Whim for Libraries

Every program,
findable.

Your library already has the programs. Whim makes them easier to find. Whim turns the calendar you already publish into a simpler way for patrons to see what fits their week, their branch and their needs.

Request a free concept Open the demo

01Uses the calendar you already publish

No second system for staff to maintain.

See how → 02Makes programs easier to find

Date, branch, audience and registration status are clear at a glance.

See it → 03Works across the library

Homepage, program finder, branch pages and QR posters all use the same source.

See where →

Program discovery

The programs are there. Finding the right one should be easy.

A parent looking for something Saturday morning, a newcomer looking for language support or a senior looking for a drop-in shouldn’t have to scan hundreds of listings. Whim starts with the library calendar and shows what fits.

9:40 AM · Saturday

A 6-year-old and a free morning. Only programs with space.

Your library · ProgramsCentral branch · open

ShowingSaturdayAges 5 to 8Central branchHas space

Three programs for ages 5 to 8, today

Family LEGO Lab10:30 · Central branch

3 spots leftAges 5+

Story and craft11:00 · West branch

Drop inNo sign-up

Junior coding club1:00 · Central branch

RegisterAges 6 to 9

Knows which branch is openFilters by ageShows real spots leftReads your published calendarRegistration stays yours

Illustrative example. In a live deployment, every detail comes from current local sources.

How it works

Your calendar stays the source.

Staff keep publishing where they already do. Whim reads that calendar and turns it into something patrons can scan in seconds.

Your library

What staff already maintain

Programs
Dates and times
Branches
Audiences
Rooms
Registration status

Nothing new for staff to enter.

What patrons see

The same information, made easier to use

A week at a glance
Audience filters
Branch filters
Search
Drop-in, register and waitlist states
What fits, without the full calendar

Updated from your calendar every day.

The working concept

Meet Fernbrook. See the whole library layer.

One guided experience introduces the hub, program finder, homepage hero, branch hours and pop-up widget in context.

Fernbrook Public Library · Concept

Every program,every day.

A fictional library built to show how the same live calendar can become useful across the entire patron journey.

One page · Guided tour

The program finder is the star.

A seven-day rail with live counts, audience filters, search and clear drop-in, register and waitlist states. The walkthrough then reveals each companion widget where it actually belongs.

01 · HubA week at a glancePrograms, audiences and branches in one clear view.

02 · HomepageDon’t-miss heroTime-aware programming without a manual banner.

03 · BranchesLive hoursThe right branch status on every relevant page.

04 · FinderAvailable everywhereOne line adds the pop-up finder to the whole site.

Open the demo, take the tour ↗

Fernbrook is fictional and built to show the range. In a real deployment, every experience reads the library’s published program calendar and branch hours live.

Across the library

One calendar. Every place patrons look.

Start with one, add the others when they earn it. They all read the same source, so each one adds discovery without adding staff work.

The programming hub

A week at a glance, audience and branch filters, search, and clear registration states, rebuilt from the live calendar every day.

Patrons scan a week in secondsOpen the hub ↗

The website widgets

A time-aware homepage hero, a program finder and branch hours on the vendor-hosted website you already use.

One embed lineSee the widgets ↗

Branch QR & audiences

QR posters that open the live hub, plus focused landing pages for little ones, teens, newcomers and seniors.

Useful beyond the homepageSee the printed kit ↗

Aggregate insights

See what patrons searched and tapped: numbers the programming team can bring to leadership without collecting personal data.

Evidence without surveillanceSee a sample dashboard ↗

Built for public service

Low lift. Privacy intact.

The experience is designed around the realities of library websites, programming operations and public trust.

No new calendarStaff continue publishing in the system they already use.

No patron accountDiscovery opens immediately in the browser.

No personal data requiredInsights are aggregate searches and taps, not identities.

Your registrationPatrons complete registration in the library’s existing system.

FAQ

Clear answers for library teams.

The concept stage lets programming, communications and IT see the experience on the real calendar before committing.

Our website is vendor-hosted. Will this work?

Yes. The hub and widgets use a standard embed that major library platforms support. We can also provide a concise technical one-pager for IT review.

Where does the program information come from?

The calendar you already publish. Titles, times, rooms, audiences and registration states remain exactly as staff entered them. When a program fills or moves, the experience updates from that source.

How much work is this for staff and IT?

Your team approves the experience and pastes one lightweight embed. After that, the live calendar does the work. No duplicated lists, banners or weekly updates.

What about patron privacy?

No accounts, sign-ins or personal data are required. Registration stays in the library’s own system. Insights are aggregate counts such as what was searched and tapped, not who did it.

Do patrons need to download anything?

No. Everything opens immediately in the browser from the library site or a QR poster in a branch. The Whim app is optional for patrons who want to save ideas.

What does it cost?

The hub and widgets run on a subscription sized to the library. The first working concept is free, so the team can review the experience using its real calendar before deciding.

Free working concept

See Whim with your real library.

We’ll build a focused concept using the information you already publish: a working program hub on your real calendar, for your team to explore before deciding anything.