Note: Sometimes administrators ask us if they can simply edit a past program, rather than creating a new program from scratch. You should definitely not do this! Rather, you will want to start a new program.
BADGES -- If you plan to use custom badges, please ensure those are uploaded and on your site before moving into setup.
LOG TYPES -- In what increments do you want people to log? Minutes, books, days? Go to Setup > Log Types and check off all available log types for your programs before starting this portion of setup.
REVIEWS -- Do you want to include badges for reviews? Submit a ticket on the helpdesk if these are not already activated on your site.
VIDEO TUTORIAL:
SET UP POINTS INCREMENTS
Get There -- Setup > Manage Points System
First, notice which logging types are active, and which are inactive. If you want a patron to be able to log by something, it must be active. Remember you can make that happen by activating a log type with the “logging types” pre-work above.
Actions to Set Activity Points-- Activity points are the points assigned to individual activities within learning tracks.
Select the “edit” icon for Activities.
Update the number of points a person should earn upon completion of an activity.
How many points should someone earn for doing an activity? This number will be your “Standard Activity” number. All activities default to this number. You may also add “big” or “super” point values. Even if you do not use these, keep in mind that they must have values that are greater than the standard activity.
Actions to Set Logging Points--
Choose the active log type for which you want to reward points.
Select the “edit” icon for this log type.
Determine the Goal for this log type. The goal is the required minimum number of items that must be completed to earn the reward. For example, if you read 1 book, you earn __ points.
Determine the Points for having achieved the goal. This is the amount of points awarded for completing the goal.
Note: Patrons see points pop up as they earn them in these increments. They do *not* earn a badge or prize until they have reached the points milestone that you will set in the step four!
Repeat for all log types for which you want to reward points.
CREATE A PROGRAM
Get There -- Setup > Manage Programs > Create a Program
Actions --
Click on the “Create a Program” button
Select "Points" (and Activities if you will be attaching activities to this program) for the ways in which people can earn badges.
Enter Basic Information
Program Name: What do you want to call this program? The name will be visible to patrons.
Image: Include a program image. The ideal size for this image is 920x351.
Description: Provide a description of your program. If you have a paper reading log, be sure to link to a PDF (printable) version of the log within the description. You may use html code in your description to add things like italics, boldface, color, and more to the description.
Program Ages or Grades: For what ages or grade level is this program available? Remember, if you are scoping a program according to grade level, you want that registration field to be required on your site.
Program Dates: What are the dates on which this program will be live and available to patrons? Note that in the date fields. If you leave this blank, the program will be considered “ongoing.”
Staff Only or For Patrons/Customers: Is this program intended to be only for those with staff level access? If so, select “yes,” only for staff members. This is a setting you may change later.
Badges
Select “I want to use badges that can be earned at anytime.”
Badge Groups: When adding a badge, you will see something called “Badge Groups” above the images for badges. If you click on one of the groups, you will then only see badges associated with that group as options below. This is an optional action, and can save you time if you already know the group to which your preferred badges are attached.
Registration Badge and Prize: Do you want to include a registration badge? This is recommended for all programs. If so, select “Add a Registration Badge.” From there, click on the badge you want to “pop up” upon registration for a reader. Once you select the badge, the ability to add a prize will also become available. You may select an existing reward on your site or create a new reward.
Rewards: Once you add a reward, it will be available to use for other programs as well. Keep in mind that the “Instructions for recipients” will appear with a badge when it is earned, will remain on the reader’s dashboard, and will also go to their email as a notification. For example, you may want to indicate a “pick up by” date for a prize in the instructions.
Completion Badge and Reward: Is there a reward available for having completed the whole program? If so, add the badge and reward here. If you plan to connect the reward to a points badge or activity track, then do not add a completion prize or it will be awarded twice! You will have the chance to determine what a completion is for a program later in the setup process. Generally with a points program, it is okay not to have a completion badge and just to consider X points the completion.
Points Badges: To create a new points badge, select Create a Points Badge.
Click on the image that you want to use.
Then, choose your “goal.” For example, you may set a badge to be awarded when someone has earned 10 points. The second badge would be cumulative. For example, the second badge might be worth 20 points, which would be awarded after the person achieves ten more points. You do not want several badges that are worth 10 points.
You may then add an existing reward or create a new one. See “rewards” above for more detail. If you do select a reward, that reward will be earned when a patron earns this badge. They will receive a notification, and this will also be indicated for staff to see on the patron’s page.
You may also add a certificate. Certificates are automatically generated within Beanstack. They are very basic in design, though can have custom language. Once earned, certificates are available for download by a patron.
Note: If you have an existing certificate that you want to award as part of a program, we recommend that you:
Create a “reward” called Certificate or Certificate of Completion
In the reward description, include a link to a printable version of your certificate
Time Restrictions: Leave this blank.
Activity Badges (aka Learning Tracks): With points programs, you may highlight activities on the front page of the reader dashboard, or let activities be discoverable in the same way that logging reading would be - through the “log reading and activities” button.
To include activities as a part of your program homepage, select “Create a new Activity Badge.” Activities in Beanstack are managed through what we call learning tracks. You may set up one or a series of activities in a “track,” and then require that all or a subset of them be complete.
Enter a title and a short description.
Select the badge that will be earned when this learning track is complete.
Select suggested age(s) and/or grade level(s). Tip: hold down the ctrl (or command) key to select multiple at one time.
Do you want this learning track to be visible by patrons? If so, select visible to “Patrons.” Should the program just be available for staff to see? If so, select, “Staff only.”
Should someone complete a specific activity track before being able to complete this one? If so, select a prerequisite learning track. If not, leave that field blank. There are no prerequisite options if you have selected “repeatable” activities for the track
Optional: Add a reward for completing this track.
Once the “shell” of the track is saved, you may add activities.
Description: What is the activity/action required? For example, “Attend an event at the library.”
Link title will be the text that is hyperlinked should you want to include a link.
Link URL is the link to which you may send someone for further information
Activity Type:
General Activity: May include a link, and once complete, a patron simply clicks on the check.
Secret Code Activity: You may add a secret code to an activity that a reader must have and enter in order to complete the activity.
Text Box Challenge Activity: You may add a text-box challenge to an activity that requires the reader to add written text to an activity before it may be checked off as completed.
You can always add or remove activities, and you and easily drag and drop the activities to change their order.
Points: Remember to indicate the number of points that should be awarded for completing this activity.
NOTE: You can always add or remove activities, and you and easily drag and drop the activities to change their order. Repeat for as many activity tracks as you would like to create per age group.
Completion Requirements
Requirements: Determine how many badges are required to complete a program. Which badges must someone earn in order to complete the program, versus which are going the extra mile? If someone must complete all badges, then you are done!
SAVE YOUR PROGRAM!
Draft -- Save as a draft if you do not want this program to be visible to any patrons or staff members.
Published -- Once you save a program in a “published” state, it is live on your site. Even if the start date for the program is in the future, if the program is published, it would then be available for pre-registration.
REPEAT for all of the programs you plan to offer!
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