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LibCal Equipment Booking is Here!

We have super exciting news to share – the Equipment Booking module of LibCal is ready to be unveiled to the world and we’re confident it will revolutionize how libraries manage equipment reservations. From advertising equipment availability, to managing the reservation process, to managing inventory and check in / check out we’ve got your needs covered.

The LibCal Equipment Booking is an optional module to our LibCal platform. It makes reserving and managing equipment streamlined and worry free. Create an attractive, tile-based public catalog to advertise available equipment, so patrons can browse available equipment at a glance. Patrons can reserve multiple items in a single reservation – whether it’s reserving the camera, tripod, and battery pack, or reserving a study room and a projector, a 3-D printer and maker space… Equipment Booking has you covered. When patrons come to collect their equipment, use the Equipment Booking module to check the item out (and back in again!), and use our handy reminder emails to remind people when items are due back. Even keep track of an item’s entire history – everything from the serial number to replacement cost, to detailed service history notes and checkout history.

There are literally too many things to go on about, so we created a short video to show you the highlights of the new Equipment Booking module:

No time for a video? Here are the top level highlights:

  • Visually Focused Public Catalog – LibCal offers an attractive, tile-based layout, making it easy to display items in an easy to digest visual layout.
  • All equipment information, all together – User manuals, terms and conditions, rules around lending, service history notes, replacement costs, lending history – all information about each item is stored together, so it’s all easy to access.
  • Reserve Multiple Items – If patrons need to reserve multiple items in a single reservation, LibCal Equipment Booking handles things with ease. Patrons add multiple items to a “cart”, and complete their reservation with just one booking form. On the back-end, view all items contained in a single reservation at a glance – no more signing up for individual time slots!
  • Check Items Out and In – LibCal offers a simple check in / check out process, so you know at a glance which items are available, and which are out with patrons. In case you’re wondering, our Check Out process even includes the following nice to have features:
    • Customized Check Out / Check In Alert Messages – Remind front desk staff to check items during check out and check in, to make sure that all pieces of a kit should be included.
    • Hot Swap items – A patron shows up to pick up equipment, but the iPad they reserved isn’t there? No problem – just swap the item for another available item, without needing to edit the entire reservation.
    • Integrated Email Notifications – We’ve included reservation confirmation messages, check out email receipts, “item due soon” reminder email, and an overdue reminder email, so patrons have all the info they need for every reservation.
  • Powerful Lending Rules – Ensure fair and equal access to all patrons by limiting both the duration and frequency of reservations.
    • Support for Hourly and/or Daily reservations – Do you have some items that circulate for 3 hours, and others that circulate for 3 days? LibCal Equipment Booking has you covered.
    • Custom Frequency Limiters – Limit the number of times a patron can reserve items of a particular type by day, week, month, or year.
  • Room Booking Integration – Migrate your existing Room Booking Rooms into the new Equipment Booking module, and your patrons will be able to reserve items and spaces in a single reservation. Hello, reserving a meeting room and projector in the same reservation!
  • Availability Governed by the Hours Module – Our new Equipment Booking module relies on the LibCal hours module to determine when items are available for pick up and return, so there’s no more managing availability on a periodic basis. Just set your lending rules, link your Equipment Location to the correct Hours Location, and you’re set to lend!
  • Integrated with Authentication – We offer SAML, CAS, Shibboleth, Active Directory, LDAP, and SIP2 integration, right out of the gate, so only permitted users can borrow items at your library.

And there you have it – a robust, attractive, and easy-to-use Equipment Booking system, built seamlessly within LibCal. It’s the best bang for your equipment buck and we can’t wait for you to start using it. To get started, contact your favorite Springy and request a trial today!

PLUS: Join us for a live 30 minute webinar to explore everything the Equipment Booking module has to offer! Choose the date that works best for you and click to register (all times listed are in Eastern time):

Fri, Sept 16: 11am – 11:30am Mon, Sept 26: 3pm – 3:30pm
Tues, Sept 20: 3:30pm – 4pm Thurs, Sept 29: 11am – 11:30am
Thurs, Sept 22: 10:30am – 11am

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