How To Get The Most Out Of Your Document Library

Names can be deceiving; take the Jacob Sheep, for example. If someone asked me if I wanted to look at a Jacob Sheep, I’d say, “No, that sounds like the single most boring sheep alive, and that’s a low bar already.” However, I’d miss out because this is what a Jacob Sheep looks like. 

 

Jacob Sheep looks like hell’s most adorable demons, and I’d have missed out on that if I’d judged them from their name alone. 

My point here, in a roundabout sheep-based way, is that just because something has a boring name doesn’t mean the thing itself is boring. Take the Document Library Module at Member Jungle, undeniably a boring name. However, it is a pretty adaptable and valuable part of the Member Jungle system worth discussing. 

What Is The Member Jungle Document or Resource Library? 

The Document Library is a standard part of the Member Jungle system that can be extremely useful to your club if used correctly. The Document Library does what it says on the tin; it is a library where you can store any and all documents relating to your club. 

You can subdivide your library into multiple categories and sub-folders. You can lock down folders to particular member levels or groups. The document or resource library can also be used to store images and other files that aren't documents, like club logos. So, let’s get into how to get the most out of the document library.

What Can Your Club’s Document Library Be Used For?

The best use of the library is keeping copies of documents related to your club that your admins and/or members will need to refer back to. The following are just some of the things clubs that use Member Jungle have used the document Library for: 

• Meeting Minutes
• How to guides
• Waivers 
• Forms
• Safety guides 
• Past newsletters
• Club magazines
• Gear checklists 
• Photos from past events 
• Maps 
• Competition draws/results 
• Training materials 

Below is an example of the document library in action from the Northern Rivers Bushwalkers Club. 

 

Divide Your Club’s Document Library 

Depending on your club, you may have only one type of document to store in your library or dozens of different document types, all needing their own home. This is where the document library comes into its own. You can make various categories within the library and label them accordingly. This can make it easier for members to find exactly what they’re looking for. 

You can also lock down these categories and folders to different member levels. This means that you can have some documents that are only accessible to members of the committee, others that will only be accessible to specific member levels, and others open for public viewing. 

In practice, you can store all your meeting notes and any other documents for your committee members in your document library. You can restrict access to them so that only your committee members can view them. At the same time, you can organise various waivers, how-to guides, and competition draws in separate categories and restrict access based on the appropriate member levels. 

You can also have your club newsletters and photos in different categories open for everyone, including the public, to view. Of course, what categories you have, how many of them are locked down and who can see them is entirely up to you. 

Use The Document Library To Help Sell Memberships

A great way to entice new members to sign up for your club is by locking down certain content like magazines and how-to guides in your document library. Non-members will be able to see that you have these documents in your library, but they won’t actually be able to view them until they join up. 

So, if you use your document library correctly, you can make it a big selling point for your club’s membership. 

The Document Library & The Mobile App

One great part of the document library is that it can be accessed from the mobile app. Meaning that members can access all of your documents from their phones while they’re out and about. This is super important as, in these modern times, people spend less and less time on websites and more time on apps. Having your useful and important documents available on the Member Jungle app will help you put those important resources right in your members' pockets.

 

When you upload a new document or resource to your library, you can send a push notification to your members' phones via the app. This feature is not necessary for every document. Still, for those requiring extra attention, it can be extremely useful. Imagine being able to alert every single member of your club with a push notification to their phones every time you upload a new newsletter. It could make a major difference to the amount of eyes you get on each newsletter. 

Below, you can see how it looks when you add new documents to your document library.

 

 

As you can see, on the right-hand side of the page is the option to send a notification to the mobile app. It’s worth noting that the document doesn’t need to be new for you to send out a push notification. Suppose you have an event coming up, and you want to make sure that everyone sees your safety guide before they attend. In that case, you can simply jump in here and shoot off another notification. 

Your document library is a helpful tool that helps your club with its organisation and can be customised to be exactly what you need. So don’t underestimate it just because it has a boring name. Just like you shouldn’t underestimate Jacob Sheep just because of their boring name. Every photo of a Jacob Sheep I’ve seen looks like it’s trying to lure an 18th-century pilgrim into the deep woods.

 

What Else Do You Need To Know About Your Club’s Document Library? 

If you want more information on how exactly to set up your document library, click the link for everything you need to know about setting up, customising and using your document library.  

For more information on how to get the most out of your Member Jungle system, check out How To Get The Most Out Of Your Member Jungle Subscription.