SMS Notices FAQ

Free Method: Send the message by emailing the user’s phone number through their carrier’s email gateway. This only works if each user’s carrier is listed in Evergreen. It’s free, but delivery rates are low, and fewer carriers support this service.

Paid Service: Use a vendor to send SMS messages directly, without needing a carrier listed in Evergreen. This method has a much higher delivery rate. SirsiDynix used to provide this fee-based service for Horizon. We now use MessageBee from Unique Management, also for a fee.

What is MessageBee?

MessageBee is the vendor who sends SMS notices for SELCO.

MessageBee from Unique Management is a library communication tool. In addition to SMS services, they offer marketing, email and phone messaging for additional costs. MessageBee also offers a tracking and reporting tool via their portal.

Who has access to the MessageBee portal?

Any staff at a member library can access MessageBee. However, due to the sensitive nature of patron information, we recommend that library directors limit access to minimal staff and ensure they understand policies and guidelines around patron privacy.

Why do I want access to the MessageBee portal?

By accessing the MessageBee portal, you can view reports of what types of notices have been sent by library, by type, and by date. You can also verify if a text message was sent by MessageBee by searching Transactions.

How do I get a MessageBee login?

Contact the SELCO Help Desk to get a MessageBee login.

Where do I log into MessageBee?

The web address to MessageBee’s portal is: https://messagebee.uniquelibrary.com/login

I have a login, how do I get trained?

The MessageBee portal is designed to create a smooth experience. Many will not need formal training.

If you would like formal training, once you've logged in, you can open a ticket requesting training through the support icon located at the top of the navigation bar.

Through the same support icon, you can also search the Knowledge Base for just-in-time training via helpful articles and videos.

How do I know if a patron is supposed to receive SMS notices?

The presence or the absence of the Default SMS Phone Number in the Evergreen User Settings determines if all notices are sent by SMS.

For hold notices, please note:

Default format is also based on the presence or the absence of Default SMS/Text Number field - Not the Holds Notices by Check Box**
When placing a request in Aspen Discovery, patrons see their default notification settings, but can change notification formats for each individual request.
- For example, this means a patron can place requests on 3 different titles and have different notification formats/numbers for each title.
Staff can also change the notification format/number from the default for a specific request in Evergreen when placing the hold on behalf of the patron.

**This is new information and is not what was expected to happen upon go live. We are still investigating if this can be changed for SMS.

What troubleshooting steps can I take when a patron says they have not received their SMS notices?

SMS notices can be particularly challenging to troubleshoot. So much is dependent on someone’s personal device, their operating system (Android/Apple, etc.), version of their phone, their mobile carrier, Spam/Block/Filter or other individual device settings, as well as many other factors beyond the library’s control.

To troubleshoot patron issues with SMS follow these steps:

Verify the patron has a Default SMS number filled in the User Settings section of their Evergreen patron record.
Verify the number is a mobile/cellular number and not landline.
Verify that Evergreen Sent the SMS to MessageBee.
Verify that MessageBee Sent the SMS to the Phone Carrier.
- Review the SMS Failure Reasons and Codes if necessary.
Verify that the patron hasn’t accidentally blocked or marked the messages as spam in MessageBee.
Ask the Patron to check their Spam/Blocked folder in their contacts App (Android) or their Filtered/Blocked Folder and Settings (Apple).
Have the patron add the sending phone number to their phone contacts and try resending the SMS as instructed in step 3.
If all these steps still do not work, then the patron needs to contact their phone carrier or choose a different notice format.

What phone number are SMS notices sent from?

MessageBee sends our messages from 507-330-9513.

Adding this number to your phone’s contacts will help ensure messages are not blocked or filtered.

What should library staff do to ensure patrons are receiving SMS?

While SMS notices through MessageBee are a reliable way of communicating library information to patrons, there are several failure points that the library is best positioned to address and monitor to ensure the process moves smoothly.

SELCO recommends that at least one person per library have access to the MessageBee portal. This ensures that the library can can verify messages and troubleshoot patrons’ questions.

