Stowe Free Library

We have spoken a good deal these past few months about the new services we’re offering at the Stowe Free Library, and now we’re at the one that might help you keep track of them all — the redesign of our Web site, wwww.stowelibrary.org.

We have kept almost all of our excellent previous redesign done by Carter Stowell of FigRig, with its changing seasonal photos, bright colors, and uncluttered reading space. We turned to Joe Chellman of ShooFly Design to instead work on the structure of the Web site, taking advantage of many of the changes that have happened in Web sites over the past few years.

Imagine it as if we replaced the wiring and plumbing of our site: You might not see the difference outright when you do this work in your home, but you sure notice how much easier it is to live there.

We sought to make it easier for our staff to stay in touch with our community and our patrons, and easier for our patrons to quickly see the newest news.This is evide

A shot of the home page.

We have a busy schedule of programming at the library, and the closest in date automatically appear on the home page. Click on “More Events,” and you will be taken to a calendar, where at a glance you can see the library’s events. If you use an online calendar or calendar software yourself, you can add the library’s events to your calendar, too, and have the events right at your fingertips. Visit the “iCalendar feeds” page under “Services” to add our publicly available calendars to your personal calendar. You’ll never miss a program again (like our next Face to Face: Meet the Author program on March 11 at 7:30, featuring Steve Delaney of VPR).

Even more exciting is the fresh content you will find under “Recent Posts.” Our site is set up to allow all of our staff, as well as the members of our Teen Advisory Board, to quickly post news, quirks, recommended reading, book lists, our new additions, and more. Check out what our staff is reading (Julie and I will be doing frequent posts on what we have been reading), and what the Teen Advisory Board recommends — it will even be doing video reviews. The library is always looking for ways to help our patrons with the perennial question: What’s a good book to read? Check back frequently — you’re sure to find something new from our staff there.

Our “Kids & Teens” page has been redesigned as well, with changing seasonal images of its own, separate news pages for kids and for teens, and programs from the youth department.

Patrons can also search our catalog easily with a link in the side menu of every page, find information about and a link to the Listen Up! Vermont downloadable audio book project (now live — visit our site or go to www.listenupvermont.org directly. All you need is your library card number to sign in), contact our Friends and trustees, and more.

Now, you might be thinking, how am I going to remember all of that?

Why not try out one of the newest technologies for keeping up with news and your favorite Web sites: RSS feeds. By using a feed reader — Google Reader and Bloglines are just two — you can bookmark the feeds of your favorite sites and quickly and easily be able to tell, in one place, what’s new. Check the RSS feeds page under “Services” on our Web site, and you are certain to find something you are interested in — easily be informed when the library has posted a new “Staff Picks” entry, when we have added new materials, and more (and don’t hesitate to stop in and see me if you need a little lesson in RSS).

We’re excited to be able to offer so many new features, and help our patrons access all we do at the Stowe Free Library easily and quickly.

Stephanie Chase is director of the Stowe Free Library.

Originally printed in the March 6, 2008 edition of The Stowe Reporter.