emails - MiBaseNZ - Toy Library Management System

Setting up Email Templates

MiBaseNZ provides a rather extensive list of email templates that your library can use to send to your members. MiBaseNZ has provided a general outline for each email template as well as including some general and some specific shortcodes.

Your library can change these templates however you like. All you need to do is select the email template, click Edit, make the changes, and click Save.

You also have the option of creating your very own email template however they can only be used in bulk emails.

Go to Setup -> Email Templates

Add new email template

To create your own email template simply click the blue Add New button to the top right of the page (see image below). Follow this link to learn how to Create your own template.

List of email’s templates

As you can see there is quite a selection of emails to choose from. These email templates can be filtered into different delivery types (see outlined in the below image) which means their functions differ in how they are sent to members.

There are 4 different delivery types, they are:

Auto: this stands for Automatic Emails which are emails, when set up correctly, are sent automatically
Bulk Email: these are specific emails which can be sent to all or just a few of your active members by the Bulk email functionality
Process: these emails, if activated, are sent to members after a function has been used
Button: these emails are linked to a button within MiBaseNZ and when clicked will send the email, like email and loan receipts

To view, check and change each of the above groups of email templates, follow the links below.

Automatic Emails

Overdue toy reminder
Roster reminder
Membership due to expire
Birthday – wishing members a Happy Birthday
Membership Expired
Header template – once this is set up every email sent will have this header
Footer template – once this is set up every email sent will have this footer
Toy Reservation reminder
Member expired go to resign
Membership due to expire with a negative balance
Party Pack Welcome email
Duty due reminder Note: there is a further three duty due reminder templates, simple, first and second. These were created for libraries to set up multiple reminders. Click the above Duty due reminder link for further explanation
Toy due soon reminder
Member Statement

Bulk Emails

New Member – Welcome email for new members
Login – member’s login details
Member Update – email asking for members to update their details
Missing – email for members who were missing pieces from their toy returns that day
Bulk Email – generic template you can change to your liking
Renew Membership – like the welcome email but for members renewing their membership
Newsletter – template you can use specifically for your library’s newsletters
Member Transaction – email to send three months worth or the full list of a member’s transactions
New Password – email sent to admin and volunteers when they reset their password

Process

Membership Application Received – this is sent when a member joins using the online sign-up form on the Public Website
Click and Collect Booking Confirmation – when a member reserves a toy and makes a booking to collect through the Member Website

Button

Email Receipt: this button allows you to email a receipt of a member’s toy loans
Loan Receipt: this button allows you to print a receipt of a member’s toy loans
Payments Email: this button allows you to email or print a receipt of a member’s payment list

Using Shortcodes in Emails

One of the many great features MiBaseNZ provides is the automatic emails and the bulk emailing functions. When setting these email templates up, to save on time and effort, you can use shortcodes.

What is a shortcode you ask? Well, a shortcode is a specific code that lets you do nifty things with very little effort. It allows you to add or embed specialised content to your email. The shortcode will automatically select the relevant information from within your database.

Pick up all information automatically from your system or database that you have setup

Below is the list of generic shortcodes that you can use and examples of how they appear in the emails. The key thing to remember when typing a shortcode into an email is that you have to use brackets around the specific word.

Shortcode list

For specific shortcodes related to specific automatic emails, please follow the below links to see them
Overdue Toys shortcodes
Toys Due Soon shortcodes
Reserved Toys shortcodes
Roster Reminder shortcodes
Member Statement shortcodes

Otherwise, here is a list of all the generic shortcodes you can use:

[firstname]: Member First Name

[borid]: Member ID

[expired]: Membership expiring date

[longname]: Member Full Name

[mobile]: Member mobile phone, not the second contact

[email]: Member email, not the second contact

[membertype]: Membership type for a Member

[username]: username to be used in the Member Website

[pwd]: password to be used in the Member Website

[address]: Member Address

[children]: Member children name, only one, to be used for a Birthday email template

