Springboard Tutorials

Have you started a new subscription to a Springy product and need to add accounts for several people? Or perhaps a new employee has joined your team, and you need to add them accounts to one or more Springy tools? Here's what you need to know for adding staff users to your Springshare sites:

• To log into and interact with a particular product, a user must have an account in that specific product.
• Accounts are added to each tool separately—each with targeted user access levels and add-on permissions—so users gain access to only what they need. For example, a user might be an all-powerful Admin in LibGuides but a standard Regular user in LibAnswers, while having zero access at all to LibInsight.
• For convenience, a user will use a single login—called their LibApps login—to access all of the Springy sites in which they have an account.
  • If you have the LibAuth single sign-on option activated or LibAuth required, staff can sign in through your SSO, and it will work the same—one login allows them to jump between all Springy sites where they've been given access.

This Springboard provides an overview of account creation in each Springy tool, including tips for determining the account level and permissions.

New Account Overview

Before creating an account for a user, first determine:

• Does this person actually need an account in the product? Tools like LibStaffer and LibCal have a wide reach—many of your employees will need accounts—while our more niche products like LibInsight and LibConnect are typically reserved for specialized staff.
• What level of access do they need?

For each product, you will choose the account's user level: Admin, Regular, or some other special role specific to that product. You might also add additional permissions for Regular users in each product, and even designate exactly where those permissions take effect. Keep in mind that Admin users within a given product have access to everything within it, so no additional permission granting is needed for Admins.

LibApps accounts

A LibApps account is the overarching account for all Springshare apps, providing each user a single login for all Springy sites where they have been given access. If a user has an active account in any individual Springshare product, they will and must also have a LibApps account. If they are a completely new user, create them an account in any of the Springy products, and a LibApps account at the Regular level will automatically be created for them.

User levels in LibApps

Add a LibApps account

You can't create a LibApps account directly in the LibApps module. Instead, decide the specific product to which a new user should have access. When an Admin for that product adds a new user account to that site (e.g., LibGuides, LibStaffer, etc.), they start by entering the person's email address.

• If the email address is found in the system—that is, the email address is already attached to an existing LibApps user account—then the user's new site-level account will connect up to their existing LibApps account.
• If the email address is not found in the system—that is, if the person doesn't have an account under that email address in any other Springy product—then a new LibApps account will automatically be created for that user, tied to that email address. The LibApps account will be at the Regular user level by default, regardless of the account level chosen for the specific product. The LibApps account can be elevated to Admin if needed.

Learn more

• What can a LibApps Admin do?
• Add or remove LibApps Admin permissions for a user
• Manage LibApps staff & patron accounts

LibAnswers accounts

Library staff who view or answer patron tickets or chats will need a LibAnswers account. There are also account options to access internal FAQs and to add transactions for reference analytics. This allows your team to fully take advantage of distinct LibAnswers features without over-granting privileges or overwhelming your staff with too many options.

User levels in LibAnswers

Permissions

Go to the overview of LibAnswers account permissions to see, module by module, what each user level can do.

To access a particular queue, FAQ group, and branch access (for Pickup Manager), a Regular user must first be assigned to it. In doing so, you also choose the account level for that specific area. This additional access level does not affect a user's overall system user level, allowing you to select discrete permission elevations and restrictions for Regular users. For example:

• The archives manager can be an Admin user for your archives queue alone—there's no need to give them full system Admin access if they need to control and monitor activities only in this queue.
• The head children's librarian can be an Admin user for the Youth FAQ Group. Other librarians in the children's department can be given Regular access to the Youth FAQ Group, while the reference librarians might have no access to the staff side.

Add a LibAnswers account

1. In LibAnswers, go to Admin > Accounts.
2. On the Manage Account page, click on the Create a New Account tab.

See the full process here: Add a new LibAnswers user account. To have the Springshare team bulk import a large quantity of accounts on your behalf, contact Support to get started.

