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Version: 26.0.32

Reading Room

Reading Room helps library staff manage study areas, reservable tables or seats, arrivals, active sessions, closures, and optional paid use from one workspace.

Use the focused guides for the Dashboard, Rooms / Areas, Tables / Seats, Check-In / Check-Out, Reservations, and Settings.

Before you start​

  • Select the library you want to manage in the application header.
  • Ask an organization admin for the Reading Room permissions needed for your work. Viewing, room setup, seat setup, reservations, check-in/out, settings, and pricing can be assigned separately.
  • Configure the organization calendar first if holidays should close rooms automatically.
  • Confirm that eligible membership plans include Reading Room access.

Configure rooms, tables, and seats​

  1. Open Reading Room > Rooms / Areas and choose Add room.
  2. Enter the room name, normal opening and closing time, and whether reservations use whole tables or individual seats.
  3. Expand Weekly operating hours when a day uses different hours or should remain closed.
  4. Save the room, then open Tables / Seats to add its table identifiers and seat count.
  5. Mark a table or seat as under maintenance when it must not appear as available.
  6. If paid use is enabled, staff with pricing permission can set a room, table, or seat rate. The most specific configured rate is used.

Room-specific closures are managed under Settings. Organization holidays also prevent booking, so you do not need to repeat normal holidays for every room.

Create a reservation for a member​

  1. Open Reservations and choose Add reservation.
  2. Search for the member by name or Member ID and select the correct result.
  3. Choose the room, date, and duration, then find availability.
  4. Select an available time and table or seat. Review the displayed charge, if any.
  5. Choose Reserve.

The system checks membership access, room hours, closures, active-reservation limits, and availability again when you save. A position cannot be double-booked if another user takes it while the screen is open.

Check members in and out​

Use Check-In / Check-Out for expected arrivals and current occupancy.

  • Choose Check in when the member arrives. A dedicated Reading Room session starts and the position becomes occupied.
  • Choose Check out when the member leaves. The session retains its start, end, staff, and linked reservation details.
  • Reservations that pass the configured grace period can be released automatically as no-shows.

When Visitor Manager integration is enabled, the Reading Room session can associate with the member's active library visit.

Understand the dashboard​

The dashboard shows current occupancy, available capacity, today's reservations, active sessions, upcoming reservations, and a visual room layout. Select a table or seat in the layout to inspect its current status and reservation or member details.

Do and don'ts​

Do
  • Use maintenance status for temporarily unavailable positions.
  • Set weekly hours and planned closures before members begin booking.
  • Check the selected library before changing rooms or prices.
Don't
  • Do not create duplicate room or seat identifiers to represent temporary closures.
  • Do not check in an unpaid reservation when payment is required before confirmation.
  • Do not remove historic sessions to correct current occupancy; complete the visible check-out workflow.

Troubleshooting​

  • No available positions: Check the room date, hours, closure calendar, maintenance status, and existing reservations.
  • Member cannot reserve: Confirm active membership, expiry, membership-plan access, and the active-reservation limit.
  • Payment required: The member can pay the generated charge from Account in OPAC. Refresh the reservation after payment verification.
  • Cannot edit pricing: The staff role needs Reading Room pricing permission.

FAQ​

Can a room reserve whole tables while another room reserves seats?

Yes. Each room has its own reservation mode, and a table may inherit or override that mode.

What happens on a library holiday?

Availability is closed for that date. Room-specific closures can be added for dates that are not organization holidays.

Are Reading Room charges recorded with other library accounts?

Yes. A paid reservation creates a normal member charge, so staff can review the same invoice and payment history from Accounts Manager.

Screenshot To Add: Desktop and tablet views of the Reading Room dashboard, weekly-hours editor, staff reservation flow, and check-in/out workspace.