LibCal Interactive Mapping

Are you ready to get started with LibCal's Interactive Mapping module? First, you'll need to determine:

1. How many maps you need
2. Whether you'll be creating maps yourself or working with Springshare's consulting team to create / update maps

If you have existing maps or in-house expertise to create maps, you are able to use them within LibCal. You can read more about the steps to create maps for use with LibCal on the Do It Yourself (DIY) Maps page. Let your Sales Manager know you're going to be DIYing and we'll be in touch to set up a DIY consult and receive your maps.

If your maps need creating or updating, we can help out -- see our consulting options. Review the example maps along with whatever existing maps you have, so that you can make an informed decision about the level of detail you're looking for. Let your Sales Manager know you're going to be taking advantage of Consulting-made maps and we'll be in touch to receive any existing maps and discuss what changes to make.

Benefits of DIY Mapping

For customers with internal know-how and experience with SVG files and maps creation, we encourage you to Do It Yourself (DIY). It's a cost-effective option for mapping, with Springshare providing guidance and supervision as needed. 

When you choose to DIY, your mapping package will include a one-time fee for map review and upload. As part of this package, you'll receive a 30-minute introductory consult (via Zoom) and during this meeting we can answer any questions or concerns regarding creation of the maps. We do recommend reviewing the instructions in detail before your consult call – and watching the video at the bottom of the page, too – so that you can be fully prepared for asking specific questions on the maps creation process. Due to huge demand, the duration of this consult is limited to 30 minutes – please be prepared! :) 

We'll also review maps that you send and provide any feedback for changes required before we upload them to your LibCal site. From there, you'll associate LibCal spaces and seats or add wayfinding information with interactive hotspots. If you foresee the need to modify your maps, read on; the Updating Maps section will have more details.

Consulting for Maps

If your maps aren't up to date, need a little love, simply don't exist, or you don't have time/staff to DIY, Springshare's Consulting Team can help out. Pricing is based on the number of maps you need.

If you choose to work with Consulting, our consulting team will work closely with you to produce beautiful, scalable maps that look great on desktop or on mobile, and then we’ll add interactive hotspots that you'll associate with spaces and seats in LibCal or provide with wayfinding information.

Going forward, you can choose to engage the consulting team for updates or take advantage of the ability to update maps yourself. Read on for more details in the Updating Maps section below.

The number of maps you need will depend both on the organization of your locations, zones, spaces, and seats in LibCal as well as the physical characteristics of your buildings or campus. Each map can represent a physical location like an individual room containing seats, a building floor or wing, an entire building, or even a campus.

Maps can be linked together, so users can start on a less detailed map and 'enter' a more detailed map area. If you have bookable spaces across a campus, users might start on a campus map and select a building on the map to see bookable spaces in the building. If that building is large or multi-floor, you might use zone maps to subdivide it by floor or wing. You can even subdivide those zones into container space maps where users book individual seats.

To determine how many maps you'll need, start out by looking at the organization of your Spaces in LibCal. Maps can be set up as (from top-level down):

• Standalone (generally used as a campus map)
• Locations
• Zones
• Container Spaces

Take a look to see if your LibCal locations and zones correspond to physical areas. If not, you may need to rearrange things in LibCal. For each location, make sure to set up zones as needed to represent floors or wings. Container space maps are optional, but recommended if you subscribe to the Seats module or have large areas represented by a zone map. Breaking areas down further can make maps easier to navigate for users, so consider how complicated or detailed a zone map is when deciding if another level of map is needed.

Once your maps are uploaded to LibCal, you'll be able to download in-use map files and replace them with updated ones as needed. In LibCal, you'll see the option to Manage Map Image for each map in your site. Using an SVG editor, you can adjust placements of interactive hotspots, building elements, symbols, or labels. When you upload the file, as long as element IDs are unchanged, your associations will remain intact. You'll also be able to set up associations for any new elements added. 

Updating occurs in the normal LibCal user interface, and no assistance is required from Springshare to make changes. However, if you need assistance with making updates to your maps, the consulting team can be engaged to help out.