The LibAnswers account creation process presents you with all of the relevant user permissions and access options that allow you to tailor the account to the user's needs. You will choose:

• The user access level
• For Admin and Regular users, whether to activate LibChat and if so, for which chat departments
• For Regular users, the access level—Regular, Admin and No Access—for each:
  • Queue
  • FAQ Group
  • Branch (for Pickup Manager)

Learn more

• Create and manage LibAnswers user accounts
• Overview of LibAnswers account permissions
• Manage an FAQ group's user access permissions
• Manage user access to a queue
• Create and manage chat departments

LibCal accounts

With its multiple modules and heavy patron interaction, LibCal often needs all hands on deck. In typical setups, many library staff will have LibCal accounts, to create and manage patron bookings and events—but not everyone will need access to everything to successfully do their part. The LibCal Regular user permissions allow you to tailor a user's account to grant and restrict access as needed.

User levels in LibCal

Permissions

Go to the overview of LibCal account permissions to see, module by module, what Admin and Regular users can do. Most importantly, Regular users:

• Will inherit the default permissions that you set for all Regular users.
• Can be granted specific permissions that will apply just to them, to match exactly and only what the individual needs to access.

After a user's permissions are determined, those permissions will then take effect:

• For Spaces & Equipment, according to each location's Spaces & Equipment access for Regular users.
• For Hours, according to each location's Hours access for Regular users.
• Appointments permissions apply across all locations/groups.

Event permissions work a bit differently, by customizing a calendar's Regular user access permissions. Basically, permissions are bundled as access levels—Read-Only, Registration Editor, Editor, and Event Admin—which are determined on the calendar level, on a calendar-by-calendar basis.

Add a LibCal Account

1. In LibCal, go to Admin > Accounts.
2. On the Manage Account page, click on the Create New Account tab.

See the full process here: Add a new LibCal user account. To have the Springshare team bulk import a large quantity of accounts on your behalf, contact Support to get started.

During the LibCal account creation process, you will choose:

• User level
• Whether to activate the Appointment Scheduler for this user and if so, which Appointment Groups to assign them. 

Regular users will be assigned the default permissions set for all Regular users. If desired, you can configure the user's permissions in their account to override the defaults and fine-tune what they can and cannot do.

Learn more

• Create and manage LibCal user accounts
• Overview of LibCal account permissions
• Configure the default permissions for all Regular users
• Configure custom permissions for an individual Regular user
• Spaces & Equipment: Configure location access for Regular users
• Hours: Configure library access for Regular users
• Events: Customize a calendar's permissions

LibConnect accounts

LibConnect is a mostly behind-the-scenes productivity tool for tracking interactions, collecting data, and managing projects and email campaigns. Because its focus is tightly targeted, it's likely that only staff directly involved in those activities will need a LibConnect account.

Roles & Permissions in LibConnect

User levels in LibConnect are called "roles." The all-powerful Admin role and a generic Regular role are included in the system out of the box. When you set up LibConnect for the first time, we recommend viewing the Roles & Permissions page to:

1. Review and update the permissions for the Regular role to reflect your baseline Regular user permission needs.
2. Create custom roles for specific purposes. For example, your marketing person may need access only to the Emails module.

As your needs change, at any time you can:

• Update a role—changes will take affect for all users assigned to that role.
• Assign a different role to an existing user, including creating a completely new role to fit the user's unique needs.

Add a LibConnect account

Before adding a new user, consider whether they will have a custom role. Review your existing Roles & Permissions and create a new role for the user if needed. When you know what their role will be, start the account creation process.

1. In LibConnect, go to Admin > Manage Accounts.
2. On the Manage Account page, click on the + Account button.

Later in the process, you will assign the user a pre-existing role which will define the permissions for that user.

See the full process here: Add a new LibConnect user account.

Learn more

• Add a new LibConnect user account
• Add and manage user roles & permissions

LibGuides accounts

Library staff who create or edit content in your LibGuides system will need an account. You can tailor the specific permissions for an account based on the user's needs.

User levels in LibGuides

Permissions

Go to the overview of LibGuides account permissions to see, section by section, what each user level can do.

