Tailor-Made Program Registration
Beyond the Basics
Collecting the right registration information prior to hosting a program can help aid in its overall success. For the majority of the time having the number of patrons planning on attending and their basic contact information is enough. On the other hand, there are times that an event's success would benefit from knowing more ahead of time. Whether it’s a “Book Box” program or a monthly crafting event, patrons may have different preferences for the program and knowing ahead of time can help make the event more enjoyable for patrons and those hosting in addition to saving library supplies & funds for future events.
With all the exciting things happening at programs there’s plenty of information you may need from patrons ahead of events. The possibilities are endless but here just a few sample questions libraries may have for program attendees:
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What kind of book box would you like?
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Do you have any food allergies?
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Will you need supplies/tools provided?
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Are you bringing your own board game?
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What kind of seed will you plant?
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Genre Preference
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Color Preference
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Shirt Size Preference
Information Accessibility
Public libraries told us that taking the guesswork out patron event preferences would save time preparation and money on supplies. With this in mind we are now making available the ability to tailor your program registration forms for particular events. This new offering helps take the guesswork out of what supplies and quantities will be needed for your upcoming events. Your patrons will be happy to provide their preferences ahead of time, and now you can collect the unique information you need directly from the WhoFi dashboard making planning for programs even easier.
Everyone at the library who may need to access program information can do so directly from the dashboard so no one is left out of the loop. All staff members needing program information can have access to the dashboard. Getting a list of supplies needed for your upcoming programs has never been easier!
If you would like a more in depth look into how to start using tailor-made registration forms check out our video here! You can also email us at support@whofi.com with any questions.
5 Reasons To Use Registration for Your Next Library Program
One key element of a successful library program is registration for patrons. While collection methods may vary, the best registration processes can result in more successful programs with more engaged guests. In fact in an article from Science & Technology Libraries researchers found that, "customized communication is at the root of successful library programming". Here are just a few points in the planning process that easy registration could improve programs & events at the library:
1. Visibility for Library Patrons
You’ve got lots of exciting library programs coming up at the library but you are concerned you may not reach as many as you could. Keeping events visible for patrons and offering registration ensures that everyone who wants to attend can register. While having registration available at the library or over the phone is great it could bog down staff for larger programs and preclude some patrons from registering. Offering registration online is one way to ensure visibility for patrons even when they are not at the library and save staff time filling out forms.
2. Limited Seating & Space
The next program at your library could be an art class requiring plenty of natural light and space for easels. Concurrently, you may need to find space and seating for a larger group gathering to hear a guest speaker. Not all programs are made the same or require the same amount of space. Placing smaller groups in smaller rooms while reserving larger spaces for larger groups is critical for their success. Only have space for 10 people in the smaller room? Set the Registration limit to 10, and any extra guests can go on the waitlist in the meantime! Registration makes this process simple by giving program coordinators options to reserve the right space.
3. Program Materials Preparation
Keeping every program supplied with the right materials is another way that registration can keep events running smoothly. Running out of prizes for Summer reading programs or ingredients for cooking class could hurt a program’s success. Overspending on materials that go unused can be limited by knowing how many people will be in attendance up front.
4. Registered Patron Reminders
Life happens and sometimes patrons forget about an upcoming library event that they'd like to attend. One way to help prevent library programs from falling through the calendar cracks is by reminding patrons about them. It would be a tedious process to give everyone a call or email personally. A simple automatic reminder email can help boost attendance without adding additional work to program coordinators’ plates. For libraries using WhoFi, when patrons register for events, they always receive a reminder e-mail 24 hours before the event starts.
5. Standardized Record Keeping
Libraries have one step left after a program has run its course, reporting! Without registration library staff would have to rely on visual counts during the events recorded on either paper, spreadsheets, or some combination of the two. Libraries are great at storing records safely, but they still have to review them later to get totals for state questions. By collecting registration in advance, reporting processes are sped up and simplified by getting the right fields completed in advance.
Partner libraries brought up registration as a key issue on the subject of programs and community events. In an effort to reduce the burden felt by library staff and enhance patron experience, registration has been added to WhoFi’s existing Community Calendar tool. If you would like to learn more about Community Calendar and how WhoFi can help improve your library program registration processes, please get in touch!
Program Registration for Community Calendar
How many patrons will attend your upcoming library programs and who will they be? Getting a handle on program registration in advance is a great benefit to program coordinators in planning space, materials, and staff requirements, but the methods of gathering and recording this information have not always been easy. In order to simplify this process, WhoFi now has added registration into Community Calendar's functions allowing program attendees to view upcoming events and register for them directly from your website's integrated calendar.
Benefits of Program Registration:
1. Staying in Touch with Patrons
Once registered, patrons will receive confirmation as well as a reminder email 24 hours before the event takes place. This not only serves to boost program attendance, but also provides program hosts with patron info should the need to contact them arise. In addition to providing libraries with attendee contacts, you can now add program coordinator or event co-host information to events. Using this feature will allow patrons to get in touch with the right person for their program on their first try, improving their overall experience.
2. Space Planning & Preparation
Having the right materials and proper space are critical to every library program's success. It can be frustrating for patrons and staff if there isn't enough seating at the Summer reading program or if way too many handouts and supplies were purchased for a candle-making event. Taking the guesswork out of program preparation eliminates this possibility and ensures that a program can run to the best of its ability. Libraries can get a bird's eye view of all upcoming events through their Registered Events report showing all events, spaces reserved, and numbers on attendance.
3. Reporting Made Easy
After an event you can input final attendance numbers into the system and WhoFi will auto generate monthly board and director reports. The director report contains a section at the bottom that aligns with the programming and attendance questions being requested on your state annual report. This single reporting method eliminates administrative redundancies allowing libraries to spend more time using the insights and less time compiling them. In addition, the registration feature allows those that use it to see both the total attendance over the programs that require registration and the number of unique community members attending the programming. Whether it is in person or online, the data is always at your fingertips ready to access whenever you need it for State or board reports throughout the year.
Registration on Community Calendar captures important information to help libraries plan and execute events more successfully. The reminder emails as well as coordinator contact info provide additional points of contact for patrons to engage with library programs and their coordinators to boost attendance and engagement. Automatically generated reports make a long process much shorter and free up time to interact with patrons in other meaningful ways.
Public library feedback led to the creation of the registration feature. Existing methods for program registration including phone calls, email collection, and of course paper forms all take staff resources away from patrons. If you would like to learn more about the Community Calendar or how to use registration please contact support@whofi.com for more information.