A library people counter should help you answer a question you already care about: when to open, where visitors spend time, which spaces need attention, or how to explain the library’s use to your board. Start with that decision. Then choose the measurement, hardware and report that support it.
People counters, door counters and patron counters are common names for systems that count movement through library entrances. A useful comparison looks beyond the device price to what the counts mean and how your team will use them.
01 / Define the question
Visits, occupancy and attendance answer different questions.
Write down the decision before drawing counting boundaries. A daily entrance total can help describe overall use. It cannot, by itself, tell you how many people attended a program or which individual patrons returned.
- Visits or arrivals
- Entries during a chosen period. A person who leaves and returns later can count again. Visits are not a count of unique patrons.
- Occupancy
- People present in a monitored area at a particular time. The entrances, boundaries and sensor coverage need to support that measurement.
- Program attendance
- Participation in a particular event. A whole-building count is not a substitute for the program’s own attendance record.
For multiple entrances, decide which doors belong in the building total and which measure an interior space. Adding every doorway count together can include the same movement more than once. Keep the measurement definition beside the report so colleagues can interpret it consistently.
FacilitySight separates entrance visits, monitored-space use and event attendance. Event attendance can come from a live mobile hand count, an after-event entry or a sensor-derived estimate where the room has suitable coverage. Explore Event Intelligence.
02 / Build the budget
Compare the cost of a working system.
Ask for a written scope that separates the initial setup from recurring costs. The number of entrances alone may not tell you how many sensors are needed; width, mounting height and the measurements you want also matter.
| Cost | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Hardware | Sensor models, quantities, mounting parts and the coverage each device provides. |
| Software | Billing period, included reports, sensor or bundle charges, and the organization’s access needs. |
| Installation | Mounting, cabling, network preparation, contractor work and who is responsible for each part. |
| Setup and support | Configuration, handover, support terms and how the installation will be checked. |
| Future changes | Adding another entrance, moving a sensor or expanding the measurements at a branch. |
For FacilitySight people counting, hardware is a one-time purchase and software is billed annually per sensor or bundle. Multiple sensors serving one entrance or virtual wall are bundled together. Staff Scheduling and Work Items are included at no additional fee.
Guided self-install support is provided at no charge. On-site installation by a local licensed contractor is a separate cost; FacilitySight helps find a contractor but does not perform that work. See current pricing and request a scoped quote. The ARSL member offer has separate eligibility and terms.
03 / Walk the building
Match the sensor to the actual space.
Bring entrance photographs or a simple floor plan to the conversation. Record ceiling height and entrance width, identify possible mounting positions, and ask your IT or facilities team about power and network access.
- Geometry: Show wide doorways, nearby walls, double doors and where people approach or turn around.
- Placement: Identify indoor and outdoor locations. Confirm the selected sensor is suitable for its environment.
- Connectivity: Confirm power and data requirements for the exact model. Configuration Wi-Fi does not necessarily provide wireless data transmission.
- Existing equipment: Share the manufacturer, model, firmware and connection details. Compatibility with a brand does not guarantee support for every model or measurement.
Ask how counts will be checked after setup, including busy arrivals, groups and repeated movement at the counting line. An installation-specific review is more useful than assuming one accuracy claim describes every entrance.
FacilitySight offers different sensors for entrances, lower mounting heights, high ceilings and room occupancy. Compare the sensor range and use the installation reference to prepare the details for your site.
04 / Understand the data
Ask what is collected, kept and shared.
Ask the supplier to explain the path from sensing a person to producing a count. Confirm whether video or images are recorded, whether faces or identities are captured, and which data leaves the sensor. Use those answers when explaining the system to staff and visitors.
FacilitySight’s people counting is anonymous: no recorded video, stored images, captured faces or tracked identities. This describes people-counting data. Accounts, staff scheduling and contact forms involve separate information about the people using those services.
Include access, retention and any site-specific configuration questions in your review. Read the privacy policy and product privacy details together, then confirm the scope of your installation with the team.
05 / Put the counts to work
Make the report explain the decision.
Build the first report around a specific question. For opening hours, review the first and last parts of the day across comparable weeks. For space decisions, compare the monitored areas relevant to the change. For branch comparisons, keep the period, opening hours and measurement definitions visible.
- Name the measurement. State whether the figure is visits, occupancy or program attendance.
- State the scope. Include the dates, entrances or rooms, and any missing coverage.
- Add context. Note closures, changed hours, events or other circumstances that help explain the pattern.
- Connect it to a decision. Describe what the library is considering and what additional information it needs.
For a state or agency return, check its required definitions and period against your source data. FacilitySight does not automatically complete a particular annual return. A consistent report can support your work while your team remains responsible for interpreting and submitting it. Explore FacilitySight reporting.
06 / Start the conversation
Bring the details you have.
- The questions your library wants to answer.
- The entrances, rooms and branches involved.
- Entrance widths, ceiling heights and photographs if available.
- Known power, network or existing-sensor details.
- The reports your team needs and who will use them.
- Your installation responsibilities and purchasing timeline.
You can request a quote without having every measurement. The first conversation can help identify what still needs to be checked.
Request a people-counting quote