At last, we are now talking more about branch openings than closures! But with that comes questions around social distancing and checkouts, particularly as libraries are expected to have a phased approach to reopening. We've been discussing how our modules can best support these various stages and are pleased to share three enhancements we hope will make it easier for you to serve your community while keeping patrons and staff safe.
Please join us next next Wednesday, May 6th at 1pm (EDT) when we will share details about 3 upcoming platform updates which we hope will help our libraries to better handle checkouts in the current environment.
The updates are as follows and as with all our other Covid-19 updates there will be no charge:
| 1 |
The ability for patrons to schedule curbside pickup appointments online, by phone and from within Engage, our patron app. |
| 2 |
A “lite” version of Roam, our mobile point of service application for all our customers. This will allow staff to checkout and return items at the curbside and at outreach events using an IOS or Android device. |
| 3 |
Enabling patrons to checkout items on their own devices from within Engage, our patron app. |
1. Curbside Pickup
We are currently adding functionality to the Reserve module which will allow patrons to reserve a time slot for a curbside pickup appointment within the library’s parking lot or garage. You can decide how many pickup bays you would like to make available at each branch, their operating hours and the duration of the pickup window.
Patrons would then be able to book online, over the phone and also from within Engage, our patron app. Once a reservation is made the patron would receive a confirmation email confirming their time and the parking bay number they should go to on arrival at the branch.
The reporting module in Communico would be able to run detailed reports each day showing the number of appointments and their respective allocated parking bays. This information can also be able to be displayed to staff in branch on digital signage using our Broadcast module.
2. Roam "Lite"
To enable a smoother curbside checkout process, we are also offering all our libraries a free (until the end of the year) cut-down version of our Roam module. Roam is our mobile point of service app, which runs on IOS and Android devices.
One of Roam's functions is self-check. The "lite" version will allow staff to scan the patron’s library card, and then scan the items being checked out or returned, and then issue an email a receipt. If the patron does not have their library card with them, the staff member can look up their details in the ILS.
3. Self-Checkout within Engage
Once later phases of re-openings allow for patrons to enter branches, we anticipate potential concerns about how frequently self-check machines are touched or the risk associated with passing library cards and materials between staff and patrons checking them out.
So to assist here we are adding self checkout functionality for patrons within Engage, our mobile patron app. Traditionally this comes as part of our Check module but we are now going to include it at no cost to all our current customers for the duration of their current contracts.
Please join us next Wednesday to learn more about these updates and ask any questions you may have.
.jpeg?width=100&height=100&name=IMG_0791%20(2).jpeg)
