User Group, User Group 2018: The best bits

LIBERO’s User Group 2018 showcased new features, new developments, best practice, and very special guests.

New features

New features including Business Intelligence and Project: Pilot were both previewed to the LIBERO customers who attended.

Business Intelligence

LIBERO’s new Business Intelligence was well received by attendees, who were shown a visual concept of the new, intelligent dashboards.

Easy to read dashboards create live data that can present meaningful, insightful information.

“Most popular resources by member type”, “Busiest time of the day”, and Branch Overviews” were just some examples previewed at the event.

Project: Pilot

Project: Pilot is the name given to the redevelopment of the WebOPAC.

This redevelopment was first previewed at the 2017 User Group: a complete re design from the ground. Project: Pilot allows the library to showcase more resources and create “Netflix” like playlists for the user to browse, create wishlists, and interact with the library in new ways so they have control over their journey with the library.

In 2018, the LIBERO Team showcased how Project: Pilot had progressed from concept stage, to a working demo.

Digital Resource Integration

With Project: Pilot comes a new way eMaterial vendors’ resources will be viewed by library users.

LIBERO has developed Project: Pilot for eVendors such as: Wheelers, Bolinda, RBDigital, and OverDrive to work within the WebOPAC making it easier and more enjoyable to  access your favourite books and magazines.

This new development will allow one click downloads, quick view availability with “Read Now” and “Reserve” buttons, and is very visually appealing for library users.

eVendors will supply graphics, artwork and metadata through the library API which means less work for the library. There will no longer be imports required by the library, it will all work automatically.

Very special guests

Kay Weaver – Narrogin Shire Library

Creating an Award-Winning community Library

The Shire of Narrogin is a regional area in Western Australia. Its library budget is low, its community is small, yet they are a multi-award-winning library service.

The library won an award in 2016 for providing a place for a Home-Schooling Group. Once a week, home schooled children would come in to the library for a group activity.

A year later, the award was received for CoderDojo in the library where children would learn how to code for free, create and design their own computer games.

In 2018, an award was given for plans to create a new Sensory Garden near the library providing space for outdoor art and crafts for children, picnic areas for the families, and a place that is Alzheimer’s friendly.

Marshall Breeding – Library Technology Guides

Technology in the library

Following Marshall Breeding’s exclusive interview for LIBERO customers on the streaming channel, LIBERO TV, he joined us in person to present to the User Group.

Marshall provided us with examples of successful libraries around the globe ranging from South American examples of very basic libraries established with very little money but with the will and the tenacity to provide the best possible solution for their customers, through to some extremely high-tech and busy libraries generating over 60 million circulation transactions per year.

Marshall spoke of Public library trends including:

The ongoing reliance on physical materials;

Importance of customer engagement;

Digital presence; and

eBooks and audio books.

It was interesting to note Marshall’s opinion on renaming ‘Library’ to an alternative such as ‘Knowledge Centre’.  Marshall believes that the ‘Library’ brand is important to retain.

“It’s the known brand, don’t change it. Expand on the information, but don’t change the brand,” said Marshall.

We tend to agree.

Best Practice

Along with new features, the LIBERO team showcased how libraries can integrate with third party tools to enhance LIBERO modules such as: eMessaging and notifications, online registration and reregistration process, and report scheduling.

Riverina Regional Library, Woollahra, Albury Library Museum and Waverley Libraryall provided examples to support these top tips.

Waverly Library showcased its new report scheduler recently set up with the help of LIBERO’s support team. The third-party tool schedules reports from LIBERO and gives a wide range of times and export options, additional parameters for scheduled jobs, and can run in several LIBERO namespaces.

 

If you are a LIBERO Customer and could not make this year’s event, you can watch the best bits on LIBERO TV.

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