Get a Room

By Rob Cullin

Communities need a place to meet, gather and connect. Libraries either already have those places or are looking to add meeting rooms through construction or renovation. Once these rooms are available, libraries face the challenge of managing those spaces effectively and efficiently. They also are pressured by their communities to provide an easy and convenient way to check room availability and make reservations.

Usage policies that are fair, balanced and not too restrictive are generally preferred as well. In the past, most libraries made rooms available only to non-profit groups, but the growing trend now is making rooms available for more uses, including opening them up to for-profit groups and private parties and receptions. Fees are usually charged for these types of usage, which helps libraries to offset their operating costs.

Florida’s Boca Raton Public Library included this type of usage into the design of its new building, wanting it to be an attractive option for private parties and receptions.

All of these issues are forcing libraries to re-evaluate how they manage their meeting spaces while balancing the competing needs of internal use and external groups. That’s where meeting room management software like Evanced Room Reserve can really help. Using easy-to-deploy Web technology to manage meeting spaces, Room Reserve helps to address all of these issues in an application built for libraries. The software system is highly configurable to match the policies and procedures of most any library, and keeps the appointed library staff in control while extending information and access to other staff and the community at large. In addition, usage statistics can help the library further build its case for the value it brings to the community.

Rob Cullin is the CSO and co-founder of Evanced Solutions, a leading developer and supplier of scheduling, room reservation, and summer reading programs software solutions. www.evancedsolutions.com