[balance]: Member’s balance

[now]: the date of the email

[nextroster]: member’s next rostered duty

[missing]: List of missing pieces that the member missed, for example

[toyslist_pieces]: Toy on loan list with description (toyslist_pieces)

[toylist]: Toy on loan (toylist),
for example

[toyslist_detailed]: Toy on loan list very detailed (toyslist_detailed),
for example

[toyslist_small]: Toy on loan list small (toyslist_small),
for example

[toyslist_very_short]: Toy on loan list very short (toyslist_very_short),
for example

How to add shortcodes to an email

An example is the login email. All the words in brackets are shortcodes.

and the result is:

Follow this link to find out How to send bulk emails to your members.

Header template for all emails

Before you start activating and using automatic and bulk emails, it is important for your library to set up MiBaseNZ’s Header template. Once set up, every email, when sent, will automatically have the header included.

Note: you do not see the header in the individual automatic or bulk email templates so you need to be careful you don’t repeat the same information in these email templates that are already in the header template

The header template usually only contains the library’s name and logo. Very little content is needed.

To create/modify the template go to Setup -> Email Templates

Email templates

Type ‘header’ in the Name search box and click the yellow ‘Edit’ button alongside it.

Header template

Then change the content in the email and click ‘Save’.

Editing header template

To upload your library’s logo you need to send an email to us.

As you can see there is only one shortcode used, [libraryname], however you can add any generic shortcode you like. Remember it is only a header, so not a lot of information is required, also, remember that all emails will be opened in mobile or tablet or computer, don’t add too much information.

Look at our documentation here https://mibase.co.nz/knowledge-base/use-shortcode-in-the-email/ for the whole list of shortcodes.

Once saved, members will receive emails with the header looking like this

Header example

Footer template for all emails

Before you start activating and using automatic and bulk emails, it is important for your library to set up the MiBaseNZ’s Footer template. Once set up, every email, when sent, will automatically have the footer included.

Note: you do not see the footer in the individual automatic or bulk email templates so you need to be careful you don’t repeat the same information in these email templates that are already in the footer template

The footer template usually contains the library’s name, opening hours and contact details. Very little content is needed.

To create/modify the template go to Setup -> Email Templates

Email templates

Type ‘footer’ in the Name search box and click the yellow ‘Edit’ button alongside it.

Footer template

Then change the content in the email and click ‘Save’.
As you can see below, the email closing or sign off has been added. Adding it here saves you adding it to each email template.

Editing the footer template

You can add any generic shortcode you would like displayed, for example, in the above email, you can see [open_hours] or [email_library].
Look at our documentation here https://mibase.co.nz/knowledge-base/use-shortcode-in-the-email/ for the whole list of shortcodes.

Once saved, members will receive emails with the footer looking like this

Footer example

Emailing a toy loan receipt

Once you have finished loaning toys to a member, you have the option of emailing a toy loan receipt if the member would like one.

It is as simple as clicking the yellow ‘Email Receipt’ button under the toy loans list.
Email receipt button in the toy loan page
The email is automatically sent and a Success message appears above the toy loan list

Email template

The first important step you need to do before using this function is to create/modify the email template called ‘email_receipt’.
Go to Setup -> Email Template and click the yellow edit button alongside it
Loan receipt email template

Then change the content in the email and click ‘Save’
Toy loan email receipt template

You can add any generic shortcode you would like displayed, for example, in the above email, you can see [longname] or [balance].
Look at our documentation here https://mibase.co.nz/knowledge-base/use-shortcode-in-the-email/ for the whole list of shortcodes.

Toy Loan List shortcodes

For the list of loaned toys inside the email you can use these specific shortcodes:

[toyslist_pieces]: Toy on loan list with description
[toylist]: Toy on loan
[toyslist_detailed]: Toy on loan list very detailed
[toyslist_small]: Toy on loan list small
[toyslist_very_short]: Toy on loan list very short