Innovative™, part of Clarivate™, recently hosted a webinar with the Monarch Library System in Wisconsin to discuss how they chose Vega™ Program for event management across their 32 member libraries and found options that worked for the individual members and the consortium as a whole. The webinar presenters Riti Grover, Director of Monarch Library System along with Clarivate Senior Product Manager, Angela Nolet, discussed why Monarch chose Vega Program, their approach to implementation, and the unique features available for consortia.
The Monarch Library System in southeast Wisconsin includes 32 member libraries across 4 counties, offering shared resources, interlibrary delivery, and a shared online catalog. Member libraries host events like Free Coffee Fridays, homeschool art classes, crafting sessions, and book clubs, fostering community engagement for all ages.
Why did Monarch choose Vega Program
Collaborating with Clarivate on development for Vega Program was a game-changer for Monarch, empowering member libraries across counties to come together, share expertise, and shape a library events platform that specifically supports their unique needs as a consortium. Furthermore, Monarch fostered collaboration at every step, making each library’s voice essential to building a stronger, more connected system.
Grover discussed many of the ways Vega Program brings library events to life for her community. That is to say that patrons get instant access to event details, complete with location maps, event communications, and customizable library calendars. Room reservations and payment options? Seamless. And with consortium-wide calendar management, each library can spotlight its local events while patrons explore programs across the network. Therefore, event promotion was easier for her staff while community members had a more intuitive way to engage with their local library.
Monarch was specifically excited about Vega Program’s latest feature for consortia, the Shared Calendar, where patrons get a seamless view of all programs across member libraries in one place, making it easier than ever for patrons to discover and register for programs they’ll love. The member libraries enjoyed greater insight into each other’s events, sparking fresh ideas and building a collaborative community of shared programs. Additionally, each member library still had their own uniquely branded events page as well.
Panelists highlighted several features in Vega Program that made the most impact:
- Calendar view showcases events in a visual way, making it easier for patrons to find and enjoy the events they enjoy the most.
- Custom Notifications save time for library staff by eliminating the manual work of calling individuals to confirm their attendance and managing the waiting list. Now, sending email or text reminders is a quick and customizable process.
- Multi-Lingual Support – Vega Program supports 25 different languages and includes a machine learning translation option to help with the process.
- Guest Registration gives libraries the power to allow event bookings from anyone, regardless of membership status.
- Multi-Day Events are now displayed across multiple days on the calendar so patrons can easily explore what events are happening over time.
- Offline Payment Tracking – Vega Program integrates easily with Stripe, while giving you the flexibility to choose between online, offline, or both payment options. This feature is perfect for those who may not require a fully integrated payment system, allowing you to tailor your approach.
- Room Fees allow library staff to charge a simple flat rate for room bookings that require it – making the process smoother and more transparent for both staff and patrons.
Vega Program releases new features on a regular basis and the full list of released features along with the roadmap of upcoming releases is available online.
If you missed the session, watch the webinar here.
Discover how the Vega Library Experience (LX) platform can streamline your library’s communications and promote your full range of materials, events, and services – all in one cloud-based platform. Additionally, with tools designed to simplify event management and enhance patron engagement, Vega LX has already made an impact for libraries like the Monarch Library System. As a large consortium, Monarch regularly looks for new ways to display resources across member libraries while still empowering their members’ independence. In the same way they use the consortia roll-up calendar from Vega Program, they also use Vega Discover for their shared online catalog.
Contact us today to learn more about Vega Program and see a demo of all the available features.