LibCal is an affordable, library-focused tool for event management, space bookings, appointment scheduling, Library of Things & museum passes lending, and more!
Libraries have a lot going on - onsite and online events, one-on-one consultations, town-wide reading initiatives, exam study nights, cake pan lending, author visits, and much more! LibCal provides the tools you need to coordinate the where, when, what, and who for pretty much anything. No wonder it's up and running at over 3,500 libraries worldwide and growing - both features-wise and user-wise.
10 Helpful Features That Make LibCal Stand Out From the Crowd
Selecting software for your library can be challenging, so we've compiled a list of our favorite LibCal features and functionality.
1. LibCal provides top-notch calendar and event management.
We don't call it LibCal for nothing! It's a fully-featured calendar and event management platform. You can create unlimited in-person, virtual, or hybrid events, customize the registration experience, create automated notification emails, manage waitlists, mediate registrations, and more! The look and feel of the calendar and event pages are fully customizable to seamlessly blend with your library website.
2. Seat and space reservations are easy for you and your patrons.
With LibCal, you can manage bookings of library rooms/spaces and individual seats or workstations within spaces. Patrons can book a seat or space on mobile devices, check-in/out via QR codes, and more. LibCal's dedicated tablet-display interface works with wall-mounted displays to create a seamless room booking experience.
3. Appointment schedulers for one-on-one consultations.
LibCal makes it easy for patrons to schedule appointments or consultations in the library, or online via the Zoom integration. Our libraries are using it to offer research consultations, passport appointments, job-seeking assistance for patrons, and more. The 2-way sync with Outlook, Google Calendar, and LibStaffer automatically blocks off unavailable times so librarians are never double booked.
4. LibCal lets your Library of Things collection shine!
Let your patrons take home games and puzzles, cake pans and craft equipment, musical instruments, coding kits, telescopes and power tools - the possibilities are endless! Embrace the unconventional and stay totally organized with the Lending Hub's fully-featured Library of Things optional module.
5. Lending museum passes? We can help with that, too.
Expand your patrons' experiences beyond the library's walls! Manage and lend passes to local museums, cultural, and family entertainment institutions. The flexible Tickets & Passes module allows for both physical passes picked up at the library and digital passes delivered directly to your patron's email inbox. This feature is part of the Lending Hub add-on module.
6. Centralized management of your building(s) & branch hours has never been easier.
Whether you have multiple branches or one building with many departments and sections, LibCal allows you to centralize the management of your library's hours with department-level granularity. Use our widgets and APls to share location hours to all your digital touch points.
7. Interactive Maps module ensures patrons never get lost.
The Interactive Mapping module allows patrons to browse and book spaces & seats using an interactive floor plan map. Info hotspots on the map highlight library spaces and services, helping patrons identify where things are located inside the library. Heat map reports show admins which spaces and seats are booked most frequently, providing valuable insight into how to organize seating for optimal use. Interactive Maps is an optional add-on module.
8. You can import data from spreadsheets, or other systems.
LibCal has ready-made import scripts for automatically importing hundreds - or thousands - events, statistics, room configurations, etc. Our support team ensures that moving from another system to LibCal is a breeze!
9. Stats, stats, and more stats!
LibCal's statistics reports provide you with the information and tools you need to further develop your event programming and patron engagement strategy. Real-time reporting on event attendance, heat maps for space & seat reservations, and utilization rates for equipment and Library of Things lending provide the data you need to evaluate your services.
10. You can embed your LibCal content anywhere.
Have you signed up for one of our upcoming LibCal info sessions? We've embedded a LibCal widget here so you can see all of the upcoming dates and times, and register online.
Want to learn more?
Of course you do! LibCal does so much, yet it costs so little. Allow us to show you how LibCal can meaningfully boost your patron engagement and library programming efforts. For more information or a free trial of LibCal, please get in touch with our Sales Team.
Hi, I’d like to see what your product entails and what the cost is. Please email me with some information and if we can I’d like to set up a walk-through with some of my staff.
Thanks,
MaryEllen
Hi MaryEllen! Our team will be in touch with some more information. We’ll be emailing your email address provided, so just keep an eye out in your inbox for that message.