Visitor Manager

Visitor Manager records who enters and leaves a selected library. It supports member scans, quick guest entry, a live list of people currently inside, and a searchable visit history without replacing earlier visits.

Before you start

• Select the correct library in the main header. Visitor records belong to that library.
• Your staff role needs Visitor Manager view permission. Entry, exit, correction, deletion, and reports use separate permissions.
• Member cards, Member IDs, and RFID values must already belong to a member who has access to the selected library.
• In a Local setup, visitor information stays in that local data set. A Cloud setup uses the same visible workflow through the Libcodesk WebApp or Standalone app.

Record a member visit

1. Open Visitor Manager > Visitor Desk.
2. Scan the member card, RFID, or Member ID in Member scan. You can also type the value and press Enter.
3. If exactly one member matches, the visit is recorded immediately. If several members match, choose the correct row from the selection popup.
4. The first scan records entry. A later scan records exit. A quick accidental repeat is ignored and shown as a duplicate scan.
5. Keep the scan field focused for the next member.

An exact card or Member ID match is recorded as Card scan. Choosing a member from search is recorded as Manual, while issue and return associations are shown as Circulation. These methods make later review easier without changing the entrance-desk flow.

An inactive or suspended membership does not silently disappear from the lookup. Visitor presence and borrowing eligibility are separate; follow the status shown for the member and your library's access policy.

Every later visit creates another history record. The product does not overwrite the member's previous visit.

Record a guest

1. Choose Guest entry in the Visitor Manager header on Visitor Desk, beside the page title on a wide screen. On a phone or narrow window, the action appears in the same header below the title.
2. Enter the guest name and choose the visit purpose.
3. Add a phone number or note only when it helps the library identify or assist the guest.
4. Click Record entry.
5. When the guest leaves, open Currently Inside and choose Record exit from the row action menu.

The action is available only to staff who can record visitor entries, and it is disabled while the desk is loading or recording an action. On a small screen, scroll the page to reach the visit list and pagination; the Guest entry action does not cover the records. Keyboard users can Tab to Guest entry and press Enter to open it, then use Escape to close the popup without recording an entry.

See who is inside

Open Visitor Manager > Currently Inside. Search by member name, Member ID, guest name, or phone number. Active guests are prioritized, and the entry time, phone, and purpose help distinguish guests who share a name. Long-running visits remain visible until an authorized staff member records their exit. The compact Long stay count highlights visits open for more than eight hours; it does not invent an automatic checkout time.

Issue and return work can associate the circulation activity with the member's open visit. If no visit is open, the system records one for that circulation visit. Repeating the same circulation action does not create a second association.

Search visit history

Open Visitor Manager > Visit History. The newest records appear first. Use search, visitor type, purpose, status, and date filters together. Quick date choices are available for Today, Yesterday, This week, and This month, with a custom range for other periods. Results are loaded in pages, so the screen remains usable when the library has a large history.

Use View details from a row to review the visit and its linked issue or return activities. These activity links are informational; the original circulation transaction remains the source record for the circulation work.

Entry and exit times are shown in the library's configured time context. Date filters use the organization date settings visible in the application.

Correct or delete a record

Correction and deletion are restricted actions.

1. Open the row action menu in Visit History.
2. Choose Correct record to change entry or exit time, purpose, notes, and guest identity details. A mistaken exit may be cleared to restore the person to Currently Inside. Choose Delete record only when the entire entry is invalid.
3. Enter a meaningful reason.
4. Save or confirm the action.

The reason and responsible staff account are retained for review. Deletion removes the record from normal lists but does not remove its accountability trail.

Troubleshooting

Message or symptom	What to do
No matching member found	Check the selected library and Member ID. Use Guest entry only when the person is not a registered member.
Duplicate scan ignored	Wait briefly, then scan again only if you intended to record the opposite action.
Member is not attached to this library	Select a library the member may use, or ask an administrator to review the member's library access.
Visitor Manager is missing	Ask the organization administrator to review your role and library access.
Exit cannot be recorded	Refresh Currently Inside. Another staff member may already have recorded it.
History looks incomplete	Clear restrictive filters and confirm the selected library and date range.

Do and don'ts

Do

• Confirm the selected library before scanning.
• Use a specific purpose when it helps reporting.
• Record exits promptly and review unusually long open visits.
• Give a clear reason when correcting or deleting a record.

Don't

• Don't scan repeatedly when the first scan is still processing.
• Don't use guest entry for an existing member merely because the member card is unavailable; search the member instead.
• Don't delete a visit to hide a genuine entry or exit mistake. Correct it with a reason.
• Don't share correction or deletion permissions more widely than needed.

FAQ

Does scanning the same member erase the old visit?

No. Entry and exit complete one visit. The next entry starts a new visit, so earlier history remains available.

Why did an issue or return create a visitor entry?

Circulation activity confirms that the member used the selected library. It is associated with an existing open visit where possible and does not create duplicate associations for the same transaction.

Can a librarian see visits from another library?

Only when the staff account has access to that library and selects it in the header. Visitor lists are always scoped to the active library.

Can I fix a forgotten exit later?

An authorized staff member can correct the visit and must provide a reason. The correction remains attributable to that staff account.

Screenshot to add: Visitor Desk on desktop and narrow tablet, the member selection popup, Currently Inside, Guest entry, and filtered Visit History. Use this page for Visitor Desk work. For searching, reviewing, and correcting previous entries, see Visitor History.