Libraries Use Case – Draft
With the rise of the internet and Google in particular, many public, university and private libraries are in the unenviable position of having to prove their existence. Most libraries receive most of their funding from government and private sources. Government officials, university administrators and philanthropic organization directors must prove to their constituents that the money they spend is being used to benefit the most people and students possible. Therefore, library directors need accurate patron usage data to justify the funds being spent on the libraries.
Traditionally, libraries have used the number of materials checked out as a measure of patronage. Recently, libraries have installed “gate counters” which count the number of patrons by the number of times a gate is opened as patrons enter the library. However, both methods do not provide the most accurate means to count patrons.
CountBOX places counting sensor over the doors of the libraries that provide accurate continuously throughout the day. CountBOX offers the following patron counting services to libraries:
- Accurate counting of patrons entering and exiting the library
- Near-real time counts of patrons in the library
- Understanding patron “traffic” by time of day, day of week and season
- Determination of prime library usage hours within the library by day of week
- Determination of “conversion” rate or percentage of patrons checking out materials if linked to checkout system
Using WIFI technology, CountBOX is able to determine where patrons go in the library and how long they stay in the library. CountBOX is able to provide library directors:
- Heat maps by time period to show high and low areas of patron traffic within the library
- Dwell time reports showing average time spent in the library by time period
- When coupled with people counters, CountBOX can estimate the number of patrons visiting different areas in the library
CountBOX is one of the only people counting and analysis companies to offer patron profiles using facial recognition technology. Using additional facial recognition sensors, CountBOX provides the following demographics on library patrons:
- Age category
- Gender
- Ethnicity
- Mood of the shopper
By having this information on patrons, library directors are able to schedule staff to meet the demands of patrons. In addition directors can use the information to improve other systems in the library such as controlling HVAC, lighting and other systems.
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