[Web4lib] Web-based (?) program registration

[Sue Baldwin]

Hi,

I know this doesn't do everything you want, but we started using
EngagedPatrons.org for our program registration in June 2006 and have been
very happy. Glenn is great to work with and has been very responsive in
tweaking a few things we wanted. It might do enough of what you want.

Sue

Sue Baldwin
Senior Librarian, Technology & Electronic Access
Newport News Public Library System
700 Town Center Drive Suite 300
Newport News, VA 23606
757-926-1350 voice
757-926-1365 fax
sbaldwin at nngov.com

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Louise Alcorn
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 12:52 PM
To: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Web4lib] Web-based (?) program registration

A query for the Web4Lib community --

Our library would like to try having some online registration for
programs (children's, adults, teen).  We're waiting for our city IT
people to come up with a city government-wide solution, but it's way
behind and we need something now, so for now we're looking for a
stop-gap option, preferably web-based from a third party, for doing
online registrations.  Some requirements, as we see them:

-the ability to start registration at a time of our choosing, rather
than defaulting to midnight on the day it starts.  We want to have it be
fair for those who come in or phone in and for those who do online - all
starting at the same time (e.g. 9am).
-the ability to create required fields, not just name, phone, email, but
also age or child's year of birth.  An editable text field.
-a basic level of security so any data collected would be available only
to us, and delete-able by us at need.
-the ability to pull statistics for each program (number of signups,
etc.)
-the ability to create individual bounceback emails with program
information (e.g. "make sure to call if you can't come, as we have a
waiting list" or "it's a messy craft, bring a smock")
-Wish list: a system that would database registrants' info so the next
time they sign up, they just have to put in a username and password and
all their contact info (including the ages of their kids, so they can't
keep telling us they have a 6yo when we know he's 4yo) would be
available the next time they sign up, so they don't have to re-type it
all.  This may be more than we can get, but it would be interesting.

And the answer is no, we don't have anyone on staff, or even in the
City's IT, that can program something for us and serve it via the web.
We need a minimally editable, secure, third party, plug and play product
for the short term.  Preferably fully web-based, though we could
probably work out housing it on a local server and getting a SQL license
or similar, but the easier the better.

Suggestions??  

Many thanks.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Louise E. Alcorn
Reference Technology Librarian
West Des Moines Public Library
4000 Mills Civic Pkwy
West Des Moines IA 50265
(515) 222-3573      louise.alcorn at wdm-ia.com
http://www.wdmlibrary.org  
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