THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay Public Library (TBPL) have launched a new Web site, including a revamped Kids’ Space and a brand new Teen Zone.
The address of the Library Web site remains unchanged at www.tbpl.ca.
In 2008, the Library conducted a Web site usability audit, including an online survey and an in-person observational study of how library members used the site. The study resulted in recommendations for how the Library could improve the site’s navigation, usefulness, learnability and user satisfaction.
The new TBPL Web site includes many features that make it easier for people to use the Library online, including:
- a link at the top of every page to log in to your Library card
- a search box on the right side of each page to search the site, search • the Library catalogue or search the Internet
- weekly events displayed on the bottom of the home page
- a new Kids’ Space and Teen Zone with age-appropriate content and graphics
- new accessiblity features, including a text only button and font resizer
- links at the top of every page to facilitate social media applications
Gina La Force, Chief Librarian thanked the Web site usability audit team for their work. She also commended Generator for the friendly and functional new designs of the main site, the Kids’ Space and the new Teen Zone. She went on to thank Sencia Canada Ltd.for their work behind the scenes and for training staff on the new content management system that will be used to keep the site fresh and relevant. “We are really pleased with how the new Web site offers seamless access for all ages and we are equally impressed with how easy the site will be to maintain and update” said La Force.
Joanna Aegard, Head of Virtual Library Services, spearheaded the Web site re-design and the usability task force. She looks forward to receiving feedback from users of the site so that it can be continually improved to meet the increasingly complex online demands of Library users.
The Library Web site is available 24/7 at www.tbpl.ca. It is Thunder Bay Public Library’s virtual Library branch, featuring access to the Library catalogue, online databases, eBooks, useful links, events calendar and AskON (chat reference service). Library users may also access their Library records online to facilitate renewals, holds and so much more.