Introduction
Whether it’s by email, text, or paper, libraries need to send notices to patrons. Notices are created for reminders, overdues, fines, and hold pickups. The tools available in your ILS can help you reach your patrons and deliver information effectively.
Ease of sending notices
Being able to send notices quickly and easily is vital to communicating with patrons. If notifications are complicated and time-consuming to send, they are less likely to be sent regularly. Staff may forget to send them or may get interrupted in the middle of sending them.
An ILS with tools that allow you to schedule notices to be printed or sent automatically helps by taking the mental load off staff and allowing them to spend time on other library tasks. You can schedule which days notices will be sent and avoid sending them on days the library is closed.
Notice Customization
Most library software allows you to customize the text for each type of notice you send. Some even allow you to set up different messages for different types of patrons and for different levels of notices. A first overdue notice and a third overdue notice are usually worded differently. The third overdue notice could contain a message about needing to pay the replacement cost if it is not returned, for example.
Customizing notices for different patron types is another feature to look for in an ILS. You can have one set of notices for lower grades and one set for higher grades in a school. A third notice type could be sent to staff. Different messages could be sent to the various groups at your library. Not only the information itself could be varied, but the wording and communication style can also be customized to your particular audience.
Conclusion
When choosing an ILS, look at what options you have for sending notices. Can you send them via your patrons’ preferred method? Is it possible to send multiple types of notices, and can you customize them to effectively communicate? Will you be able to automate the task of sending notices? A well-designed system can take a lot of the work off your plate and facilitate clear, timely communication.
About Surpass Software
Surpass is the easy-to-use, cloud-based library management system for libraries of all types and sizes. Whether you’re a school, church, museum, business, or any other organization with resources to lend, Surpass is likely a good fit for you. We pride ourselves on being affordable and flexible, with an expert support team ready to help you at a moment’s notice.
Schedule a free demo to see Surpass in action.
