 2026-05-27

Minor bug fixes

### 26.04.00 — 2026-04-22

Minor updates and bug fixes

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## More apps by System Wide Automated Network

- [SWAN Libraries App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swan-libraries-app/id1472754658)

All apps by System Wide Automated Network: https://appshunter.io/developer/1472754657

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-14.*