Libraries are typically non-profit organizations; such organizations do not make much money. Since these libraries are regulated and dependent on government funding, the government always have to provide the necessary funding and statistics. So it is essential to know the exact number of visitors to the libraries on a monthly or annual basis.
The number of people coming to the library & how many people are willing to accept any service must be known; therefore, knowing the traffic count is necessary to determine their funding. Collecting visitor data is an essential part of running a library. This data allows you to schedule your employees and request funding.
Reasons for Using a Patron Counter in a Library
Patron counters are used in libraries to collect daily attendance and visitor data. Patron counter for libraries confirms & keep track of how many people are entering the area.
- Easy to Use: Most patron counters, also generally known as people counters, are very straightforward to use, with no complicated process. Battery-powered models are generally very easy to install too.
- Simple, Low Maintenance: It is a simple process through which data is counted, and the number of visitors entered is measured. Thus, it does not require much effort and money to maintain. A low-budget people counter can accumulate one single total until the user resets it, while more expensive models can send the data directly to your computer or to the Cloud on the Web.
Benefits of Using a Parton Counter in a Library
Accurate Reports
It is imperative to know all kinds of accurate reports to manage a library. For example, the patron counter accurately determines how many people visit the library daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. With low-budget people counters, the data would simply be entered manually, typically on a daily basis. The more expensive systems can automatically break the data down into almost any interval required for reporting purposes.
Controlling the Traffic
The library has different types of branches; you need to know which branch has the most traffic. If you do not know, you will not be able to take adequate measures to deal with the traffic. It is possible to store detailed data about the traffic of each branch through the Patron counter.
Funding Measures
If it is not possible to provide accurate information about all the funds in the library, then there may be problems in getting the funds later. The data obtained with the help of the patron counter can be used to prove the legitimacy of the funding system.
Time-Schedule
With the help of patron counter, you can find out at which time the library is the busiest and when is the least busy. As a result, it is possible to take the necessary steps to ease the busy schedule and provide the best services to visitors.
Safety
It is vital to calculate the exact number of people in the library to avoid any accident or safety issue. It is possible to know this through the patron counter, and it helps to take necessary steps to avoid accidents. This can be especially important in the age of the COVID pandemic and the reopening of public establishments in the near future.
Summary
In addition to the things mentioned above, many other valuable aspects can be found through the patron counter. However, the most important thing is that since the library is a government-regulated institution and its funding is provided from government funds, it is essential to provide all the correct information. Only in this way is it possible to get grants and government funds. Therefore, it is vital to know the requirements of patron counter so that the beneficial aspects obtained through it come to the notice of all.
