Appleton library picks WhoFi for meeting-room booking after Crestron compatibility test

A staff committee at the Appleton Public Library selected WhoFi as the library's new meeting-room and events calendaring system after a review of vendor compatibility and features.

Staff said the selection process began in early 2024 when the library learned its previous meeting-room software would be discontinued by the vendor. The committee, which included administration, adult, teen and children's programming staff and IT, developed a list of required and desirable features. The critical requirement that narrowed the field was compatibility with the Crestron room-display panels used outside each meeting room; only a small number of calendaring vendors could provide the required feed. That narrowed the field to four vendors, then to two finalists.

WhoFi (styled in the meeting as W H O F I) was chosen for its overall functionality, including program registration, the ability to designate some spaces as requiring approval while others allow direct booking, ease of use and a lower cost compared with the previous system. Staff said the vendor has been responsive to custom requests and has made product changes to support the library.

Patrons can book rooms online at apl.org/calendar, via the small room panels outside each room, or through staff at the desk. Some events and groups that request privacy will not be listed on the public calendar; staff will continue to manage those distinctions. Staff also said they are working to display events on the library's internal digital signs but that will require an additional piece of software to feed the signs.