[Michlib-l] door/people counters inquiry results

[Laura Hauch - Buchanan District Library]

Last week I asked michlib about which door/people counters they use. We used to have an infrared interrupt the beam sort of counter until it stopped working, and currently we use a manual clicker where staff click for each person coming in the doors. We're looking to upgrade. Several people requested I share the information, so I'm compiling it here. Thank you to everyone who contributed!

Laura Hauch
Collection and IT Coordinator
Buchanan District Library
128 East Front Street
Buchanan, MI 49107
269-695-3681
269-695-0004 Fax
www.buchananlibrary.org<http://www.buchananlibrary.org>


I will recommend Sensource. Five Stars! Only thing is that it is a little pricy of a startup cost. Most sensors are a few hundred dollars and there is an annual software subscription of a hundred dollars but I find it worth it. We have 10 branches and I have about 15 sensors and they have been great. We can show the patron count of who is in the building in real time on our televisions. This is great for covid capacity restrictions.
Kevin Wisniewski
IT Director
231-737-6248 x120 | www.madl.org<http://www.madl.org>
4845 Airline Rd. Suite 5 | Muskegon, MI 49444


We use VisiCount and have had it for a little over a year. It works well for us. The counter mounts to the door and you can get the info two ways. You can reset the counter every night and manually get the count. We bought the extra package to have the results go to a computer. With this, you do not have to reset the counter and you can make tables or graphs with the software. You can look at the total daily or check a time period and you can compare time periods. You do have to remember to change the batteries once a year in the unit mounted at the entrance.
Kim Sharp
Circulation Manager
White Lake Township Library


We also use the infrared interrupt beam and have for years. I am not really happy with it because as I'm sure you know, if you have several people come in at once they may not be counted individually. We also have the problem that it is located in our vestibule which is often used by people on their cell phones so if they are moving around breaking the beam we get a greatly increased count.
I have looked at the thermal sensing ones which I like because it looks as though they will be more accurate, and have software to access the information, but the cost is holding us back. Maybe when the old one fails I will look again.
Mark Morton, Leland Library



We are in the process of installing new security cameras and apparently they have the ability to count people (we do have SenSource handling that function for us now).  We are working with:
 Greg Manter, Account Manager - Public Sector (MI), Cloud Networking Group | Cisco Meraki | meraki.cisco.com<https://meraki.cisco.com/>, gmanter at cisco.com<mailto:gmanter at cisco.com> |direct: (925) 783-6474
Rebecca Higgerson
Director
Brandon Twp Public Library
304 South Street
Ortonville MI 48462
248-627-1474


I purchased a small wall based counter in 2014.  It is battery operated and has an infrared transmitter and receiver that is across from it.  I has worked very well with the batteries only needing to be changed once a year.  We are a Class II library and serve a population of 5,000.  It is from www.wecountpeople.com<http://www.wecountpeople.com>.  Cost was in the $300-400.00 dollar range.
Karen McKinnon, Library Director
Leighton Township Library


We use SenSource - it works really well. We pay a few hundred each year.
Valerie Meyerson, Petoskey Library



After trying several brands/kinds, we eventually found these: http://www.total-count.com/. We now have them in multiple branches and will eventually replace all the others with them. They are easy to install, use, and are very sturdy.

John Rucker, Director

Branch District Library

10 E. Chicago St.

Coldwater MI 49036

RuckerJ at BranchDistrictLibrary.org<mailto:RuckerJ at BranchDistrictLibrary.org>

https://www.BranchDistrictLibrary.org

Direct: 517-279-7848

FAX 517-278-2342



DO NOT GET:
TRAF-SYS PEOPLE COUNTING SYSTEMS/Walker Wireless
Model:  OmniCounter Pro.  It is extremely limited in what it can do.
We used to be able to use our 20 year old Walker Unit to count people going in and out - and it had a separate little unit that mounted in our office that held hourly, daily, weekly and monthly counts for a few months.    This new replacement only holds one statistic - in and out - nothing about hourly, daily, weekly or monthly.  And, it has no separate unit to tell you the count.  You have to go out to the unit mounted on the door jamb - see the number - and then clear it to start over - each day.  So - no memory, no detail, no ease of use.
They have other models that have all the bells and whistles - but are very expensive.  It seems there is no in between.
Melissa Huisman, Hudsonville


We use this one and have for many years.  Sometimes it gets jarred and starts buzzing.  Then, we have to giggle it to get both red infrared lights to appear.
https://www.jmac.com/Potter_Amseco_EWP_202C_p/POTTER-AMSECO-EWP202C.htm?gclid=Cj0KCQiAvbiBBhD-ARIsAGM48bxjdHMg5kxfzO68RQtodsVjhiGyl8v97z4bQ5Zv8EFyY7LkutKetNUaAptBEALw_wcB
Mimi Herrington, Director
Bad Axe Area District Library
200 S. Hanselman Street
Bad Axe, MI 48413
989.269.8538 (Phone)
989.269.2411 (Fax)
www.badaxelibrary.org<http://www.badaxelibrary.org>


TLN hosted a webinar this week with Brendon Badway of SenSource Inc. TLN and SenSource have a discount pricing agreement that is all available to all public libraries in Michigan.  If you missed the webinar or the summary email from Angie, here is a pre-recorded demo video and both Angie from TLN and Brendon of SenSource's contact info:

https://youtu.be/VJUzvUTjzYw<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__youtu.be_VJUzvUTjzYw&d=DwQGaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=O47xpg8QbVz8f_WO9-v-scnwQC1XG-xFMWTK3RHk3Hs&m=-FJVZ_IvcffDDnSujVB6Koe8OcHCYG8NOHc86Wh9SMU&s=hnH53r2VNnE1wyZvdpBt9MX8RsXsufzf65wz7Cf0ens&e=>

Angie Michelini
Technology Services Manager
The Library Network
41365 Vincenti Court
Novi, MI  48375
248-716-5583
amichelini at tln.lib.mi.us<mailto:amichelini at tln.lib.mi.us>


Brendon Badway, SenSource Inc., 800-239-1226 ext. 129, bbadway at sensourceinc.com<mailto:bbadway at sensourceinc.com>

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