Solutions for 21st century libraries
We’re often asked for further details about what different events settings doing – in particular, what the various settings on the event entry form mean.
Check out this PDF and feel free to share it with your library staff if you feel it is applicable. It covers things like when to use recurring events, what tear down and set up time do, and how to add an image to an event.
Information about “going green” and taking steps to help the environment is everywhere right now. More and more, we’ve seen and heard from our customers that using Events, Room Reserve and Summer Reader helps to reduce the amount of paper used in libraries. Over time, minimizing paper usage saves time, money, and people power.
So, why go paperless and how can Evanced help?
In the case of libraries, going paperless can reduce confusion. How many of you have or have had “the binder”. It’s that big binder that you use to manage your meeting rooms, your events sign up lists or your summer reading forms. Have you ever LOST that binder? It creates sheer chaos – people run around as if the building is on fire!
Customers have reported that Evanced’s Events software has helped to manage program registration, but also assists with the administration of wait lists and reminder notifications. And when the program is completed, instead of worrying about a paper attendance sheet, attendance can be tracked online.
Room Reserve reduces the amount of forms that library staff members must keep track of and reduces the documentation that the public must fill out in order to request a room. Paper-based room reservation processes often involve making several copies for library users, staff members, and management. If the original or copies are lost, it can create frustration and confusion, not to mention that a valued library user may accidentally lose the reservation they wanted! Room Reserve manages all documentation and makes it available online, allowing for easy access for staff from virtually anywhere.
Henderson (NV) Public Libraries noticed a reduction in the quantity of paper they used after switching to Events, Room Reserve and Summer Reader. The change helped make their processes more efficient, benefiting their staff, the public and the environment. You can read more on our blog, which featured the Henderson Public Library in September 2009.
Summer Reading, the Paperless Way
The transition to a web-based summer reading program can not only reduce paper usage, but also improve the opportunities of busy library users to participate in summer reading.
- Be proactive about encouraging library users that have Internet access at home, work or school to use the Summer Reader program. Team up with area schools to have a Summer Reader sign up day, using media center computers and computer labs. Constant accessibility, access to great book reviews and the ability to build a reading list are just a few of the benefits.
- For those without computer access, encourage them to create a paper log. Use teen volunteers to help input the logs into Summer Reader, thus helping teens keep busy but also allowing anyone to participate in your program.
- If possible, have a “Summer Reader Log Only” station at your library – make that computer a quick stop for library users who may choose to stop by to log in their reading hours daily or weekly.
- Teens tend to adapt quickly to Summer Reader and love the ability to interact with their peers. Children love physical confirmation of their reading goal – certificates, stickers, small prizes and more. Use our certificate feature to build certificates that children and their families can instantly print when they reach a particular reading goal.
- The many prize management options available in Summer Reader make it easy to carefully manage prize distribution. Staff members can track, view, and distribute prizes without using any paper. Summer Reader manages prizes across branches, making it difficult for less scrupulous library users to visit multiple branches to collect multiple prizes if they are not deserved.
If you’d like to learn more about using Evanced Solutions’ products to reduce paper usage, contact our Coordinator of Customer Experience, Christine Ayar at cayar@evancedsolutions.com