The old Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library website was difficult to navigate.
In particular, “finding information about programs was very difficult,” said the library's Community Engagement Co-ordinator Larissa Marks.
There was duplication of information, details “scattershot” under a variety of different headings, and the information was not always up to date.
“You had to be careful you were looking at the right year!” Marks said.
That was one reason she was asked to help put in place a new, user-friendly website for the town’s popular library, which has more than 24,000 registered patrons.
It has taken library staff nearly two years to prepare the new site – years of working on the library catalogue, which has more than 110,000 items, to ensure it would be fully compatible with the software system, and then the six months Marks spent putting the pieces together, eliminating duplication, and designing an easy-to use, attractive site.
Rentals are now under a single tab, whether it is booking a study room or renting the Zima Room. The process of finding an upcoming library program was simplified, with links to program registration, the library guide, and a calendar of upcoming events right on the home page.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing.
“There was some giving and taking and working through the bumps,” Marks said. And it’s still not perfect. “There are certain features that we would have liked to have included, that are not compatible,” she said.
Part of the process has involved public input and feedback from patrons who have made recommendations for improvements. At their suggestion, the website now offers more opportunities for social media connections, and the library team is working on reintroducing one positive feature from the old site: the old catalogue list not only provided author and title, but shelf location in the library.
For Marks, connecting to library patrons has been every bit as important as presenting library information in an easy-to-use format.
“It’s giving me the opportunity to chat with people, and connect with the community,” she said. “We feel they care and value this website.”
The feedback so far has been positive, she said.
“All in all, we’re really happy…. The general sense is that it is a huge improvement,” Marks said.
Marks’ background is eclectic. A photographer, she went back to school to learn web design, rather than pay thousands of dollars to someone else to design a website for her studio. She began assisting other small businesses with their sites, and when social media “exploded,” went back to school again for social media marketing.
It has proven to be a good fit for the library, and the library’s new website.
There are more changes still in the works, Marks said, including direct links to Eventbrite in the next Library Program Guide, for easier registration, and a new online photogallery. And she is hoping that patrons will continue to share their impressions and comments.
“I would love for people to have control,” she said. “This is not for us. This is for the community.”
The BWG Public Library and Cultural Centre is located at 425 Holland St. W. Check out the new website at bradford.library.on.ca.
