Text messaging at Naperville Public Library. Anne Bultman System Administrator

Transcription

1 Text messaging at Naperville Public Library Anne Bultman System Administrator

2 A LITTLE HISTORY We started looking at text messaging options in January Very interested in texting messages but all outside vendors were potentially too expensive. Some of the vendors only sent one type of notice and we wanted to send all notices: courtesy, holds, and overdue items.

3 I attended the Free Solution for Texting Patrons by Mohamed Ragheb from the Wadsworth Public Library at the 2010 IUG conference. Mohamed suggested putting the patron s cell phone number and carrier in the field.

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5 Wadsworth Public Library used the subject lines of the s in place of a true text message. This is limiting because text messages can be 160 characters but the subject line from a Millennium can only be 70 characters. To edit the subject headings you need to be in Circulation, Administration, Parameters, Circulation, subjects.

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8 When I broached the subject with Ron we thought the 70 characters wouldn t give us the results we wanted. And, we decided that we wanted to place the responsibility for opting into text messaging on the patron and remove our circulation staff from the process. Ron decided to send all notices to print and devised a script to and text the messages.

9 The messages I devised 3 messages for texting and sent them to management for approval: Courtesy notice: You have one or more items due soon to the Naperville Public Library. Please return or renew them ASAP. If you have returned them, thank you. (144 characters) Hold pickup notice: You have one or more items awaiting pickup at the Naperville Public Library. These items will be held for you for 7 days. Thank you. (134 characters) Overdue notice: You may have library items that are overdue. Please return them ASAP to keep fines from accumulating or renew them in person, online, or by phone. Thank you. (158 characters)

10 Everyone enjoyed editing them to make them as brief as possible and they became: Courtesy notice: You have 2 items due soon to the Naperville Public Library. Please return or renew ASAP. If you have, thank you. (115 characters) Hold pickup notice: You have 2 items ready for pickup at the Naperville Public Library which will be held for 7 days. Thank you. (109 characters) Overdue notice: You may have 2 items overdue at the Naperville Public Library. Please return or renew ASAP to keep fines from growing. Thank you. (123 characters)

11 Staff trial We decided to ask our staff members to try the system for us. In May 2010 I sent an asking staff to participate and furnished the instructions.

12 Hello, The text of the We have developed a system of sending text message notification for hold, overdue, and courtesy notices and we would like staff to test it before we open it to our patrons. I have attached instructions on how you can add text messaging to your account. If you are interested in receiving text message notification, please follow the attached instructions and then send me an letting me know that you have opted in to receive text messages. Remember: Text messaging may incur charges from you cell phone provider. Thanks for being the beta testers.

13 The instructions: Adding text messaging to your account NPL will begin offering patrons the option to receive text message notification for hold pickup, courtesy, and overdue notices. These messages are really messages sent to your cell phone. You will need to know your cell phone provider to take advantage of text messaging. Find your cell phone provider on the list below. You will enter your cell phone number followed by and the information provided below into your patron record. Login into your account through the library s website Click on Modify Personal Info To add texting to your account: In the box, add a comma and your cell phone number followed by the information from above. DO NOT PUT A SPACE BEFORE OR AFTER THE COMMA. Your address should look like this: twoodruff@comcast.net, @vmobl.com You will want to receive BOTH and text messages as the message will contain more information than the brief text message can provide. Disclaimer: While there is no charge from the Library for this service, you may see a charge for incoming text messages at the standard rate applies by your cell phone carrier, depending on your plan or package.

14 Cell phone provider Alltel AT&T Cellular One Cingular Metro PCS Nextel Omnipoint Powertel Qwest Sprint SunCom T-Mobile US Cellular Verizon Virgin Mobile Add after your cell @vmobl.com

15 Problems discovered by staff 1. Received all notices including Preferred Searches 2. Preferred Search s were sent at 4:30am and woke staff up 3. Courtesy notices were sent at 6:30am and also woke staff up 4. Received error message when trying to register for Summer Reading Program because of 2 addresses in the field

16 Solution to the problems 1. Asked Innovative to create a new field in the patron record for cell phone information. -Innovative had already created this field, we just needed it turned on. -It is field O (letter o) is called Mobile phone number -Unfortunately, it wouldn t display in the personal information on WebPAC until we upgraded to 2009B.

17 2. Opened calls with Innovative: -to change the time of autonotices (Courtesy notices) being generated from 6:30am to 7:20am -to change the time of Preferred Search s being generated from 4:30am to 7:00am 3. Opened a call asking Innovative to change the name of the field to Text Messaging because our staff had found the mobile phone number field and started entering their cell phone numbers into it.

18 Upgraded to 2009B in August 2010 and added the Text messaging field as well as the cell phone providers to the Modify Patron Information page.

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21 Promotion Patrons found it in their record Added a message to the login page Community Services is planning a full campaign

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23 Courtesy notices Text :20AM Our records show the following item(s) will be due soon. If you have returned them, thank you. If you will be unable to return them by the due date, you may be able to renew by phoning or online at AUTHOR: Handler, Chelsea. AUTHOR: Lewis, Michael TITLE: Chelsea Chelsea bang bang The blind side : evolution of CALL NO: HAN CALL NO: OHE BARCODE: BARCODE: Naper Blvd. Adult Non DUE: Nichols Adult Nonfict DUE: DATE CHECKED OUT: :06PM DATE CHECKED OUT: FRM:naperlib@napervill e-lib.org MSG:You have 2 items due soon to the Naperville Public Library. Please return or renew ASAP. If you have, thank you.

24 Holds pickup notices Text :07PM The following item(s) are being held for you until the date listed. Please pick up your item(s) at the library indicated on the bottom line. Please or call Circulation at x6322 with questions. AUTHOR: AUTHOR: Burke, James Lee, The improbable adventures Rain gods [sound recording] of Sherlo CALL NO: F IMP CALL NO: F BUR BARCODE: BARCODE: PICKUP AT: 95th St Hold PICKUP AT: 95th St Hold BY: BY: FRM:naperlib@naperv ille-lib.org MSG:You have 2 items ready for pickup at the Naperville Public Library which will be held for 7 days. Thank you.

25 Overdue notices :09AM The following item(s) are now overdue. Please return the item(s) as soon as possible to keep fines from accumulating. You may renew online at or by phone at Please or call Circulation at x6322 with questions. AUTHOR: Brooklyn's finest [(DVD) videorecor CALL NO: F BRO BARCODE: th Street Adult DVD DUE: DATE CHECKED OUT: :56AM Text FRM:naperlib@napervil le-lib.org MSG: You may have 1 item overdue at the Naperville Public Library. Please return or renew ASAP to keep fines from growing. Thank you.

26 Started with 21 staff members on August 24 th and as of November 10 th 262 patrons have opted in. We are hoping more people will become aware of the text messaging option after Community Services does a promotion. Patrons receiving text messages /24 8/31 9/7 9/14 9/21 9/28 10/5 10/12 10/19 10/26 11/2 11/9