A New Year. A New Website.

The Vancouver Public Library is pleased to launch its new website. The library’s website offers a unique opportunity to reach out to users, assist them in communicating and interacting with the library, and to inform them on the rich range of programs, resources and services that the library offers to the community. The library wants users to be able to find what they want fast, to enjoy the content, and to keep coming back to its site in the future. The library’s website redesign should reflect the role of the library in the community.

A few of the new features you'll find:

	Reader Tools - discover the latest bestsellers or check out what our patrons are reading and our librarians are recommending. Keep up-to-date with a RSS feed.
Maps - find your way to any of our 22 branches, using interactive maps powered by Google or by entering your postal code.
	Share Tools - using the information you discover can be quick and easy. Email pages to yourself or colleagues, bookmark a favourite location, print, or share with collaborative web tools like del.icio.us and Digg. These features are located on the right sides of most pages.

Programs, Events & News - highlighted on the homepage, there's even more throughout the site. Find out about children's programs, upcoming lectures and courses, and the latest library news. In the future, you'll also find program listings by branch.

Newspapers, Articles, Encylopedias & More - access information not available anywhere else on the web with a VPL card. These subscription resources include fulltext magazine and newspaper articles, encyclopedias and dictionaries, ebooks and classical music, and much, much more.

Pay online - we now offer several online payment options, from buying products such as Sequels and the New Media Directory, paying for room rentals, and supporting the library through online donations.

Of course, you can still do all the things you used to do, including:

find books, movies, and magazines
place holds, renew your books, and check due dates
ask a question - day or night
read a newspaper online
find a program or an event
order a photograph from days gone by
book a computer workstation for word processing or browsing the Internet
...and so much more...

But what was wrong with the old one?

We've been gathering ideas for a while. In planning the new website, we surveyed users. You told us that your priorities for the new site were:

reader support (e.g. recommendations, new materials)
improved site navigation
improved site design

Some of the guiding principles for the redesign were:

a site focused on the user
opportunities for interactivity and engagement
a modern and appealing visual design
easy navigation with intuitive organization and labels
simplified staff back-end processes
introduction of e-commerce options

The library’s public website was originally launched in 1996. Our most recent version came as a result of a visual redesign about 5 years ago that left the foundation largely unchanged. In the meantime, there have been so many innovations to web services, increased options for interactivity, and advancements in online library services (e.g. online collections). Coupled with increasing user expectations, the question became 'how could we NOT change?'

Did we do it alone?

No. We were lucky to collaborate with two Vancouver-based companies - OpenRoad Communications and their design partners, Karo. Karo and OpenRoad have extensive and impressive backgrounds in the needs analysis, design and development of websites (e.g., SFU, BC Government portal, and the BC Securities Commission) and brought to the project an iterative approach to website design and a commitment to the end-user.