Library management software, also known as ILS (Integrated Library Management System), is on the increase, and the range of functions it offers is growing all the time. According to the latest annual report from Tosca consultant (1), the main figures for which are given in an article published in Archimag on 17 November 2021 (2), there are no fewer than 134 business software packages aimed at the municipal or private library or media library sector.
Some of these software publishers specialise in borrowing, reservations and staff management, while others claim to be more generalist, but the missing link is still very much there.
At a time when the provision of services in libraries and media libraries is a priority for local authorities, boosted in particular by the general decentralisation grant, how can solutions linked to the management of visitor numbers in libraries meet the clear and identified needs of the profession? What can they offer users? What can they offer those responsible for public reading in our towns and cities? And why isn't attendance management more integrated into library software?
People counting system: the forgotten library software
If a library wants to analyse footfall and make the most of it, it needs to put in place reliable and appropriate people counting systems. While some libraries have sensors at the entrance, many still count visitors by hand. This is one of the many tasks now being asked of reception staff, whose main role is to welcome, inform and advise. Since the health crisis, they have also been asked to keep to a certain number of visitors and check health passes.
As a result, more and more local authorities are looking for people-counting solutions whose data can be used in real time to fine-tune the reception capacity and set alerts if it is exceeded. In this way, we can guarantee user safety and meet legal requirements without burdening reception staff with tedious tasks that require a great deal of precision.
The data collected by these systems and sensors can be extremely useful in decision-making cycles or for communicating with users.
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Communicating footfall in real time to library users
Nowadays, it's important to be able to inform users of opening times, attendance levels and forecasts. This is all the more important given that one of the primary objectives of local authorities is to provide access to culture and libraries for all. In this respect, real-time communication of user numbers is essential, and goes beyond the scope of library software.
This information can be communicated in real time on the library's website, on a wall screen at the entrance to the library, and even directly on the town's portal. A fine example of Smart City!
The Affluences start-up also makes it possible to communicate this information on its app, which is 100% dedicated to traffic in public places and has been downloaded by over a million people, including many students. A godsend for improving the experience of library users and building loyalty!
From the planning offered by library management software to crowd forecasting
While library software generally has a module dedicated to planning, it rarely takes account of real-time attendance or its history. Solutions dedicated to visitor management, on the other hand, are dynamic and, thanks to artificial intelligence algorithms, enable any library manager to make visitor forecasts.
These forecasts can be communicated to users in the same way as real-time information can be used to plan their movements around a facility. They can also be used by the site manager to organise events at the most opportune times, or to plan the schedules of reception staff.
Forecasting user numbers is now an essential part of library and media library management.
From book reservations to seat reservations: the gap to be bridged by library information systems
Just like book reservations, seat reservations are one of the major digitisation projects for municipal library managers. Whether they want to attract more users or manage access to their study rooms, which are sometimes spread over several floors, library managers appreciate setting up a seating reservation system. This helps to satisfy users, who will be sure to find a seat when they arrive, and will also enable the library manager to better organise reception and cleaning according to how busy the library is.
Although library software does not currently offer a real-time seat reservation system, the fact remains that historical data relating to these reservations is a huge plus in the decision-making cycle of the library manager, or even the town's public reading manager.
Business intelligence: data not yet available in library management systems
All the data derived directly or indirectly from measuring attendance can be centralised on a comprehensive data visualisation interface for forecasting and management purposes.
As well as forecasting attendance, this data can be used to support requests to elected representatives to extend opening hours, or at least to make significant changes to opening times. They can also be used to take action on the organisation of the site, the availability of staff, cleaning, infrastructure (should new reading rooms be created, should more seats be added, etc.).
Finally, in just a few clicks, the library manager will be able to obtain up-to-date reports to prepare his or her annual report. All that's left to do is to add these graphs, together with the attendance data, to the graphs they have obtained via their library management software for the rest of their activity...
Do you publish a library information system and want to add functionalities linked to attendance management? Then get in touch!
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