PCR Feature #5-5 minute buffer times and other miscellaneous time related stuff.

Hello Everyone,
PCR is now installed and in use at the Sunnyside Branch Library. As you know, Sunnyside is serving as our test site and it will be interesting to see how everything works.

A small group of SJVLS and FCPL staff met with Envisionware staff this week to go over PCR and to use the new system. One of the interesting features that we learned was what I call the 5 minute buffer zone (and that PCR reserves time using 5 minute increments).

With CycbraryN, time was reserved with 15 minute blocks of time, with PCR, time is reserved using 5 minute increments. Instead of reserving time at let's say 8:15 or 2:45 only, reservations with PCR can be made at 8:10 or 4:35, for example. How will this work out? Will it be an improvement? All I can say is we'll se how it works at the pilot site for now.

Another feature that I found intriguing is what I like to call a "5 minute buffer zone" that will provide smoother transitions between patron reservations. How this works is that PCR reserves blocks of time (either 30 or 1 hour) and a 5 minute block of time is inserted between reservations. As an example, a patron makes a reservation for 30 minutes at 10 am, another patron makes a reservation after at 10:35. So why have this buffer zone? One reason that I can figure out is that this will reduce patrons who "camp out" at a computer even after their time is finished. I still have to get feedback from how this is working out at Sunnyside to provide more details. Watch this space.

So what do you think of this? Leave your comments below as the PCR Task Force would love to hear what you have to say.

J