Each library may also identify one staff member responsible for logging into MessageBee monthly to identify sending failures to their patrons, contact patrons if the problem is not obvious, and make any needed corrections on accounts that are experiencing failures. Review the SMS Failure Reasons and Codes for help.

What types of notices go out via SMS?

MessageBee sends the following types of SMS notices:

Hold Notifications
Hold Shelf Reminder Notifications
Hold Canceled Notifications
1st & 2nd Overdue Notifications
Lost Notifications
Patron’s Card Expiring Notifications
Autorenewal Notifications

Native Evergreen cannot send Lost and Hold shelf reminder SMS notices, but MessageBee can and does send those types of notices.

What is the timing for SMS notices?

MessageBee will only send SMS text notices between the hours of 8am and 5pm. Any notice received from Evergreen after 5pm will be held until 8am the next day.

Hold Notices: These generate and send throughout the day as holds are trapped. Typically, Evergreen sends hold notices to MessageBee every 15 minutes. After that MessageBee needs 10 to 15 minutes to process, format and organize the data into notices, and then passes the messages to the appropriate phone carrier. The phone carrier is ultimately responsible for sending them to the patron’s phone.

All Other Notices: All other notices are processed between 1 am and 4 am, when usage of the ILS is low and so processing power is available. These notices are sent to MessageBee who holds onto them until 8 am.

Auto-Renewals: An autorenewal attempt is made 4 days before the item is due.
First Overdue: Sent 3 days after the due date.
Second Overdue: Sent 21 days after the due date.
Lost Notice: Sent at 30 days overdue.
Hold Shelf Reminder: After an item has been on the Hold Shelf for 5 days.

Where can I find the wording of the SMS notices?

The current default language of SMS notices can be found here.

Can I edit the language of SMS notices?

Currently, the MessageBee portal only provides two levels of language editing permissions: either the ability to edit the language for all libraries or none at all. MessageBee is developing functionality that will prevent one library from editing another library’s notice language. Once this feature is available, SELCO will extend editing access to any library that chooses not to use the supported default language.

As part of upcoming local admin conversations, we will also address the responsibilities that come with this access and clarify what will happen if errors occur when making edits.

A patron reported they receive the same notice in different formats. Why?

In the previous ILS, notices were only sent in one format, which is what library staff and patrons are accustomed to. Evergreen takes a different approach: its notices are designed with the assumption that sending them in multiple formats is preferable.

Evergreen is designed to send notices by every method a patron has on file (for example, both email and text) so there’s a better chance the patron receives the information.

Due to this design, Evergreen uses the presence or absence of an email address or default SMS number to determine how notices are sent, rather than relying on a checkbox.

Equinox made adjustments to the print file generation to avoid generating a print notice if someone has either email or text on file. This process is more feasible for print since that list happens outside of Evergreen.

At this time, if a patron prefers to receive SMS notices but not email, the only option is to remove the email address from the email field. Libraries may choose to record the email address elsewhere, such as in a note or secondary identification field.

Patron reports receiving a duplicate notice in the same format.

Reports of duplicate notices in the same format should be sent to the Help Desk. The more information you provide (time/date/patron account/copy of the notice itself), the more we can troubleshoot.

What is the issue with requests placed via the app?

Currently, requests placed via the app are not transmitting the patron's hold notification format choice. This primarily impacts those borrowers who only have an SMS box selected in the Hold Notification Box in User Settings in Evergreen and no email present in their account. Essentially, Evergreen doesn't know how to send these notices because the individual notice was created without the SMS option actually selected.

SELCO staff is running a report and cleaning these up every other day for all libraries. Libraries are welcome to do this for themselves if they choose.

We have been in contact with Communico about this issue. The issue requires development of Communico's code. Development means it will be some time before Communico investigates. Also, the Discovery Task Force from the migration is reconvening this fall to examine the Aspen App, therefore this issue likely won’t be addressed until the new year.

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