Case Study
Kansas City Public Library
How KCPL Is Managing Curbside Hold Pick-up via Curbside Communicator - The Single SMS Interface For Staff - And Preventing Over 1,000 Phone Calls Per Month - A Huge Time Saver
Kansas City Public Library (KCPL) is a 10 branch library system serving in the greater Kansas City, MO area circulating nearly 2 million items annually.
The Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library in Missouri is a bustling community resource. Built in 2005 as an information playground, the Plaza Branch was designed to be a showcase of what modern library usage can be.
Challenge
Libraries pivoted quickly as COVID broke to curbside services. With the high usage of the Plaza Branch, implementing a solution that preventing staff from juggling phone lines, appointment slots, and running materials was a challenge. Kansas City Public Library searched for a solution that was patron friendly as well, allowing flexibility to pickup items without scheduling appointment slots in advance.
Solution
For their curbside hold pick-up challenge, KCPL implemented Unique’s Curbside Communicator product.
Without needing to make any changes to the hold placement process, patrons now text the library as they arrive instead of walking to the holds shelf. Staff, through a simple to use consolidated cloud-based portal, can communicate quickly with patrons about their barcode and provide instructions on how to retrieve their checked out items without face to face interaction.
How it works:
Results
The single SMS interface for staff handles the traffic of over 1,000 transactions per month. This prevents over 1,000 phone calls, a huge staff time saver. Library tech resources save time by not needing to implement changes to the phone tree system. Patrons save time by not needing to navigate a new phone system and by showing up on their schedule. The simplicity of Curbside Communicator has been a win-win for patrons and staff.
From the Staff
“Patrons have commented on the ease of using the texting service. They love the notifications and speed! Curbside Communicator has been a great tool for us at Kansas City Public Library. We love the ease of use for staff and patrons. Our savvy patrons prefer to text rather then call. The intuitive platform is so easy for staff to use!”
April Roy, Branch Manager
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