Excelling into the Future

This past year brought us further into an era of interactive technology, as we strove to discover new, innovative ways to reach out and serve our customers. 

With environmental and budget issues on the forefront of all government and industry, Broward County Library launched a new, countywide campaign, "Check Out Being Green," that coordinated initiatives designed to promote the library's Web site and online customer use with the awareness that this type of use positively impacts our environment for generations to come.

The first facet of the plan was the addition of new and more useful features on the Broward County Library Web site. More than just a Web presence, www.broward.org/library is an interactive extension of Broward County Library that allows customers the opportunity to access information and services at their convenience from any personal computer.

Green Case Study
 
Broward County Library was recently featured as "Going Green: Case Studies in Outstanding Green Business" Practices in PRNews magazine in an article entitled Transforming a Library's Web Site, Reducing Dependency on Print which outlined the changes to Broward County Library's Web site has undergone since its relaunch in 2004.

To read Transforming a Library's Web Site, Reducing Dependency on Print case study, click here.

E-Communication - New E-Spotlights

The library's E-Spotlights was launched in Spring, 2008 as a way to foster online community among library users, offer customers unique services, and provide added interest to BCL's current Web site. The E-Spotlights  consists of a weekly e-mail highlighting:

• Staff Recommended Title of the Day: Each week, a collection of staff-written and recommended titles for current books and movies are posted. Along with summaries, readers get personal notes from library staff on genre, authors and plots, and customers can then use direct links to the library's online catalog to order the materials they want.
   
• Photo of the Day: Libraries belong to the community they serve, and providing customers with a daily visual reminder of the role and importance of their library in the quality of life they enjoy is an essential method of retaining customers and reigniting library interest.
   
• Reference Question of the Day: Each day, a thought-provoking reference question and answer is posted. The Reference Question of the day provides customers with an interactive demonstration of the information access available at their library and showcases the talents of our knowledgeable and dedicated staff. 
   

Statistical Growth

The most significant results were the increase of the library's electronic visitors and page views. Over a four-year period, the traffic in electronic visitors and page views has greatly increased.

Additionally, page views increased dramatically, as more information became available to customers. Users could download books, place holds on materials, check the visual catalog, view digitalized art exhibits, contact library staff directly, learn about library programs and events, and use free database resources from around the world.  Customers can also interact via an E-Suggestion Box and by receiving monthly E-Newsletters from the Broward County Library of their choice.

As the future of technology and information access grows, so does the myriad ways Broward County evolves, offering customers an extraordinary range of options and extras as well as the excellent core customer service they have come to expect.