Go beyond the door counter: see who uses the library, which programs fill the room, and bring real usage data to budget season.
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Libraries are so much more than book lending—they're community centers, study spaces, technology access points, and gathering places. But when budget season arrives, the question is always the same: How many people actually use the library?
Door counters give you a number, but that number lacks context. Who are these visitors? Are they here for books, or the computer lab, or story time? Are they regulars or first-timers? Without answers, you're stuck making the case for library funding with incomplete data.
Clerkcat fills in the picture. A tablet near your entrance invites patrons to check in—quickly and optionally. Unlike gate counters that just count bodies, Clerkcat lets you see patterns: which days are busiest, what resources people use, how program attendance trends over time. When stakeholders ask "who's using the library?" you have real answers.
Program tracking is especially valuable. Story times, author events, technology classes, summer reading programs—each has its own attendance that matters for planning and reporting. Clerkcat captures this automatically. When the children's librarian wants to know if Wednesday story time is more popular than Thursday's, the data is right there. When you're writing grant applications for technology programming, you have evidence of demand.
For libraries offering computer access, meeting rooms, or study spaces, Clerkcat can track resource usage. See which services are in highest demand. Justify technology investments with usage data. Identify bottlenecks where additional resources might help.
The system works alongside your existing library software—it's not trying to replace your ILS or circulation system. It simply adds the visitor tracking layer that most library systems don't provide well. Patrons can check in with their library card number or just their name; you control how much information to collect.
Whether you run a small branch or a large main library with multiple floors and service points, Clerkcat adapts to your needs. The reports you generate can go straight to your board, your city council, or your funding applications—demonstrating the vital role your library plays in the community.
A check-in kiosk configured for a library — your welcome message, your fields, on any tablet.
Set up in minutes on any iPad or Android tablet.
These are the challenges we hear about from libraries every day.
Your gate counter says 347 people came in yesterday, but you don't know if they were patrons using services, kids cutting through, or the same person entering multiple times. It's data without insight.
The children's librarian keeps a tally. The technology instructor has a sign-in sheet somewhere. By the time you need numbers for a report, you're hunting and estimating.
When budget cuts are discussed, you need data that shows community impact. "A lot of people use the library" doesn't carry the weight of "4,200 unique patrons last month, 37% using computers, 28% attending programs."
Is the computer lab overused or underused? Do you need more evening hours or weekend hours? Without data on when and how patrons use services, you're making decisions in the dark.
Get the data you need for budget requests, strategic planning, and demonstrating community value. Show stakeholders exactly what the library provides.
Understand your branch's usage patterns. See what's working, identify opportunities, and make the case for resources you need.
Track attendance for every program you run. Understand what's popular, what's growing, and what might need to change.
Know how computer labs, study rooms, and other resources are being used. Justify investments with real usage data.
Get accurate visitor counts without gate counters. Understand who's using your library and how often.
Track attendance for story times, classes, and events. Report program success to your board.
Log usage of computer labs, study rooms, and other resources. Justify technology investments.
Export data for annual reports and funding requests. Show exactly how many community members you serve.
Customize your check-in form with fields that matter to your library. Here are some examples:
A gate counter counts bodies — including the kid who walked through four times. A sign-in kiosk tells you who visited and why: computer lab, story time, study space, browsing. It doesn't replace the gate count; it adds the context that turns "347 people entered" into a picture of how your community actually uses the library.
Yes. Add a library card number field to the check-in form and patrons can use it instead of (or alongside) their name. You control how much information to ask for — many libraries keep everything optional and still get participation rates that surprise them.
An "attending a program?" question at check-in routes visits to the right program automatically. The children's librarian gets real numbers on Wednesday versus Thursday story time; the technology instructor stops keeping a paper tally; and when you write the summer reading report, the attendance data is already compiled.
No. Your ILS handles circulation, catalogs, and patron accounts — Clerkcat doesn't touch any of that. It adds the visitor and program tracking layer that most library systems handle poorly or not at all, and it runs independently on a tablet, so there's no integration project.
Numbers that show breadth and depth of community use: unique patrons per month, program attendance, computer and study room usage, and busiest hours. "4,200 patrons last month, 37% using computers, 28% attending programs" is the kind of line that survives a city council meeting — and it's exactly what the dashboard exports.
One plan, everything included. No hidden fees.
Program tallies and computer lab clipboards, replaced with one dashboard.
What the free form can't tell you about who's in the building.
How to move from clipboards to a kiosk without disrupting the front desk.