When adding or later managing a Regular user account, you can grant them additional, Admin-like permissions, including:

• Edit all guides: this allows the user to edit and delete any guide in the system. For CMS customers, if a guide is assigned to a group, these users must still be given access to the group before they can edit the guide.
• Manage subjects/tags/friendly URLs (CMS only): this allows the user access to the Admin > Metadata & URLs page, where they can manage subjects, tags, and friendly URLs.
• Manage assets (CMS only): this allows the user to add & edit all assets, resource icons, and the A-Z Database List.
• Manage e-reserves (E-Reserves subscribers only): this allows the user to manage e-reserves requests and settings, as well as edit all e-reserves content.
• Manage discussions (CMS only): this allows the user to manage all discussions and tags.
• Manage mSite Builder sites (mSite subscribers only): this allows the user to add and manage mobile sites and their content.

For LibGuides CMS systems, you can also select which Groups the user can access and at what level. This flexibility allows you, for instance, to have a Regular user who is elevated to an Admin user for only a specific group of guides.

Additionally, individual guides can have Regular users assigned as guide editors to collaborate on that specific guide.

Add a LibGuides account

1. In LibGuides, go to Admin > Accounts.
2. On the Manage Account page, click on the Create a New Account tab.

See the full process here: Add a new LibGuides user account. To have the Springshare team bulk import a large quantity of accounts on your behalf, contact Support to get started. As a quick alternative to bulk importing, use the feature to invite users to set up an account.

The LibGuides account creation process presents you with the relevant user permissions and access options to tailor the account to the user's needs. You will choose:

• User access level
• For Regular users, any additional permissions they should have
• For CMS systems, the Group Access for each guide group: Admin, Regular, Read-only (for internal groups), or No Access

Learn more

• Create and manage LibGuides user accounts and permissions
• Assign editors to a guide

LibInsight accounts

LibInsight is a data analytics platform built especially for libraries, allowing you to create and analyze datasets for electronic resources, library services and usage, and more. Given its behind-the-scenes, specialized nature, it's likely that only a few staff on your team will have LibInsight accounts—those who work directly with the data. 🤓

User levels in LibInsight

Permissions

See the overview of LibInsight account permissions for the full rundown of the differences between Admin and Regular users. Basically, Regular users can perform actions only when given access to a specific dataset. Here are the permissions levels available for Regular users, which are granted in each dataset as needed:

• Define metadata and administer this dataset: users given this permission can manage the dataset's settings, including user permissions and fields. In addition, they will automatically have the ability to add, edit, and analyze records.
• Add records to this dataset: users given this permission can add records to the dataset. In addition, they have the ability to edit the records they've added—but not ones added by other users. This will not automatically allow them to analyze the dataset, however.
• Use this dataset in analysis and dashboards: users given this permission can analyze the dataset, but cannot add data or edit records. In addition, they can include this dataset in any dashboards they create.

Add a LibInsight Account

1. In LibInsight, go to Admin > Manage Accounts.
2. On the Manage Accounts page, click on the New Account tab.

See the full process here: Add a new LibInsight user account. You can also import several accounts at once if they already have LibApps accounts.

• When creating accounts, you will choose the user level: Admin or Regular.
• After creating a Regular account, you can edit individual dataset's user permissions as needed to give the new user access.

Learn more

• Create and manage LibInsight user accounts
• Edit a dataset's user permissions

LibStaffer accounts

LibStaffer is a platform for creating and managing staffing schedules at your library. Of all our products, it's the one to which an employee, regardless of position, is most likely to need an account—from your trusty shelvers to your managing librarians, and even your volunteers. Everyone needs to know when and where they work, with the ability to set their available hours, request time off, swap shifts, and much more.

LibStaffer has a subscription limit for allowable active accounts. If you have a lot of turnover (due to student workers, volunteers, or otherwise) and need a consistent refresh of accounts, you can set no longer needed accounts to Inactive. This will retain the data as tied to that specific user, but they will no longer be able to log in or be assigned to shifts. Inactive accounts do not count toward your subscription limit, so this will free up the account slot for a new user.

User levels in LibStaffer

Permissions

See the overview of LibStaffer account permissions for the differences between Admin and Regular users. To support organizations with complex hierarchies, Regular users can be elevated to Admins for specific schedules without giving them full, system-wide Admin powers.

Regular users who are schedule Admins can, for their assigned schedules only:

• Add, edit, and delete shifts
• Run the Auto Scheduler to assign/remove staff from shifts
• Approve shift swaps
• (Optionally) approve Time Off requests for the assigned staff
• (Optionally) view the schedule's reports

Additionally, Regular users can be empowered to perform certain actions. These are granted for specific schedules, across all Regular users assigned to that schedule, rather than granted to individual users. These options on the schedule's settings include the ability to:

• Claim open shifts
• Mark shifts as favorites
• Drop shifts (and optionally assign the shift to a specific user)
• Give up shifts
• Swap shifts

For the above options, the system will check and adhere to the user's availability and other restrictions as entered into LibStaffer. For example:

• Staff cannot claim an open shift if it's outside their normal available hours.
• Staff cannot bypass max hour restrictions. They couldn't swap into a shift that would put them over their max consecutive hours or max hours per day, week, or month.

Add a LibStaffer Account

1. In LibStaffer, go to Admin > Accounts.
2. On the Accounts page, click on the Create New Account tab.

See the full process here: Add a new LibStaffer user account. To have the Springshare team bulk import a large quantity of accounts on your behalf, contact Support to get started.

The permission-related options while creating a LibStaffer account include:

• User level
• The schedules that the account will be assigned to. The user will inherit the options set for that schedule, i.e., the ability to claim, favorite, drop, give up, and swap shifts.
• Position: shifts can be configured to be filled only by certain positions, so be sure to assign all relevant positions to the user.
• Direct Supervisors: this grants the supervisors the permission to approve the new user's time-off requests.

After the account is created, if needed you can go into the relevant schedules to elevate the user to a schedule Admin.

Learn more

• Create and manage LibStaffer user accounts
• Give Regular users schedule-level Admin permissions
• Schedule settings: Claim, favorite, drop, give up, and swap shifts

LibWizard accounts

LibWizard is a platform for creating, sharing, and analyzing forms, surveys, quizzes, and tutorials. Typically, not all library staff will need to create, edit, or analyze this type of content, but some might be given accounts in order to view form submissions that are related to their work.

User levels in LibWizard

Permissions

In addition to the general permissions outlined above as part of the system user level, each LibWizard item—form, survey, quiz, and tutorial—has its own set of user permissions, giving you control over who owns, who can edit, and who can view each item.

• Admins and the item owner have full control over the item, its options, its content, and its submission data.
• Regular users (other than the owner) only have access to a tutorial's public page unless they are granted Edit or View permissions.
  • Edit permission allows a Regular user to modify an item's content, most settings, and submissions.
  • View permission gives a Regular user a read-only view of the tutorial's settings, fields, and submissions.

These settings are configured on an item-by-item basis for both View Permission and Edit Permission with the following options:

• Admin-Level Users: This restricts access to only Admin users and the item's owner.
• Admins Plus These Accounts...: This will restrict access to Admin users, the item's owner, and only those users selected from the list.
• All Users: this will allow all users in the system to view and/or edit the item's options, content, and submissions.

Add a LibWizard Account

1. In LibWizard, go to Admin > Accounts.
2. On the Accounts page, click the Add New Account button.

See the full process here: Create a new LibWizard user account. You can also import several accounts at once if they already have LibApps accounts.

• When creating accounts, you will choose the user level: Admin or Regular.
• After creating a Regular account,
  • They will have access to any items with permissions set to All Users.
  • As needed, you can edit the permissions on specific items to give the new account view and/or edit permissions.

Learn more

• Create and manage LibWizard user accounts
• Forms: Manage a form's permissions
• Quizzes: Manage a quiz's permissions
• Surveys: Manage a survey's permissions
• Tutorials: Manage a tutorial's permissions